The BMW i3 is an electric car that was manufactured by BMW from 2013 to 2022. The i3 was BMW's first mass-produced zero emissions vehicle and was launched as part of BMW's electric vehicle BMW i sub-brand. It is a B-segment, high-roof hatchback with an electric powertrain. It uses rear-wheel drive via a single-speed transmission and an underfloor lithium-ion battery pack with an optional range-extending petrol engine.
EnI
Piston Pioneer
Those Honda portable generators are compact yet weak. The biggest one in the pics has a power output of 3kW, while i3 ICE outputs 25kW. While the 10kW Honda portable generator is not compact anymore but quite huge & heavy & loud, and needs wheels to be moved around.
So, NO. There's no way an affordable portable (light enough one person could carry it around) powerful IC generator is possible. 25kW light & powerful & silent portable IC generator is as much sci-fi as cold fusion.
So, NO. There's no way an affordable portable (light enough one person could carry it around) powerful IC generator is possible. 25kW light & powerful & silent portable IC generator is as much sci-fi as cold fusion.
Sunny
Premium
Eni, you are comparing some dissimilar figures here - the 10kW Honda portable generator has an ICE (http://engines.honda.com/models/model-detail/gx630) that puts out 15.5kW, not 10KW. 10kW is the electrical output after the inefficiencies of the generator and inverter. So the comparable figures (output of the ICE) are 15.5kW and
25kW.
Now coming to the weight of the 10kW Honda generator. It is high (180kg) because it also includes the weight of inverter, battery and a electric starter motor, all things that won't be needed in a Rex module. The ICE (GX630) it self only weighs a portable 44kg.
EnI
Piston Pioneer
The Future of Transportation, for Some of Us: 2014 BMW i3
Is BMW's new take on city mobility revolutionary, or a weird-looking flop in the making?
By Jennings Brown
Let me be clear: Amsterdam is hell to drive in, more hellish than crawling and cursing your way through Times Square. On the Dutch capital's generally narrow roads, cars fall somewhere around fifth in importance, behind swarms of bikers, pedestrians, unforgiving trams, and more swarms of bikers. And with more than 60 miles of canals and 1281 bridges, hardly any detour is minor. To seasoned automotive journalists, it seems like an odd location for BMW to host a preview of its newest car, the i3.
"Why the hell would they want us to drive that thing through Amsterdam? I didn't even get it up to 90 kilos per hour," one journalist griped after the first day behind the wheel. "And they kept trying to get me to play with the damn phone app. I just want to drive."
This was my first hint that there were two groups of reviewers on the trip: those who got it and those who didn't. The aforementioned writer, based in Michigan, was clearly of the latter group. Whereas I, a tech editor living without a car in a Brooklyn studio, would absolutely buy this weird little BMW if I had the $42,275 that I didn't want to spend on a larger apartment.
Driving Character
Driving the i3 was outstanding. It made navigating Amsterdam a pleasure. I felt at ease, almost peaceful, inside the car. My companion in the passenger seat actually dozed off for a few minutes as I zipped around bikers and partook in acts of urban off-roading, following questionable paths over curbs that the navigation system seemed to think were roads.
"When we started our research and analysis people told us they wanted to see the car as a retreat,'" says BMWi's Manuel Sattig, who is wearing the kind of Ray-Bans I'd expect to see on the project manager of a tech startup, not a luxury automaker. "A retreat from the hectic city, from the noise, from the pollution. For us it was very clear that we needed to have an area of calm driving. This shows in the reduction of noise, the continuous acceleration that doesn't shift gears."
He's right. There's virtually no noise, which is something I love about EVs. A gawking Dutch couple asked if they could peak inside the interior of this funny-looking BMW. As they leaned into the passenger door I started the ignition. "Bet you didn't know I just turned it on," I said. Their eyes widened with astonishment, not feeling a single vibration as they pressed on the doorframe.
...
Read more: The Future of Transportation, for Some of Us: 2014 BMW i3
Is BMW's new take on city mobility revolutionary, or a weird-looking flop in the making?
By Jennings Brown
Let me be clear: Amsterdam is hell to drive in, more hellish than crawling and cursing your way through Times Square. On the Dutch capital's generally narrow roads, cars fall somewhere around fifth in importance, behind swarms of bikers, pedestrians, unforgiving trams, and more swarms of bikers. And with more than 60 miles of canals and 1281 bridges, hardly any detour is minor. To seasoned automotive journalists, it seems like an odd location for BMW to host a preview of its newest car, the i3.
"Why the hell would they want us to drive that thing through Amsterdam? I didn't even get it up to 90 kilos per hour," one journalist griped after the first day behind the wheel. "And they kept trying to get me to play with the damn phone app. I just want to drive."
This was my first hint that there were two groups of reviewers on the trip: those who got it and those who didn't. The aforementioned writer, based in Michigan, was clearly of the latter group. Whereas I, a tech editor living without a car in a Brooklyn studio, would absolutely buy this weird little BMW if I had the $42,275 that I didn't want to spend on a larger apartment.
Driving Character
Driving the i3 was outstanding. It made navigating Amsterdam a pleasure. I felt at ease, almost peaceful, inside the car. My companion in the passenger seat actually dozed off for a few minutes as I zipped around bikers and partook in acts of urban off-roading, following questionable paths over curbs that the navigation system seemed to think were roads.
"When we started our research and analysis people told us they wanted to see the car as a retreat,'" says BMWi's Manuel Sattig, who is wearing the kind of Ray-Bans I'd expect to see on the project manager of a tech startup, not a luxury automaker. "A retreat from the hectic city, from the noise, from the pollution. For us it was very clear that we needed to have an area of calm driving. This shows in the reduction of noise, the continuous acceleration that doesn't shift gears."
He's right. There's virtually no noise, which is something I love about EVs. A gawking Dutch couple asked if they could peak inside the interior of this funny-looking BMW. As they leaned into the passenger door I started the ignition. "Bet you didn't know I just turned it on," I said. Their eyes widened with astonishment, not feeling a single vibration as they pressed on the doorframe.
...
Read more: The Future of Transportation, for Some of Us: 2014 BMW i3
H
Hofmeister
Autoblog Green's first drive review --> 2014 BMW i3 First Drive
And why the REX has such a small tank : " The German automaker is limiting the size of its range-extender's gas tank to 2.4 gallons in order to comply with a California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandate, Green Car Reports says. Specifically, CARB is classifying the i3 as a "BEVx," or a range-extended battery-electric vehicle. To qualify for this status, instead of a range-extender set-up like the Chevrolet Volt's, where the gasoline tank provides about 10-times the range as the electric battery does, the Bimmer's gas-powered range can not be higher than that on electricity, putting the range-extender strictly in "auxiliary" territory. " Source.
And why the REX has such a small tank : " The German automaker is limiting the size of its range-extender's gas tank to 2.4 gallons in order to comply with a California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandate, Green Car Reports says. Specifically, CARB is classifying the i3 as a "BEVx," or a range-extended battery-electric vehicle. To qualify for this status, instead of a range-extender set-up like the Chevrolet Volt's, where the gasoline tank provides about 10-times the range as the electric battery does, the Bimmer's gas-powered range can not be higher than that on electricity, putting the range-extender strictly in "auxiliary" territory. " Source.
SCOTT27
Drift Dynamo
I love the i3
Launching the car in Amsterdam was a bit weird yes. That city is not for cars at all.
Ah! But electric infrastructure is very good.
Its a very good sign that in parts of Europe , electric infrastructure is expanding and as good as it is at the advent of the i3... Rapidly.
klier
Premium
Yes, but it's just as good in cities like Rotterdam and The Hague (where I live), and you can actually drive there 
I see charge points everywhere here. If the nag screen says where they are (I assume it does), it's not really possible to run out of electricity without a charging point nearby anymore over here.
I see charge points everywhere here. If the nag screen says where they are (I assume it does), it's not really possible to run out of electricity without a charging point nearby anymore over here.
EnI
Piston Pioneer
The goal was to showcase I3's extreme maneuverability & urban agility. Therefore Amsterdam was chosen for press drive event. And the pitch was also to focus on all the ConnectedDrive (incl 360 Electric stuff etc) and the car's overall sustainability. It's a supermini / sub-compact city MPVish EV, not a street racer.
For more extensive test drives the press will get the cars shortly after launch (in Europe already this month) to test them more extensively. Also how the perform on extraurban roads & on highways etc. Some will also take the car to a track - which IMHO is a silly thing. It's like taking Honda Jazz on a track to check if it drives like a real Honda.
But ... If this video is any merit then i3 is a brisk car also outside the urban areas:
For more extensive test drives the press will get the cars shortly after launch (in Europe already this month) to test them more extensively. Also how the perform on extraurban roads & on highways etc. Some will also take the car to a track - which IMHO is a silly thing. It's like taking Honda Jazz on a track to check if it drives like a real Honda.
But ... If this video is any merit then i3 is a brisk car also outside the urban areas:
EnI
Piston Pioneer
BMW i3 range extender first drive review
BMW complements its electric i3 with this petrol-electric range-extending version of its brilliant new 'premium' urban vehicle
by Hilton Holloway
7 November 2013 11:31am
What is it?
Nearly all car enthusiasts will, by now, be familiar with the radical BMW i3. Announced as the ‘Mega City Vehicle’ just over three years ago, the electrically driven production version is finally on sale in the UK.
Based on a separate aluminium chassis, topped with a carbonfibre reinforced plastic bodyshell, the i3’s rear wheels are driven by a rear-mounted electric motor, good for a peak power output of 167bhp and 184lb ft of torque from standstill.
This model is the i3 Range Extender, which gets a two-cylinder petrol engine/generator to act as back up to the 18.8kWh lithium-ion battery. The two-cylinder, 647cc engine - adapted from a BMW scooter - is made in Korea to BMW’s specifications and develops 36bhp and 40lb ft of torque at around 4500rpm, which seems to be the speed that the engine is programmed to run at when it is called into use.
Described as being ‘sealed in a box’ under the rear boot floor (although it sits alongside the electric motor), the petrol engine (which already meets strict EU6 pollution regulations) cannot mechanically assist by driving the rear wheels. This is in contrast to the Chevrolet Volt, whose range-extender engine can actually ‘clutch on’ to the transmission.
The i3’s tiny engine/generator gets an equally tiny nine-litre fuel tank and what one BMW employee told me was a “real-world economy of between 40 and 50mpg” when driving the i3 purely on the engine alone. Officially, this car is rated at 470.8mpg.
On paper, there are downsides with the addition of the range-extender engine. Weight rises from the 1195kg of the pure EV i3 to 1315kg. This very slightly blunts performance, with this version of the i3 having its 0-62mph sprint time increased from 7.2sec to 7.9sec, while the crucial urban 0-37mph time is eased back from 3.7 to 3.9sec.
What is it like?
Despite being unlike any previous BMW production car, the i3 has plenty of this brand’s best characteristics. The i3 has beautifully weighted steering, a first rate drivetrain, sparkling open road performance and remarkably assured handling for a short, tall car.
The styling is either alarmingly modern, or just plain over-done, depending on your point of view; but I doubt few people will have a problem with the interior. The cabin is remarkably modern: the huge view forward, the undeniable effectiveness of the twin-screen dashboard and the journey-enhancing airiness for front seat passengers. Top marks, also, for the quality, detailing and logic of the switchgear.
In heavy traffic, the i3 has remarkable off-the-line pace and can be positioned with a directness that leaves most other traffic stumbling. The driver can exploit openings in the traffic flow with a speed of reaction than even the Nissan Leaf can't match; and the i3’s semi-high-rise driving position is also a particular advantage in town, as is the 9.8m turning circle - something beaten only by a London Black Cab.
It is also surprising how well the i3 copes with the cratered streets of London on this test drive, feeling taughtly sprung and yet not crashing across broken surfaces. BMW’s chassis teams now carry out testing in the UK and it is clearly paying off.
On quicker A-roads, the i3 has a very impressive pace under full acceleration. Long uphills are demolished in fine style, with a seamless stream of torque (thank the combination of an electric motor and a single-speed transmission). The i3 also has remarkable stability, as a series of driving exercises at Brands Hatch prove. Sharp lane changes and even a stretch of hilly circuit in the pouring rain fail to ruffle the i3, even though it has 155/70 tyres at the front and 175/70s at the rear.
On the return leg to central London, the range extender activates, allowing it to cut in and out as required by the conditions. It is just about possible to hear it running – the sound is of a very distant thrum – and then probably only because the cabin of the i3 is so very quiet. The i3 also has pre-set levels of regenerative braking. It’s quite an aggressive setting that slows the car quickly once the driver lifts off the accelerator.
In terms of low-pollution fossil fuel running, the use of this small petrol engine is a masterstroke with, for example, emissions of unpleasant NoX gas at just 0.0009 g/km. You have to wonder whether the electricity created by the i3’s range extender is ‘greener’ than what the average power station can manage. With a full battery and fuel tank of fuel, BMW predicts a real-world range of between 150 and 186 miles and claims CO2 emissions of 13g/km.
There are downsides to the i3. After the price (although the standard spec in ‘Standard’ trim is pretty comprehensive), the main one is probably the restricted space in the back (and tight boot) and the fact that the rear suicide doors cannot be opened without the front door being opened first. Many will find this problematic on the school run. The tiny fuel tank means that long journeys will mean refueling as often as every 80 miles. Otherwise front seats are also rather flat and need bolsters considering the i3’s handling abilities.
Should I buy one?
Buying a car like this is a very individual choice. Assuming you have the ability to charge the i3, there’s no doubt it is the sharpest handling, quickest and most premium-feeling EV on the market, if not the most capacious or family friendly.
The addition of the tiny range extender is a masterstroke (although it adds £3150 to the price), although the tiny fuel tank a serious frustration. Even so, despite being different in every possible way, the i3 is recognisably a real BMW.
BMW i3 range extender Standard
Price £33,830 (before £5000 government grant); Top speed 93mph; 0-62mph 7.9sec; Economy 470.8mpg (Combined); CO2 13g/km; Engine 2 cyls petrol 647cc, petrol with integrated generator; Power 36bhp at 4500rpm; Torque 40lb ft at 4800rpm; Electric motor power 167bhp peak; Torque 184lb ft from start; Gearbox single speed
Source: BMW i3 range extender first drive
BMW complements its electric i3 with this petrol-electric range-extending version of its brilliant new 'premium' urban vehicle
by Hilton Holloway
7 November 2013 11:31am
What is it?
Nearly all car enthusiasts will, by now, be familiar with the radical BMW i3. Announced as the ‘Mega City Vehicle’ just over three years ago, the electrically driven production version is finally on sale in the UK.
Based on a separate aluminium chassis, topped with a carbonfibre reinforced plastic bodyshell, the i3’s rear wheels are driven by a rear-mounted electric motor, good for a peak power output of 167bhp and 184lb ft of torque from standstill.
This model is the i3 Range Extender, which gets a two-cylinder petrol engine/generator to act as back up to the 18.8kWh lithium-ion battery. The two-cylinder, 647cc engine - adapted from a BMW scooter - is made in Korea to BMW’s specifications and develops 36bhp and 40lb ft of torque at around 4500rpm, which seems to be the speed that the engine is programmed to run at when it is called into use.
Described as being ‘sealed in a box’ under the rear boot floor (although it sits alongside the electric motor), the petrol engine (which already meets strict EU6 pollution regulations) cannot mechanically assist by driving the rear wheels. This is in contrast to the Chevrolet Volt, whose range-extender engine can actually ‘clutch on’ to the transmission.
The i3’s tiny engine/generator gets an equally tiny nine-litre fuel tank and what one BMW employee told me was a “real-world economy of between 40 and 50mpg” when driving the i3 purely on the engine alone. Officially, this car is rated at 470.8mpg.
On paper, there are downsides with the addition of the range-extender engine. Weight rises from the 1195kg of the pure EV i3 to 1315kg. This very slightly blunts performance, with this version of the i3 having its 0-62mph sprint time increased from 7.2sec to 7.9sec, while the crucial urban 0-37mph time is eased back from 3.7 to 3.9sec.
What is it like?
Despite being unlike any previous BMW production car, the i3 has plenty of this brand’s best characteristics. The i3 has beautifully weighted steering, a first rate drivetrain, sparkling open road performance and remarkably assured handling for a short, tall car.
The styling is either alarmingly modern, or just plain over-done, depending on your point of view; but I doubt few people will have a problem with the interior. The cabin is remarkably modern: the huge view forward, the undeniable effectiveness of the twin-screen dashboard and the journey-enhancing airiness for front seat passengers. Top marks, also, for the quality, detailing and logic of the switchgear.
In heavy traffic, the i3 has remarkable off-the-line pace and can be positioned with a directness that leaves most other traffic stumbling. The driver can exploit openings in the traffic flow with a speed of reaction than even the Nissan Leaf can't match; and the i3’s semi-high-rise driving position is also a particular advantage in town, as is the 9.8m turning circle - something beaten only by a London Black Cab.
It is also surprising how well the i3 copes with the cratered streets of London on this test drive, feeling taughtly sprung and yet not crashing across broken surfaces. BMW’s chassis teams now carry out testing in the UK and it is clearly paying off.
On quicker A-roads, the i3 has a very impressive pace under full acceleration. Long uphills are demolished in fine style, with a seamless stream of torque (thank the combination of an electric motor and a single-speed transmission). The i3 also has remarkable stability, as a series of driving exercises at Brands Hatch prove. Sharp lane changes and even a stretch of hilly circuit in the pouring rain fail to ruffle the i3, even though it has 155/70 tyres at the front and 175/70s at the rear.
On the return leg to central London, the range extender activates, allowing it to cut in and out as required by the conditions. It is just about possible to hear it running – the sound is of a very distant thrum – and then probably only because the cabin of the i3 is so very quiet. The i3 also has pre-set levels of regenerative braking. It’s quite an aggressive setting that slows the car quickly once the driver lifts off the accelerator.
In terms of low-pollution fossil fuel running, the use of this small petrol engine is a masterstroke with, for example, emissions of unpleasant NoX gas at just 0.0009 g/km. You have to wonder whether the electricity created by the i3’s range extender is ‘greener’ than what the average power station can manage. With a full battery and fuel tank of fuel, BMW predicts a real-world range of between 150 and 186 miles and claims CO2 emissions of 13g/km.
There are downsides to the i3. After the price (although the standard spec in ‘Standard’ trim is pretty comprehensive), the main one is probably the restricted space in the back (and tight boot) and the fact that the rear suicide doors cannot be opened without the front door being opened first. Many will find this problematic on the school run. The tiny fuel tank means that long journeys will mean refueling as often as every 80 miles. Otherwise front seats are also rather flat and need bolsters considering the i3’s handling abilities.
Should I buy one?
Buying a car like this is a very individual choice. Assuming you have the ability to charge the i3, there’s no doubt it is the sharpest handling, quickest and most premium-feeling EV on the market, if not the most capacious or family friendly.
The addition of the tiny range extender is a masterstroke (although it adds £3150 to the price), although the tiny fuel tank a serious frustration. Even so, despite being different in every possible way, the i3 is recognisably a real BMW.
BMW i3 range extender Standard
Price £33,830 (before £5000 government grant); Top speed 93mph; 0-62mph 7.9sec; Economy 470.8mpg (Combined); CO2 13g/km; Engine 2 cyls petrol 647cc, petrol with integrated generator; Power 36bhp at 4500rpm; Torque 40lb ft at 4800rpm; Electric motor power 167bhp peak; Torque 184lb ft from start; Gearbox single speed
Source: BMW i3 range extender first drive
sunnyman12
Precision Pilot
If my math serves me correctly, the fuel economy of the i3's REX is only 9l/100km, why so low, I'm typing this as I step an elevator so my math may not be correct. I am seriously looking to get this car.
D
Deleted member 25
0.5l/100km.
Similar threads
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, abbreviated as BMW is a German multinational
manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, which it produced
from 1917 to 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945.
Official website: BMW (Global), BMW (USA)
Official website: BMW (Global), BMW (USA)
