BMW i3 ‘Shadow Sport’ unveiled at LA motor show

BMW revealed its for-USA-only limited-edition BMW i3 ‘Shadow Sport’ Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) at the LA motor show. The i3 is the only model from BMW's stable to be showcased at this year's show. The carmaker is to produce only 50 examples of this model.

The limited-edition hatchback comes in an exclusive Fluid Black paint scheme with electric blue accents on its nose, grille and side body panels, and sports 19-inch turbine-style wheels. The Shadow Sport gets the addition of a sunroof, and a sportier suspension set-up.

The 168nhp electric powertrain from the standard i3 is carried forward which means that this special edition i3 can cover between 130 and 160 kilometres on pure electric power and hit a top speed of nearly 150kph. The Shadow Sport edition won’t be available on the i3 Range Extender(RE), which makes use of a two-cylinder petrol motor to generate electricity on the move.

More recently, BMW also announced the introduction of its ‘Optimised Driveline’ range of high-power density batteries for the i3. The new batteries on the hatchback will allow it to travel nearly 210km in real-world conditions on full charge; a good 50km up on the present i3’s range. Besides the new battery, the i3 will also get upgraded softwares for its electric motor and battery cooling system. The revised battery packs and software updates will be available for the all-electric i3 as well as its Range Extender variant. That aside, the new battery pack will also be on offer as a retro-fit for existing i3s.

Sources