[drlonline]

First post of the new year, so happy New Year to all you i8 fans. This should be an exciting year for me as I'm planning to finally get the i8 after years of thinking about it. Though I'm a bit disappointed the new coupe won't have any dramatic improvements over the previous model, I still feel if I'm going to spend this much money after waiting for so long, I might as well get the latest incarnation of the car.

One question I have concerning the 2019 improvements is the estimated electric only range. My i8 will be a DD for me, which includes a lot of relatively short commutes that will typically total ~ 25 miles per day. I was initially very surprised to see in the narrative sections of one of the press releases for the 2019 model that the preliminary e-range was only 18 miles. From what I understand from current owners, the current model gets on the order of 15 miles in real world driving, which is down from the 22 mile estimate initially provided by BMW when the 2014 car was released.

Upon further study of the specs attached to the press release (see attachment), I see where there is an estimate of 55 km (34 miles). This is noted to be based on the WLTP test cycle, which everyone recognizes represents more optimal driving than one can expect from real world conditions. So, while I don't expect to get 34 miles with the new model, I hoping that something in the range of 25 miles might be achievable. That would represent a 67% improvement over the current 15 mile range, which the math suggests might be achievable given that the battery capacity has increased from 20 Ah to 34 (70% increase).

Would appreciate your thoughts on this. The e-range isn't a deal breaker for me, but I'm hoping that when I'm just doing short trips around town, I can get through the day solely on electric if I so choose.

[i8_2018]

I waited for this new model but was not impressed by the improvements. Therefor I bought a 2016 two weeks ago for little more than half the price. Im sure you will be able to get by mostly on electricity but I doubt you will..

[NGR]

Originally Posted by i8_2018

I waited for this new model but was not impressed by the improvements. Therefor I bought a 2016 two weeks ago for little more than half the price. Im sure you will be able to get by mostly on electricity but I doubt you will..

Must admit to being disappointed by the e-range in particular as well as e-motor upgrades. Renault nearly doubled the range of their fully electric Zoe earlier this year with a weight penalty of only 10-ish Kg and no size difference (battery is interchangeable with the old one). BMW's battery tech might already be on that higher density though and they can't go much further without weight/size penalties.

I think we're really waiting for a new battery tech before we see a big bump in range without huge heavy batteries affecting the balance and handling. There are many promising battery technologies in development but nothing has even appeared in consumer electronics yet so expect cars to be way off.