When it appeared in summer 2013, the BMW i3 (l01) felt like a genuine technical break rather than a normal EV spun off a combustion car. Its carbon passenger cell, aluminium structure, coach doors and premium city-car proportions put it up against the Nissan Leaf, but with a far more ambitious take on materials, weight and urban sophistication.
Most early cars use the 60 Ah battery rated at 22 kWh with 125 kW and 170 hp, then from 2016 the 94 Ah 33 kWh pack joins the range while keeping the same motor. Alongside that sits the Range Extender, a 647 cc W20K06U0 twin-cylinder petrol unit whose only job is to sustain charge. On these cars, real-world range, high-voltage battery condition, the health of the air-conditioning and cooling system, AC/DC charging quality and the behaviour of the single-speed reduction gear all need to be judged together.