Photo: BMW i3 Facebook Group
As my colleague Gabriel pointed out in his exclusive story from July 2015, BMW is developing an update for the i3 electric car. Thanks to a member of the BMW i3 Facebook group who happens to read autoevolution, now we know that the 2017 BMW i3 boasts “a new, higher capacity lithium-ion battery.”
BMW UK has started to advertise the refreshed i3 to British owners, with first units slated to hit the United Kingdom in July. The most important detail shared by the Bavarian automaker with i3 owners is that the 2017 model year will get “up to 50 percent more range.” Look closely and you’ll find a small print that reads: “figures are based on provisional data and may be subject to change.”
This statement shouldn’t get people worried, though, because a 50 percent improvement is doable, no doubt about that. In miles, a 50 percent improvement over the 2016 model year translates to 121.5 miles (81 miles multiplied by 1.5). For the 2017 BMW i3 with the 675 cc two-cylinder range extender, expect up to 225 miles (150 miles multiplied by 1.5) on a full charge and on a full tank of gas.
Other than the higher density cells of the lithium-ion battery, the 2017 BMW i3 is rumored to come with DC fast charging. In the United Kingdom, the brushed-up BMW i3 is expected to be £1,350 more expensive than the 2016 model year. Minus the £4,500 government grant, that would bring the price from £30,980 to £32,330.
Other improvements for the 2017 BMW i3, be them of technical or visual nature, have yet to be disclosed. Don’t hold your breath for something that will blow your socks off, though. Provided that you can resist the urge to spend your cash on an i3, the wait will be worth it because the BMW i5 is right around the corner. An i8 Roadster is also in the works.
This statement shouldn’t get people worried, though, because a 50 percent improvement is doable, no doubt about that. In miles, a 50 percent improvement over the 2016 model year translates to 121.5 miles (81 miles multiplied by 1.5). For the 2017 BMW i3 with the 675 cc two-cylinder range extender, expect up to 225 miles (150 miles multiplied by 1.5) on a full charge and on a full tank of gas.
Other than the higher density cells of the lithium-ion battery, the 2017 BMW i3 is rumored to come with DC fast charging. In the United Kingdom, the brushed-up BMW i3 is expected to be £1,350 more expensive than the 2016 model year. Minus the £4,500 government grant, that would bring the price from £30,980 to £32,330.
Other improvements for the 2017 BMW i3, be them of technical or visual nature, have yet to be disclosed. Don’t hold your breath for something that will blow your socks off, though. Provided that you can resist the urge to spend your cash on an i3, the wait will be worth it because the BMW i5 is right around the corner. An i8 Roadster is also in the works.
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