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2019 BMW i3 Gets 30 Percent Bigger Battery, 153-mile Range

posted by martyb on Friday September 28 2018, @04:28PM   Printer-friendly
from the EVs-are-making-a-charge-on-ICEs dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Roadshow:

The BMW i3 has been on sale since 2014, and in that time, BMW has seen fit to expand its battery size and, by proxy, its range. For the 2019 model year, it's getting yet another battery upgrade, and it's a big one.

The 2019 BMW i3 will come with a 42.2-kWh battery (120 amp-hours), which should permit for up to 153 miles of all-electric driving. This is a roughly 30 percent improvement over the previous 94-Ah battery, which allowed for 115 miles of range. The i3's first battery was just 60 Ah, offering a range of just 81 miles. Oh, how far we've come.

BMW will offer the battery in both variants of the i3. The standard i3 uses a 170-horsepower electric motor, powerful enough to get the little EV to 60 mph in just 7.2 seconds. The i3s, on the other hand, is the sportier trim, offering a 181-hp electric motor and a 6.8-second sprint to 60.

Will EVs (electric vehicles) like this succeed in replacing ICEs (internal combustion engines) as commuter cars?

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  • (Score: 1) by bmimatt on Friday September 28 2018, @07:04PM (1 child)

    by bmimatt (5050) on Friday September 28 2018, @07:04PM (#741487)

    As my daily X5 is currently in service, I am driving a 330e loaner, a gas/electric hybrid. I used to drive a 330 a decade or so ago, so I am familiar with that model. The loaner says the battery is at 10% and I just put a full tank of gas in it for under $40 (I think the tank is maybe ~50% smaller than gas-only 3 models) and I am not sure what the difference is between 10% and 100% battery. That said, I am really impressed with is the acceleration of this car. It feels like they figured out how to find the sweet spot between gas and electric power. Granted, it has 8 forward gears, but I was really pleasantly surprised when I drove it out of the dealership.

  • (Score: 2) by NewNic on Saturday September 29 2018, @05:30AM

    by NewNic (6420) on Saturday September 29 2018, @05:30AM (#741716) Journal

    That said, I am really impressed with is the acceleration of this car.

    Meh. 0-60 in 5.7 seconds, and it won't have the instantaneous nature of acceleration of a pure EV.

    --
    lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory