[ORIGIN M.]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

Source...Automotive News

BMW will boost the range of its i3 electric car by about 50% for the 2016.5 model year.

This summer, the lithium ion battery pack of the compact EV will be improved, "which puts it into a much more usable range," Ian Robertson, BMW AG board member for sales and marketing, told Automotive News at the Detroit auto show.

BMW doesn't have the exact figure yet, but a 50 percent increase means about 120 miles on a single charge, up from the current 81 miles. The i3 will get other improvements, which BMW has not yet disclosed.

The improved battery would give the i3 a better range than the Nissan Leaf, the top-selling electric car in the world, which can go up to 107 miles on a single charge.

But it will pale in comparison to that of the upcoming Chevy Bolt, which will have a range of 200 miles and cost less than $30,000 after federal tax credits.

The i3 went on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2014 and has a base price of $43,350 including shipping. A range extender model is also available -- with about double the range -- and starts at $47,200 including shipping. Those prices are before tax credits.

BMW sold 24,057 i3s worldwide last year, an increase of 50 percent from 2014.

In the United States, BMW sold 11,024 i3s, up from 6,092 in 2014.

Nearly 60 percent of BMW i3's sold were range extender models.

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[bovino]

Love it in black. I hope to re-lease when mine is up in 2018.

[afadeev]

Sorry, BMW, that's just not enough.

I get ~160 miles out of my coded REX in the summer, ~100 miles in the sub-freezing temps right now.
That is borderline adequate for today, but will fall well short of Model 3's range next year. And that of the Bolt.

More here:
http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1187715

[ORIGIN M.]

While I'd only buy a 100% BEV [Battery Electric Vehicle] not a REX [Range EXtender], this is a great step forward.

And considering Model 3 is over 2 telsa years away, if BMW beats the current Leaf's 106 mile range and maybe brings as much as 150 true electric miles, many future EV buyers, as well as REX buyers will have little to complain about.

Originally Posted by afadeev

Sorry, BMW, that's just not enough.

I get ~160 miles out of my coded REX in the summer, ~100 miles in the sub-freezing temps right now.
That is borderline adequate for today, but will fall well short of Model 3's range next year. And that of the Bolt.

More here:
http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1187715

[ZIV3R]

Someone throw an F10 M5 motor in one of these please... Just for fun.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by afadeev

Sorry, BMW, that's just not enough.

I get ~160 miles out of my coded REX in the summer, ~100 miles in the sub-freezing temps right now.
That is borderline adequate for today, but will fall well short of Model 3's range next year. And that of the Bolt.

More here:
http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1187715

.. Hey Alex! I started to disagree with you... but you know.. $45K for a total city car is a lot. I could barely even make it to Waco from Dallas.. sigh.. I'll keep looking at X1s

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by afadeev

Sorry, BMW, that's just not enough.

I get ~160 miles out of my coded REX in the summer, ~100 miles in the sub-freezing temps right now.
That is borderline adequate for today, but will fall well short of Model 3's range next year. And that of the Bolt.

More here:
http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1187715

Well in that case, you should get 50% more!

Also curious as to what coding extends the range to nearly double. Or are you talking about also using the REX?

[mattm123]

The problem right now is they do not have xDrive and in the snowy conditions here in the northeast, you cannot drive them. I feel that an xDrive model will drive their sales up.

[greekcs]

I'm all about that "Sport Tuned Suspension".

[DCG]

Now they just need to make the exterior way sleeker and not so boxy.

[M3 Number 86]

150 miles would be awesome. How many miles does the range extender add?

[Rennsport3.2]

Excited to see the real world results of this upgrade. I'd love an i3 to commute in, but I live in a region that experiences extreme heat and cold during different parts of the year.

Something a lot of people fail to mention when comparing the i3 to the Leaf is that the Leaf is a $30k car with a $15k interior, while the i3 is a $40k car with a $40k interior. Just because I want an electric car doesn't mean that I'm willing to sacrifice material quality and aesthetics.

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by mattm123

The problem right now is they do not have xDrive and in the snowy conditions here in the northeast, you cannot drive them. I feel that an xDrive model will drive their sales up.

You need snows and then you can go anywhere.

A serious must considering where you live.

[hyperzulu]

IMO this car should have started at a 120mi range. If you live outside the city, and don't just work an 8-5 job in a corporate building that has EV chargers, you are probably planning your day around your car's range. That's exhausting... but if you drive more than 120mi in a day, then you just need to get yourself a normal car - unless as I said before, you work in a corporate building and just happen to drive 60 miles each way. :O

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by Rennsport3.2

Excited to see the real world results of this upgrade. I'd love an i3 to commute in, but I live in a region that experiences extreme heat and cold during different parts of the year.

Something a lot of people fail to mention when comparing the i3 to the Leaf is that the Leaf is a $30k car with a $15k interior, while the i3 is a $40k car with a $40k interior. Just because I want an electric car doesn't mean that I'm willing to sacrifice material quality and aesthetics.

The Leaf SL Premium kills the i3 with 4 cameras on its around view camera. Back up camera is standard.

Try getting either in any BMW for $40K. You can not.

[ORIGIN M.]

Originally Posted by hyperzulu

IMO this car should have started at a 120mi range. If you live outside the city, and don't just work an 8-5 job in a corporate building that has EV chargers, you are probably planning your day around your car's range. That's exhausting... but if you drive more than 120mi in a day, then you just need to get yourself a normal car - unless as I said before, you work in a corporate building and just happen to drive 60 miles each way. :O

Because battery technology is advancing every year.

[hoyasaxa]

Honestly, both the Leaf and the eGolf are more practical solutions for people who want an all-electric city car. Looking forward to the Model 3

[shivaswrath]

I'd consider leasing one now...my daily commute is about 48 miles, and with the summer heat or winter cold, I would've been getting way too close.
The lease on a 2015 volt is $269 a month, BMW needs to man up if they want to play in this space, because these are basically commuter cars!

[Rennsport3.2]

Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut

The Leaf SL Premium kills the i3 with 4 cameras on its around view camera. Back up camera is standard.

Try getting either in any BMW for $40K. You can not.

Point taken, but I was moreso referring to interior materials. The Leaf just feels like an average B-segment Japanese compact inside (Not a bad thing, but I expect more for $30k). The i3 - at least in Mega World trim (what a silly name for a package) - felt like a premium car inside, at least to me. Not a difference that shows up on a list of standard equipment, but a difference in the way the interior feels and how the car presents itself. You can get a low-end car absolutely packed with gadgets, but it will still feel cheap inside.

[slicer]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Well in that case, you should get 50% more!

Also curious as to what coding extends the range to nearly double. Or are you talking about also using the REX?

He is including the Rex in his range. Coding does not increase battery range. It does increase gas range by about 20 miles and makes the car 1 million times more usable because you can engage the Rex at 75% battery life. Standard US coding won't allow Rex to start until 6% battery life which severely neuters the car.

[hyperzulu]

Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut

Because battery technology is advancing every year.

Duh. I'm saying 120mi range is a sweet spot, which is pretty obvious considering how many Rex models BMW sells. I rarely hear anyone say that got the BEV, though I'm sure they're being sold.

The range should have been 120mi to begin with, not after the model refresh. It's like building a jet plane that costs as much as regular plane and saying it can only fly from Burbank to Ontario. Sure, it'll eventually be able to fly to SFO, but not for another four years, and you'll have to buy the new one if you want that.

[slicer]

Originally Posted by hyperzulu

Duh. I'm saying 120mi range is a sweet spot, which is pretty obvious considering how many Rex models BMW sells. I rarely hear anyone say that got the BEV, though I'm sure they're being sold.

The range should have been 120mi to begin with, not after the model refresh. It's like building a jet plane that costs as much as regular plane and saying it can only fly from Burbank to Ontario. Sure, it'll eventually be able to fly to SFO, but not for another four years, and you'll have to buy the new one if you want that.

The existing electric range is actually sufficient for most people's daily use. 70-80 miles is more then most folks commute. The Rex is popular because it makes the car more usable for those instances that one needs to drive further. Or realistically it serves to cure some of the range anxiety. I know four people who have an i3 and two of them haven't used their gas motor yet. I use mine because I regularly make 200 mile trips. Even so, on many trips I don't need it because there are 20 min DC charging stations available. The car is very usable (and cheap!) once you figure out how to use it. Living in CA where there is a decent charging network is a big help.