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?
(Score: 2) by toddestan on Saturday September 29 2018, @06:32PM
The other thing I worry about is old age. My car is 20 years old and has about 120,000 miles on it (half of this was put on in the first 5 years too). I'm interested in electrics, but will I face a battery that needs replacing after 10 years and only 30,000-40,000 miles? My experience with older laptops is after 7-10 years the battery is more or less done no matter how well you treat it.
Luckily my conventionally powered car is in good shape and shouldn't need replacing for some time yet if I choose to just keep driving it.