BMW have announced its new i3 model today which will be available from July and features a range of 195 miles. It's not what you call cheap though, the base model starts at £27,830.
Since its initial released in 2013, the i3 has various awards including UK Car of the Year 2014 and the WhatCar? Green Car of the Year. The German firm are keen to build on this success and have made improvements for the new model.
Same size battery, bigger power
The i3 will of course keeps its small city car dimensions, but that does not mean it will hold the same power as the outgoing model. The new i3 will be powered by a 94Ah battery compared to the former car's 60Ah but remains the same size. The new battery gives an improved range of 195 miles and a power output of 170 bhp. This means 0-62 mph comes in 7.3 seconds although the top speed is 93 mph.
Because the new battery holds the same dimensions as its predecessor it enables current i3 owners to get it retrofitted, so they can take advantage of it without having to buy the new model. The battery has been designed to last for the car's entire service life and comes with 8 year or 100,000 (whichever comes first) warranty for peace of mind. BMW say that the new i3 is on par with sporty, conventionally powered cars when going from standstill to country road speeds. But will it be as exciting? That is the question.
Get even more range
If you fancy more than the improved 195 mile range then you are in luck, BMW also offer a model called the i3 Ranger Extender. As the name suggests you get more range, 276 to be precise, almost 100 miles more. This will offer more convenience for those who partake on longer journeys.
As you can imagine there is an extra cost for the Range Extender, the starting price is £30,980. It features the same battery with the same output but the 0-62 time drops to 8.1 seconds but keeps the top speed of 93 mph. This model emits more CO2 than the standard i3, 12g/KM compared to the base i3's 0g.
The new i3 will be available to order from July and will start at £27.830.
