2013 BMW i3 electric review, test drive

The BMW i3 electric car aims to fuse all the qualities of a compact city car with the virtues of a driver's car. Does it manage?

Published on Oct 31, 2013 07:30:00 PM

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The advanced carbon monocoque shell also helps endow it with what BMW describes as class leading rigidity. This inherent structural strength has, in fact, allowed designers to do away with traditional B-pillars. Drive is sent to the rear wheels with the choice of three modes: Comfort, Eco Pro and Eco Pro +.

The electric motor puts out the equivalent of 168bhp, and that and the electric motor's instant torque mean the car takes off the moment you brush the throttle. In fact, performance is good enough to out-sprint many hot hatches with 0-100kph taking 7.2sec. The sporting performance is complemented by a light but direct steering. In combination with a low centre of gravity, this allows the i3 to dart in and out of corners. There's no doubt, this new BMW is extraordinarily agile and fun to drive.

There is a bit of roll at the back but the tall, narrow tyres provide relatively strong adhesion. Still, with so much performance on hand it doesn’t take much to get the traction and stability control systems working. One thing you have to get used to however is the dramatic driveline braking. Strong regenerative braking starts the moment you step off the throttle, and this takes a bit of getting used to, because you can't cruise comfortably with a light foot on the throttle. And like a lot of BMWs, ride is a bit thumpy too. The bigger issues however are the limited range, around 130km in the real world (there is a range extender R EX version with a two cylinder BMW bike engine on the cards as well) and the fact that it will cost as much as a 3-series. It will also take six to eight hours to charge it on a regular low voltage mains socket.

BMW has made a real fun-to-drive electric car, there is no doubt; mission accomplished. However, It is unlikely that the unique i3 will make it to the Indian market. It's too expensive for its size and there are no real sops for electric cars in our market. And that's a shame, because it's quite a brilliant little car; and a real BMW on top of it.