Photo: Catalin Garmacea
Back in 2014, James May was confessing to fancy the BMW i3, going as far as suggesting that he would buy the one with the Range Extender for fear of running out of electric juice.
Answering questions on Reddit's AMA (Ask Me Anything) event today, the British TV presenter let it slip that he already has a BMW i3 in his stable of motorcycles and Italian supercars, and other sources suggest that the little electric Bimmer is actually his daily driver around town.
When asked by a Redditor what his opinion on “how the car of the future will be powered” was, May answered that he fully supports hydrogen power and electric motors.
“I still like the hydrogen idea, but I can see that it's problematic. I have an electric car, a BMW i3. I think electric motors are great for cars, but electricity remains a bit elusive,” James May said in one of its slightly less tongue-in-cheek answers.
As most of you know, the BMW i3 REx is not a plug-in hybrid per se, but an electric car, despite also using a two-cylinder borrowed from the BMW C650 GT maxi-scooter. The European version, which May apparently drives, has a range of about 320 km (200 miles) when the 22 kWh Li-ion battery and the 9-liter fuel tank are full. That should prove to be plenty for May to run around doing errands and harassing Dacia Sandero drivers into testing their cars.
It is interesting to note that the i3 is probably the greenest vehicle in the presenter's stable since he is also known to drive the last Ferrari 458 Speciale ever built, a not-exactly tree-hugging 1971 Rolls-Royce Corniche and a number of motorcycles.
Despite having an extra engine, the BMW i3 REx is slower than its non-REx version, since the two-cylinder isn't sending any power toward the wheels but only works as a generator. We guess that doesn't really matter to someone known to be called “Captain Slow” and who is also suffering from range anxiety despite liking electric cars. Maybe if BMW goes ahead with its hydrogen plans, May could be in line for a fuel cell vehicle from the Munich-based carmaker.
When asked by a Redditor what his opinion on “how the car of the future will be powered” was, May answered that he fully supports hydrogen power and electric motors.
“I still like the hydrogen idea, but I can see that it's problematic. I have an electric car, a BMW i3. I think electric motors are great for cars, but electricity remains a bit elusive,” James May said in one of its slightly less tongue-in-cheek answers.
As most of you know, the BMW i3 REx is not a plug-in hybrid per se, but an electric car, despite also using a two-cylinder borrowed from the BMW C650 GT maxi-scooter. The European version, which May apparently drives, has a range of about 320 km (200 miles) when the 22 kWh Li-ion battery and the 9-liter fuel tank are full. That should prove to be plenty for May to run around doing errands and harassing Dacia Sandero drivers into testing their cars.
It is interesting to note that the i3 is probably the greenest vehicle in the presenter's stable since he is also known to drive the last Ferrari 458 Speciale ever built, a not-exactly tree-hugging 1971 Rolls-Royce Corniche and a number of motorcycles.
Despite having an extra engine, the BMW i3 REx is slower than its non-REx version, since the two-cylinder isn't sending any power toward the wheels but only works as a generator. We guess that doesn't really matter to someone known to be called “Captain Slow” and who is also suffering from range anxiety despite liking electric cars. Maybe if BMW goes ahead with its hydrogen plans, May could be in line for a fuel cell vehicle from the Munich-based carmaker.
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