BMW is bringing an end to production of its quirky i3 fully electric city car after nine years.

Debuting in 2013, the i3 was BMW’s first effort at a series production all-electric car, and it was a successful effort too – more than 250,000 units of the small hatchback have been built.

Designed from the ground up as an EV rather than a converted combustion model stuffed with an electric powertrain, the i3 was built on a unique platform that carried the rear-mounted 125kW/250Nm electric motor, the 22kWh high-voltage battery as well as a passenger cell made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) called the ‘life module’.

Performance was pretty solid, with a top speed of 125km/h, and a 0-100km/h time of around 7 seconds. Range was good too, and with regenerative braking a feature of the model, a claimed 190km was possible between charges.

A second model of the i3, aimed at those with a touch of range anxiety, was available with small ‘range extender’ petrol engine that could bump up range to around 320km.

Subsequent versions of the i3 would get bigger batteries offering longer range, with the 2019 version getting a 42.2kWh battery pack offering 310km of pure electric range.

In addition to the all-electric drive, the BMW i3’s eco-friendly credentials extended to its manufacture. Partly recycled raw materials were used for its outer skin, and the plastic used in the interior was made up of 25 per cent recycled material. The textiles used for the seat surfaces were made from recycled fibres. Eucalyptus wood from certified cultivation in Europe served raw material for parts of the instrument panel.

BMW says the i3 has been sold in more than 74 countries around the world and, in many markets, it achieved a significantly higher market share in the electric vehicle segment than the BMW brand in the area of conventionally powered cars. It also succeeded in bringing new customers to the brand. The company says that, in the early years, more than 80 per cent of all BMW i3 buyers were new customers to BMW.

While BMW may have brought the i3 story to an end, the company is charging ahead with its electrification plans. By 2030, the company aims for every second BMW Group vehicle sold worldwide to be fully electric.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (August 2022)

24 August 2022