Wednesday, August 9

A better battery and longer range but the BMW i3 is still too expensive

Jonathan Gitlin

Way back in 2014, we spent a week with BMW's then-new i3 electric vehicle. Charged with the day-to-day grind of traffic and chores, the carbon-fiber and aluminum EV worked like a charm. But even with the optional range extender—a two-cylinder motorbike engine that charged the battery—its range was too little and its price too much.

Since then, BMW has given the i3 a little bump, using more energy-dense lithium-ion cells to give the i3's battery a 50-percent boost: 33kWh compared 22kWh. Also since then, the Chevrolet Bolt: a car with a similar mission that's both cheaper and much longer-legged. So a second look at this quirky city vehicle was in order.

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