• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The Rearview Mirror: A Sports Car from a Company You've Never Heard Of
  • Analysts Predict Declining Tesla Sales in Q3
  • Overlanding is the New Hotness
  • New Vehicle Sales Increase in September
  • Are EVs Affordable? Only if You’re a Luxury Buyer
  • Honda Takes Wraps Off New All-Electric Prologue
  • Mercedes to Offer True Self-Driving in Late 2023
  • Biden Meets UAW Picketers, Offers Support
  • Ford Halts $3.5B MI Battery Plant; Fain Slams Company
  • An Electric Acura NSX Could Be Coming
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2024 Buick Encore GX Sport Touring AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250+
    • A Week With: 2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus
    • A Week With: 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV
    • A Week With: The 2024 BMW i7 xDrive60
    • A Week With: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Toyota Camry XSE Hybrid
    • A Week With: 2024 Subaru Impreza RS
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Desert Boss
    • First Drive: 2024 Polestar 2
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automobiles > BMW Updates i3, Adds More Range

        BMW Updates i3, Adds More Range

        But is 114 miles per charge enough?

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        May 02, 2016
        BMW has bumped the range of the 2017 i3 up to as much as 114 miles thanks to a larger battery pack.

        BMW is the latest automaker hoping to charge up the sluggish battery-car market by boosting the range of its little electric city car, the i3.

        While the 2017 model won’t match the range of the new Chevrolet Bolt or upcoming Tesla Model 3, BMW claims it will still deliver up to 114 miles per charge, or 58% more driving distance thanks to a larger lithium-ion battery. That jumps to more than 200 miles if you order a 2017 BMW i3 equipped with the optional, range-extending two-cylinder gas engine – the update model also getting a larger fuel tank.

        Stay Plugged In!

        Though performance numbers won’t change for the upcoming model-year, the BMW i3 will remain one of the market’s quicker battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, launching from 0 to 60 in just 7.2 seconds.

        The original version of the BMW i3 debuted with a relatively modest 21.8 kilowatt-hour, or 60 amp-hour, lithium battery. The new pack manages to store 33 kWh, or 94 Ah. That’s enough for 114 miles in the U.S. combined city/highway driving cycle.

        The longer-range version of the i3 will adopt a higher-density lithium-ion battery pack.

        (Ford planning long-range EV to challenge Tesla Model 3, Chevy Bolt. Click Here for more.)

        “The high-voltage battery also has an advanced thermal management system that keeps the battery operating in the optimal temperature range, which further enhances performance,” BMW notes.

        Significantly, the new battery underscores the increasingly quick pace of development in lithium-ion technology, the 33 kWh pack fitting into the same physical space as the smaller batteries used initially.

        (Read our review of the best BMW Extended Warranty options)

        Better yet, BMW says it will allow owners of early i3 city cars to upgrade to the new battery pack if they’d like to increase their range. No pricing details for the 2017 BMW i3 or the battery pack upgrade have yet been announced, however.

        The German maker also says it is enhancing the Home Charger Connect system to add more “comfort and connected functions” for 2017.

        One of the more unusual features of the BMW i3 is the ability to add a range-extending gasoline engine which turns it into an extended-range electric vehicle along the lines of the Chevrolet Volt. That two-cylinder engine only fires up when the batteries are running out of power. And unlike most plug-in hybrids, the gas engine acts only as a generator. None of its torque is used to directly power the wheels of the i3.

        For those who need still longer range, the BMW i3 will continue to offer an optional gas engine.

        (Reborn Fisker, now Karma, set to build battery car in the U.S. Click Here for the story.)

        Most drivers appear to be ordering the pure battery model, however. One of the advantages the BMW i3 has over a number of other first-generation battery-cars is the ability to hook up to a Level 3 quick charger. That means an additional 80% of its range in less than 30 minutes.

        Industry officials have long argued that 100 miles or so of range is more than enough for the vast majority of both European and American motorists to commute and run errands. But that hasn’t done much to overcome consumer range anxiety.

        As a result, manufacturers appear to be shifting to a new generation of larger, higher-density battery packs that will be able to boost range to 200 miles or more. The first vehicle to meet that target was the Tesla Model S, but its hefty price tag put it out of reach of most consumers.

        That’s expected to change soon, with Chevy launching the 200-mile Bolt for 2017 and Tesla promising to get the Model 3 into production by late next year. Ford CEO Mark Fields last week revealed that maker is developing a longer-range BEV. And Nissan, which this year jumped to more than 100 miles with the Leaf, is expected to push into 200-mile territory with the second generation of that model, as well.

        For those who need relatively modest range, BMW says it will continue to offer the older battery pack for the i3 next year, along with the longer-range model.

        (Little Dubai wants to become a world leader in autonomous vehicles. Click Here to see how.)

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published

        The Rearview Mirror: A Sports Car from a Company You’ve Never Heard Of

        Sept. 30, 2023

        Analysts Predict Declining Tesla Sales in Q3

        Sept. 29, 2023

        Overlanding is the New Hotness

        Sept. 29, 2023

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: