The BMW i3 revisited: A better battery solves half its problems

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 to 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.

Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments