Photo: Insideevs.com
It seems like yesterday’s story about the range-extended i3s stuck at port payed off as the US Environmental Protection Agency finally released the results of their tests and the official MPG numbers for the new BMW.
According to the US agency, the REx i3 will do 72 miles (116 km) on electricity alone, slightly less than its all-electric brother. How is that possible? Well, this version of the i3 is heavier than the one without the optional 2-cylinder scooter engine.
The added weight is of about 330 lbs (150 kg), including the 2.4 gallon (9 liter) fuel tank. Of course, there’s also a price premium to pay for this version, the car being $3,850 more expensive than the all-electric $41,350 i3. That’s also visible in the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint times. If the EV does it in 7.2 seconds, the REx version is closer to 8 seconds, at 7.9 flat.
Even so, the range advantage of the range-extended unit is plain obvious. Apart from the 72 miles (116 km) that can be done on electric power alone, this car can also do 78 more (125 km) using the engine in the back as a generator. Therefore, the total range of the REx i3 was estimated by the EPA at 150 miles (241 km), nearly twice as much as the EV’s 81 miles (130 km).
Now that we have the results, the range-extended i3s can finally be ‘decorated’ with Monroney stickers and delivered to their first customers.
The REx i3 was designed as an alternative to the all-electric model, for those people that considered range anxiety a major issue. Compared to the normal model, this one uses a 650cc, 34 HP, 2-cylinder gasoline engine that only recharges the batteries, without powering the wheels directly.
The added weight is of about 330 lbs (150 kg), including the 2.4 gallon (9 liter) fuel tank. Of course, there’s also a price premium to pay for this version, the car being $3,850 more expensive than the all-electric $41,350 i3. That’s also visible in the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint times. If the EV does it in 7.2 seconds, the REx version is closer to 8 seconds, at 7.9 flat.
Even so, the range advantage of the range-extended unit is plain obvious. Apart from the 72 miles (116 km) that can be done on electric power alone, this car can also do 78 more (125 km) using the engine in the back as a generator. Therefore, the total range of the REx i3 was estimated by the EPA at 150 miles (241 km), nearly twice as much as the EV’s 81 miles (130 km).
Now that we have the results, the range-extended i3s can finally be ‘decorated’ with Monroney stickers and delivered to their first customers.
The REx i3 was designed as an alternative to the all-electric model, for those people that considered range anxiety a major issue. Compared to the normal model, this one uses a 650cc, 34 HP, 2-cylinder gasoline engine that only recharges the batteries, without powering the wheels directly.
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