Skip to main content

BMW's 2017 i3 will offer two new versions and 120 miles of range

BMW i3
2015 BMW i3
We knew a technology upgrade for BMW’s i3 was on the way, we just weren’t sure how the German automaker would market the changes.

BMW Blog is reporting that instead of just updating the i3’s battery for both the hybridized (range-extending gas engine paired with an electric motor) and full-electric versions and calling it a day, the automaker will offer two battery sizes: the same 60Ah configuration as at present, and a new 94Ah setup. Since both batteries will be available in both versions of the i3, BMW will actually be selling four i3 variants.

Additionally, a facelift is planned for the 2017 model year that is debuting later in 2016, and with it will come new software and improved electronics. As a result, the larger battery i3 pure-EV will achieve a range of 120 miles, which is an improvement of about 40 miles over the current model.

Since BMW will be breaking out the i3 into battery designations, pricing will vary accordingly. The current all-electric version starts at $42,400 before incentives while the range-extender goes for $46,250. Therefore, we can probably expect these two variants with the smaller batteries to drop a bit in price to make room for their 94Ah battery counterparts.

Considering how many pure electric vehicles now best BMW’s i3 in drive range, the move for larger battery packs is essential, but the automaker may have trouble with sales unless pricing is competitive. Obviously, Tesla’s upcoming Model 3 is a big concern with its planned 200+ mile range and $35,000 starting price, but even the Chevrolet Bolt’s 200-ish range will be a threat when BMW can only offer 120 miles maximum.

The official premiere of the refreshed i3 is expected during the Paris Motor Show in October of this year. Sales of the 2017 model will kick off before year’s end in an attempt to exceed the 24,057 units delivered in 2015.

Editors' Recommendations

Miles Branman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Miles Branman doesn't need sustenance; he needs cars. While the gearhead gene wasn't strong in his own family, Miles…
BMW will launch an electric version of one of its most popular models in 2020
bmw ix3 electric car specifications prototype

BMW released the first details of an upcoming electric version of its X3 crossover. The automaker previously showed a concept version of the model, called iX3, but is only now discussing specifications. The iX3 starts production in 2020, and will be sold alongside the existing gasoline X3 in the United States.

The iX3 will have BMW's fifth-generation electric powertrain, which will also be used in the upcoming i4 sedan. A key improvement of the new powertrain is the way electric motors, the transmission, and related electronics are grouped together for more efficient packaging. The iX3's motor design also eliminates the need for rare earth metals, BMW claims.

Read more
BMW’s electric i4 will make its debut in 2021 with 530 hp, 300 miles of range
bmw i4 electric car launching in 2021 with over 300 mile range report camo 1118 2

 

BMW beat its rivals to the electric car segment when it released the i3 in 2013, but the city car was far too quirky to gain mass appeal. As i3 production continues, the Munich-based company is developing a battery-powered sedan named i4 it hopes will locks horns with Tesla, among other competitors. BMW released the model's preliminary specifications.

Read more
These new NASA EVs will drive astronauts part way to the moon (sort of)
NASA's new crew transportation electric vehicles.

Three specially designed, fully electric, environmentally friendly crew transportation vehicles for Artemis missions arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week. The zero-emission vehicles, which will carry astronauts to Launch Complex 39B for Artemis missions, were delivered by Canoo Technologies of Torrance, California. NASA/Isaac Watson

NASA has shown off a trio of new all-electric vehicles that will shuttle the next generation of lunar astronauts to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center.

Read more