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2017 BMW i3 Gets Range Increase Thanks to 33 kWh Battery

Competition in the electric car market seems to be stronger than ever, as last year's vehicles already seem obsolete. Like phones or tablets, EVs benefit from the latest battery technology with the latest example being the 2017 model year BMW i3.
2017 BMW i3 28 photos
Photo: BMW
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The Bavarians have recently revealed a quad-turbocharged 3-liter diesel engine that makes V8 engines seem dull. However, there's not much chance of seeing it in the US. The i3, on the other hand, will save you plenty of gas money.

The core of the 2017 model is a better battery that goes from 60 ampere hours (Ah) to 94 Ah. Meanwhile, the capacity is up from 22 kWh to 33 kWh. Thus, BMW now sits at the tip of the spear for compact electric vehicles, at least until the Tesla Model 3 arrives.

The good news is that it's been designed by BMW and Samsung to fit the exact same space in the car and can also be combined with the REX engine. The bad news is that it's not a standard feature, but an option/upgrade you can order. In Germany, prices have already been announced at €36,150 for the normal BEV and €41,150 for the REX model. Compare that to the still-available 60 Ah battery at €34,950 BEV/€39,950 RED and you notice the big battery costs €1,200 more.

US pricing has not been announced yet, but we can tell you EPA certified the range. It goes up from 81 miles to a respectable 114 miles. According to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the i3 is said to run for up to 300 kilometers, plus another 150 with the 650cc range extender. It almost sounds like you don't need a second car any more, provided that you drive carefully, of course.

Interestingly, BMW says it will replace the old battery with the new one in select markets, at extra cost to the customers. Besides this, the 2017 model year i3 also borrows the Protonic Blue metallic paint from its big brother, the i8.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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