BMW i3: The Ultimate Electric Driving Machine? - XCAR
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- Опубліковано 4 сер 2024
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The BMW i3 is the first car from the new "i" sub-brand for eco focused Beemers. Can an all-electric BMW car drive like a BMW? We find out.
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I really like the idea of being able to borrow a larger car, more manufacturers should do that, might get more people to change to ev's
Xcar vids are taking automotive journalism to a new height...
The presenter (alex right...) is xactly upto the point & i'm just so glad to discover this channel...keep it up..
Best wishes for future...
I like how they made a car which attempts to make no compromises in an effort to be more "environmentally friendly", I'm a petrol head but at the same time I'm not close minded and I can see that something like this is likely to be the future and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Battery life, price and performance will be improved as time goes by and that immediate torque of electric motors and the fact that if it's not moving it's not wasting energy is great for driving in cities or small countries such as where I live. I just wish this one in particular wasn't so ugly.
Damn! XCAR what a start of the Year, You ended 2013 super and you started it super. This was the best footage in review I have seen of the i3 and the best i3 review as well. Another thing - This i3 looks better when it´s driving then when parked. Thank You XCAR ;D
great review, great info. Finally someone who knows what they are talking about.
Amazing video edit! I love it :D
Oh, before I forget to type it, fantastic selection of music for this video.
Incredible review! Well done
Great reporting. Lovit
loved the camera work
Amazing footage, amazing video!
***** Just a fan of great cars in general, but in this case, I thoroughly need to congratulate you on your very high quality work :)
I like this little beast, on the road it must feel like a weapon judging by the drag race video you were talking about, it really did kill the m3 to 40mph.
Awesome car and review
Got one 3 weeks ago. I absolutely it, it might the best city car out there.
BMW rocks...always ahead of the curve
I think this is the most practical eclectics cars out now because of the small engine (range extender)...that basically takes away the worry from running out and allows for longer trips...great idea.
"Are we in the future?" Hahaha you killed me right there !
Thanks, love it!
Are we in the future?? Haha so funny, love his commentary
nice made video about the i3 ;-)
Damn Germans, they have a go at the electric car and hit it out of the park first time.
A Chevy Spark with similar performance and comparable looks can be had for FAR less. BMW didn't even hit it past the pitcher with its sub-100 mile EV range and under-powered REx unit. It also costs up to $56,725 with all the boxes ticked! There are WAY better vehicles that can be had for that kind of money. So what if it's carbon fiber. It's stinkin' UGLY!
It’s the future … 2024 as the time of writing. I own the same year and color i3 shown in this video, but the pure BEV model, without the REx. It still feels futuristic ten years on, and I love it. Hope to keep it on the road until 2034 … maybe further … in the future.
I've just checked with BMW and unfortunately the UK doesn't offer the loan car as stated in the review (08:20) - apparently it's US only. If you're thinking of purchasing one I'd definitely check up front with the specific dealership you're getting it from if this feature is a requirement.
Car like this is what truly exciting & interesting.
brilliant, hopefully will be my next car!
Are we in the future? :)
beautiful car
Nice review. Great "shots" at night :)
Xcar my fav car channel.. You have made your video unavailable in Morocco... Please sort it out guys!! Cheers
Not available in Spain neither. All the other videos are available though.
what's wrong with the current 1 series? i think it looks quite nice
Well, that's his opinion. I think it looks very nice but the same can be said for the i3. There are people like me who think it looks very cool, others shocking, others who have a neutral opinion and then there's the vast majority who think it's the funniest joke in the world to laugh at the i3 (or any new technology) for any given reason.
What was that bit at the end about BMW letting you borrow cars? How does that work? If I buy an i3 I can have any BMW I want?
Great review, as ever.
Up to 80kph is pretty quick, around the corners the DSC cuts the power but you can open the wheel progressively before it does that and get better grip. I suppose the i3s has the dtc or a sport mode. Also if you want more grip, not sure if you can find performance tires for that size.
The steering is very direct, but it doesn't give you feedback
It is very quiet, pedestrians may not hear it when driving slowly
Overall it's fun to drive and it is something different. Well adapted for city driving with the gear ratio and small exterior size, easy to park
Just want to say what a fantastic review. I have to say I disagree with one point you made though here. I think part of the reason these hybrids aren't mainstream yet is because they DONT look like everyday cars. I think if you had a hybrid version of every model I think the hybrid version would out sell the normal version. It's because they look sooo strange and there isn't the infrastructure to but I actually think it's mostly down to the looks I think. Just an opnion what do you think people??
I think you need this look, because of the cw, weight, carbon-building, chassis battery, and the special tires. There is no chance to get a 3series build with these factors with the same numbers as a i3. I also think, many people just react .. oh it looks bad, because somebody said it before, it is not every time her own opinion, they just say in general to electric cars.. oh it looks bad, like they say oh porsche boxter is a girls car. The people should open their minds for the future.
Maybe they should do an experiment make a hybrid version of the highest selling model n see which sells the most :)
I actually saw this car yesterday n it looks great lol surprised.
The Prius imo has an excellent design. I always take pleasure in just looking at that car. Most other hybrid cars like the Insight however are ugly.
fifthgear93 I agree.
For its money, could get more practical, prettier car, tho' very clever! Very nice review ;)
Not available in switzerland either :(
This is all well and good, but how would your intro sound then? :'(
Hm. Filmed in front of an art school. Well done! Let's hope the technology of the i3 (et al) doesn't need to die before it's appreciated.
This is an excellent car, I drove it myself and BMW has achieved something the other EV companies haven't: You want to buy one !
This car changes my view completely on BMW. It sets them apart from other car manufacturers with it's new technology but also understands the flaws of it's technology. The best electric car to date?
"are we in the future"? Not until Asimo is bringing me a cup of coffee in the morning.
Chris Belfort :(
The car as tested here is well over £35,000 after Govt grant. base model around £26k. It may cost just 4p per mile in electricity but despite the 100,000 mile / 8 year warranty the battery will degrade with time and more so if regularly run down to low levels or DC fast charged. In that sense the REX may make more sense but it's a lot more than a Blue Motion Golf and you can buy a lot of fuel for the difference in price!
Not available, watching from Serbia. Please fix that, thanks in advance.
Where did you get your jacket? That's as cool as the car!
Oh I'll find it! :)
Oh and thank you....
The only bad thing about the i3 is the price
Yeah, BMWs are very expensive.
If all these X6 driving housewives would change to the i3 as the new lifestyle object I would be more than happy.
This car compared to other cars looks like a flat faced cat compared to other cats 😂
it's look like a good city car
XCAR, Can you please road test the Tesla Model S P85+? I appreciate BMW and Nissan are making great progress in the EV market. But until their range can come close to other conventionally powered cars, their take up will be slow. Thats where I believe the Tesla Model S will shine with its 300 mile range on a single charge, and I hear it will put most sports cars to shame in a drag race too...
I think the bmw i cars are cool (specifically the i8, thats pretty awesome!) but i hate the naming for them... bmw recently threw their naming schemes out the window. nothing makes sense anymore
Dude EVs dont need a manual transmission
I am not an EV guy. I think BMWs look boring. But This? This is awesome! It's got huge poke at the lights, so its going to be quick as hell round town. I could imagine getting one for the wife, so we could borrow an X5 to go skiing. Hmmm.80K NZD, screw that.
i am the only one who like the look of this car? well it doesn't look like an alfa romeo but isn't ugly either. It looks different and tht's why i like it.
Having just tested the pure EV version for 24h in wintry, wet UK I think it's actually a fun car but full of compromises. The fact is any small car over 1000kg (1 tonne) is still heavy - yes it's lighter than a LEAF but that car can seat 5 adults where the i3 has room for 4 at best (rear pax might have to remove their feet!).
In terms of Aerodynamics and weight reduction - sadly it's not as good as it could be. In part that's down to the styling (cross between an Audi A2 and an X5!) - Yes the kidney grills are closed but they still have lips and huge mirrors. It's actually quite a large frontal area for a 4 seater - so don't expect much range above 50mph.
Weight could have been paired off further: eg: the suicide doors (a B pillar is much stronger and lighter than having to make 4 heavy doors) and attention to detail - why have 3 wipers when a Audi A2 gets away with 1? And by the way Aluminium Alloy is one of the best materials - most airliners including the new B787 and C Series still use Ally. In fact from an eco point of view Ally is far better than CRP - Carbon fibre is extremely difficult to recycle. Real world range in actual traffic of BEV in winter is around 60 miles (average speed 38 mph on trip computer) using Eco Pro - In Pro Plus yes it will be higher but it will also be freezing cold in the cockpit!
is it just me or does he look like harry potter? :p especially during the future references :D
I think this car is rather adorable.
basically nice but it kinda looks odd. . . the proportions don't seem right to me.
Yeah so I like the car the only thing stopping me is this Q. What is the resale value of a used i3 with 80,000 or 100,000 miles on it? Until you know the back end value you can't know if the numbers work.
The batteries will not last that long.
The batteries last for decades. It's just that capacity slowly goes down over time. Its batteries will have 80% capacity after 8-10 yrs. So long as the range meets your needs, you can keep driving it for many years. In the near future, better batteries will bring affordable 200-mile EVs making the i3 obsolete.
XCAR: Will you test the Tesla Model S in the future ?
personally I wouldn't buy this car but I think in the next few years it will defiantly be a pretty good car but for now its very limited if anything I would go with the model s or the i8...........i'm thinking more the i8
i hated the looks
but i can sort of like the front end now.
the back end can die in a fire. seriously, what the hell
Not available in my country....???
Dafuq....
Yo - its sometimes so annoying - may i suggest getting something like: hidemyass.com/ Works rather well
***** thanx a lot.....working absolutely fine...
BTW I'm from india.....lots of love and best wishes for the future.......
It's uncool now.
Why? Because James May drives one. :P
That's a face only a mother could love.
I liked the film, but if that's the future of cars I want no part of it
Why can't BMW make one that can allow you to drive 150 miles without using the extender?
+Linn Specialist is your daily commute 150 miles? why invent an arbitrary range and then accuse bmw of not doing something you just made up. btw you can drive the car on range extender alone indefinitely. mat watson demonstrated this.
Get the 2016 version with 94Ah/33kWh battery and it will go that distance (at least in eco mode).
p.s September 2018 ...Li-ion smart announced they had crammed a proof of concept 100kWh battery into the i3 with a range of over 400miles
*BOOM* goes the last hiding places/excuse of the petrol engine.
Seriously on top of Tesla roadstar promises 650 mile range in 2020 I wonder how far doe the range have to be before before combustion engine fans just give up the ghost?.
2019 I3 are coming out with 159 miles range with REx
It seems like bmw is going for the European market..still kinda looks like a scooter from behind
I don't think that the design of the i3 looks like BMW's future, the i8 looks much better.
"Are we in the future?" No. We live on the leading edge of time.
No kidding, Sherlock.
Christophe L
And that makes clever because? It doesn't. Why do you even bother, Lestrade?
Lol, sorry man.
so then why don't you tell us how much this thing costs?
Because you dont want to know...
Oh man BMW.. I love everything else you do but c'mon
"The uploaded has notate this video available in your country" wth? I was able to watch every single other videos you've posted in the past but not this one... Ease fix this
Sound is too compressed.
Well if you do 25000 miles per year like I do, with a diesel engine which consumes in real life about 6-6,5 litres per 62 miles(100km), this car will save you around 2200 euro per year in fuel costs. But it costs with the extra kit 40000 euros to buy, which is a pretty hefty price.A mini cooper countryman diesel loaded with extras costs around 28000 euros. That means 12000 euros less. If you do the maths: 12000/2200 it's gonna take 5.5 years to cover the extra cost for an i-3 even with such high yearly milage. If you do like 10-15 k miles a year you will need more than 10 years… Is there any sense there? I think the price needs to be much lower in order for the i-3 to make any sense ...
The most useful comment ever...
To drive 25 000 miles/year while consuming 1 liter/10 miles we do need 2 500 diesel liters.
Burning 1 diesel liter produce 5.73 CO2 lb so after 25 000 miles we emit 14 330 CO2 lb or 6 500 CO2 tonnes.
About the money Dacia is cheaper.
saving money isn't necessarily the point of this car...recycled materials in the cabin, futuristic design, generous amount of carbon fiber...it all points to a vision; this is a car for people who can afford a regular BMW, but care about the environment and are sick of fossil fuels...it handles and goes like a BMW should, but is very futuristic and responsible
It's worth it now after depreciation to 15k or less.
:)
more a commercial for London...
If there's one city that doesn't need advertising it's London.
i think we are heading to a horse and carriage
Too expensive!
"just say it".. the car is just Damm.. ugly. and no ..its not how the future should look its all good that cars are getting eco'' friendly but they dont have to be ugly..
i8 ain't too ugly
Flo Shaban It isn't too pretty either. And it's performance sucks. 0-60 is 4.5-4.9, slower than an Audi S6, M3, mustang GT, base 991 Carrera, Macan Turbo, etc. And it's supposed to be a mid engine supercar. They should have just changed the styling slightly, ditched the whole EV deal, put M1 badges on it and ran the S65B44 from the M3 GTS hooked up to their DCT or manual. That would have been a supercar. Not the i8.
nbrigdan I wouldn't call a car that does 0-60 in 4.5 and gets over 130mpg shitty performance. The i8 is a baby 918 at 1/10th the price. Sure, it is a bit silly to call it a supercar but I think they called it a supercar out of a different context. In my opinion, BMW refers the i8 as a supercar because of its super abilities such as range/(fuel)economy along with the amount of performance it offers and flexibility in its use. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a sports car seeing as that is just what it is, albeit a very fast one. If I had the money and was buying a new BMW I'd buy the i8 before an M6 at that price. However I do agree with you on your M1 idea - pull out all the electric bits and throw in a S65 of any flavor although it'd be better yet with a S85B50 or S85B58 (630bhp Stroker engine originally from BMW but later sold off to Dinan) and add DCT or a manual. Would be equivalent to heaven on earth to ever see that happen.
***** My main issue with the i8 really is the performance still, I mean a Tesla Model S P85 does 0-60 in 4.4 (tesla's numbers) and motor trend clocked it at 4.0 dead. Something that is slower than a 4 door family sedan that costs the same amount of money just isn't a super car. Especially considering the tesla is pure electric. I do now see your point about the super abilities, and while the comparison to the 918 is viable I would say it's 1/10th of a 918 for 1/10 the price, and not worth it in my opinion. Also, when my 30K lightly modified subaru which has AWD and is an extremely good daily driver also out accelerates the i8, so I could not justify the 6 figures for it. Sports car, I would definitely agree.
While the S85 is extremely nice, especially with the dinan stroker kit, it is almost twice the price of a new S65. That would be pretty great with the high revs of the V10... Hmm... Either way that's a win win!!
nbrigdan I think it's a bit ridiculous to be comparing two different cars based upon their 0-60 accelerative times. Frankly, 0-60 doesn't really mean very much in the real world nor does it fully account for it's other accelerative figures let alone how good a given car is to drive. Sure, the Tesla is quicker to 60 mph but does that matter? Should it really affect your purchase? If it does as much as it seems to for most people, everyone would be buying GT-Rs and 911 Turbos. The i8 isn't limited by its electric range making it much more flexible in its use compared to the Tesla and frankly will be much more fun to drive. The i8 is also more environmentally friendly to make compared to the Tesla. I guess at the end of the day there will always be a faster car so it gets pretty hard to complain about cars like these that are breaking the 5 second barrier and are this efficient/green. I do think however think that the 1/10th a 918 at 1/10th the price is a very cool idea and niche to fill.
Like you, I would have a hard(ish) time justifying the 6 figure price tag for one as I'd buy a GT3 before an i8.
I don't know about you but I'd rather have a "baby" 918 over an over-grown RC car! :)
needs solar panels
This car does not impress me.
Still can't beat the feel of my petrol powered car.
And what feel is that? What "feel" did you get in BMW i3 if you have ever driven one?
Compromise, no manual transmission.
Erm, a fully electric car has no gear box, as it doesn't need one…
Stephen Allred
Then I have no need for an electric vehicle.
Its stupid not to buy an electriv vehicle because of a stupid missing manual transmission
TheMusicFan1297
How is it stupid, I prefer manual, and also electric cars are more expensive to run and maintain.
Idiot lol
The price kill all electric cars
I think your wrong on this. As it is with all new products they are very expensive to begin with - It does not matter if is cars, screens, phones, solar panels, eco food or whatever - Over time the prices tends to even out.
I am not a economic specialist but I do know that nearly all newly groundbreaking products follow some cleverly calculated turn arounds based on many market factors. So in the beginning it´s slow and expensive, then after a few years it takes a step downwards as unit sales slowly rise and so on.
It might be that a Tesla S never gonna be super cheap but it is not intended too. A BMW is also no intended to be super cheap, but take e.g the ZOE that might be a car that will be a very affordable EV in 5-7 years time.
And people are buying EV´s despite the price tag - It has to bee seen in the light of the "Eco Message". The petrol head of old is slowly being replaced by a segment of new car buyers that does not dream about making burnouts, they get their thrills elsewhere than in the car. The i3 is aiming right in the center of segment with a few branches reaching out to environmental "upper" class that want´s a secondary city commuting car and send that eco message as well.
Further ahead when milage increases on EV´s a lot of car buyers will not care if the car is running on gas, water or electric power, whatever, as long as it is fairly cheap an efficient and non the least sustainable - and future EV´s will very likely be so, it will still take some time though - but the i3 is a big step in that direction. Most people are not Petrol heads at all, the own a car for the convenience of free individual transportation. They will not car about engine noise, in fact they might see it as a plus that the car is very quiet - but thats another talk.
Well i just clicked this video to say: No its not the ultimate Electric driving machine. Model S is the ultimate Electric driving machine. #Tesla #Tesla and #Tesla
Slapped with the ugly stick 6 ways to Sunday
Get a Tesla Model S instead
So true. The thing that will draw people in is the base price and the price for the extended version. Under 50K isn't bad. But Tesla, for now, is still the way to go.
Don't buy electric instead
I dunno, I drive a Nissan leaf and it's kinda compelling. When you have 100% torque and skinny eco tires, drifting is on demand. But for BMW to come out with a car that's basically on par with a leaf, meanwhile Tesla, the decade old company still makes the best performing EV around by far, why is that?
one word, tesla
Really?.....REALLY?.....tesla rules!!! Bmw....dillatantes. Nuff said.
47k on this one or 62k on model s? i guess i'd go with tesla..
besides the i3 uses the "i" brand which is everything but original, i'm tired of these "i" things..and it's awfully ugly.. so yeah definitely i'd go for model s..
I hope Tesla puts its ~30k car on the market soon otherwise they might end up being too late
You are aware of that for 30k Tesla can never offer a "normal" car like the S is as an EV?
If you really believe this competes with the model S you will most probably buy neither of the two.
High tech car.but dam! Who designed these cars .are designers trying to win tge ugly design of the year award.
Eww. If BMW wants to go electric give us an electric M4, lets see it beat the Tesla Model S!
The ultimate electric driving machine is Tesla Model S, not this ugly toy!!!
The Tesla S is a really great, fantastic EV I love it - But it does not make the i3 less of an EV achievement - They are two very different EV´s. And it´s rather worth taking note that e.g. Mercedes has gone to Tesla to get their EV drivetrain instead of developing it self - shows how good Tesla is - But I think that BMW also deserves credit to have challenged their essential Brand Promise and put their fan base on a knifes edge making the i3 the way it is - It´s a daring venture seen through Automotive Branding eyes. And branot89 (You may not like it, that fair enough) but since it drives rather well, has good acceleration and is very light - Calling it "a toy" is a rather harsh and unfair statement. Add to the fact that sustainability development that has gone into making the i3 is unmatched in the current moment in time by any large car manufacturer period.
i3 is a great car packed up in ugly, funny, back side looking like a VW Up body
A 2ton EV Mazda 6 will never be an ultimate driving machine.
What are you talking about? Model S has no similarities with Mazda 6. And Model S looks 10 times better than this wierd looking toy notsocialatall
Except that it looks almost exactly like the old 6
The main problem being that it looks so awful :/
Nice car, but... that's one unnecessarily ugly dash.
I love the dash! Eucalyptus I think I heard, I'd say it's probably the highlight of the car for me- it's like old jaguar but undeniay modern! I love the way the exterior looks too though!
James Lavender
The crap beyond the Eucalyptus is what is ugly.
The answer is No. The greatest car ever made on planet earth is called the Tesla Model S. Hop off BMW nuts. And i've driven the i3 three times and sort of like it. It does not compare to the Model S, nothing compares to the Model S. Its in a class of its own.
I've driven Model S and i3 as well. By way of comparison and in terms of value for money the BMW wins. BMW actually more pleasant driving experience - but admittedly can't compete with insane acceleration of Model S. But it doesn't have an insane price tag (S is almost 3 times the cost of the i3).
Let's face it. It's extremely ugly. It's a small 4-seat eco-car with annoying suicide pocket doors, only has slightly more range than a Chevy Spark which has similar performance, and it costs as much as a BMW 5-series. Fully loaded, it costs $56,725! That's absurd!
It does have pretty good performance off the line, and it's handling is surprisingly good for it having tall, skinny wheels. It's lightweight due to its carbon fiber construction making it very efficient, but it doesn't have the solid, smooth, settled, driving-on-rails feel of a heavier car and can feel jittery at times. The interior is very different, but in a good way, unlike the exterior. Adaptive cruise control comes with the tech package and is a very cool, useful feature. This car is not worth the price BMW is asking for it. However, with the numerous federal and state EV incentives and affordable leases available, it ends up costing a whole lot less. I would personally go with the 50-mile PHEV Chevy Volt and pocket the extra $15K rather than buy the i3.
do you want to face it many people won't drive car like a chevy spark they need some thing different unique desirable because it's ev car
This is somehow more ugly than the new Jeep Cherokee, goddamn this is literally the most ugly car on the road. Please no. But idiots will come in droves and buy it because it is a BMW.
Your detail shits are awesome i think its the mist interesting thing on todays cars like lights and this stuff