Test: BMW i3

It often happens that friends, acquaintances, relatives or neighbors are delighted with the test machine when it is in my hands. But it never occurred to me that I myself would be so enthusiastic about the car and would look for someone who would pass on this enthusiasm to him. During testing, I discovered several sparks that brightened every trip in this car. First, it is definitely silence. At first, you might think that the absence of a classic internal combustion engine and the associated noise are welcome in order to be able to enjoy a good sound system. But no, it's better to just listen to the silence. Okay, it's a bit like the quiet hum of an electric motor, but since we're not saturated with this sound, it's nice to feel it in the background.

You know what's even more fun? Roll down the glass, drive through the city and listen to passers-by. Most often you can hear: "Look, it's on electricity." Everything sounds, I tell you! I have a hunch that the Bavarians secretly sought help from some Scandinavian design firm, which helped them design the interior and choose the right materials. When we open the door (the car doesn't have the classic B-pillar, by the way, and the rear door opens from front to outside), we feel like we're looking into the living room from a Danish interior design magazine. Materials! The passenger frame is made of carbon fiber and it's nice to see them intertwined on the sills under the door. Bright fabric, wood, leather, recycled plastic all combine to create an incredibly beautiful whole that creates a pleasant feeling inside. The rest is skillfully borrowed from other models of the house. The central screen, which is operated by a rotary knob between the seats, shows us, in addition to classic things, also some data adapted to driving an electric car. Thus, we can choose to display energy consumers, consumption and charge history, the guide can help us with economical driving, and the range is marked on the map along with the rest of the battery.

In front of the driver, instead of classic sensors, there is only a simple LCD screen that displays important driving information. Should I keep lighting the sparks that brighten up the ride? It may sound funny, but I enjoyed every red light. I would be even happier if a fast car stopped next to me. Although I couldn't see well in the rearview mirror, I could only imagine how they saw little Bemveychek when he jumped out of the traffic light. From 0 to 60 kilometers per hour in 3,7 seconds, from 0 to 100 in 7,2 seconds, from 80 to 120 in 4,9 seconds - numbers that don't say much until you feel it. Therefore, I looked for acquaintances and took them, so that later I could observe their enthusiasm. For those who are interested in the technical side of these achievements: the baby is driven by a synchronous electric motor with a maximum power of 125 kilowatts and a torque of 250 newton meters.

Drive is transmitted to the rear wheels via a built-in differential, and the battery has a capacity of 18,8 kilowatt-hours. Taking into account the consumption on the 100 km test circuit, which was 14,2 kilowatt-hours, this means that on a similar trip with fully charged batteries, the range will be just under 130 kilometers. Of course, you need to count on a huge number of indirect factors (rain, cold, heat, darkness, wind, traffic () that affect this number so that it fluctuates a lot. What about charging? In a classic home outlet, the i3 charges in eight hours You'd be better off looking for a 22KW 3-phase AC charger as it will take about three hours to charge, we don't have 3KW CCS chargers in Slovenia yet and iXNUMX batteries can be charged in less than half an hour type of system.Of course, part of the energy used is also regenerated and returned to the batteries.When we release the accelerator pedal, decelerations without using the brake are already so great that regeneration slows the car even to a complete stop.At first, such a trip is a little unusual, but over time we learn to drive car without even stepping on the brake pedal.Apart from setting the range and the time it takes to charge the batteries, the iXNUMX is a very useful and functional car.

There will be plenty of room in all seats, and dads and mums will be impressed by the convenience of the winged door when securing children. Of course we can blame him. For example, a smart key that is only smart enough to start the car, but still needs to be taken out of your pocket to unlock it. Even the beautifully designed interiors required some storage tax. The drawer in front of the passenger is only useful for some documents, but don't forget that under the hood (where we find the engine in a classic car) is a small trunk. While this i3 is very different from other cars in BMW's offer, it still has something in common with them. The price is what we are used to for a premium brand. The government will give you five thousand cash incentives to buy an electric car, so for such an i3 you will still deduct a little over 31 thousand euros. Even if your daily routine, budget or something else doesn't support buying such a car, I still put it on your soul: take a test drive, something will definitely impress you on this car. Hopefully this isn't quite a Harman / Kardon sound system.

text: Sasha Kapetanovich

BMW i3

Basic data

Sales:	BMW GROUP Slovenia
Base model price:	36.550 €
Test model cost:	51.020 €
Power:	125kW (170 KM)
Acceleration (0-100 km / h):	7,2 with
Maximum speed:	150 km / h
Mixed flow ECE:	12,9 kWh / 100 km / 100 km

Cost (up to 100.000 km or five years)

Technical information

engine:	Electric motor: permanent magnet synchronous motor - maximum power 125 kW (170 hp) - continuous output 75 kW (102 hp) at 4.800 rpm - maximum torque 250 Nm at 0 / min. Battery: Li-Ion battery - nominal voltage 360 V - capacity 18,8 kWh.
Energy transfer:	engine driven by rear wheels - 1-speed automatic transmission - front tires 155/70 R 19 Q, rear tires 175/60 ​​R 19 Q (Bridgestone Ecopia EP500).
Capacity:	top speed 150 km/h - acceleration 0-100 km/h 7,2 s - energy consumption (ECE) 12,9 kWh/100 km, CO2 emissions 0 g/km
Transportation and suspension:	limousine - 5 doors, 4 seats - self-supporting body - front single wishbones, leaf springs, three-spoke wishbones, stabilizer - rear five-link axle, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizer - front disc brakes (forced cooling), rear disc 9,86 – rear, XNUMX m.
Mass:	empty vehicle 1.195 kg - permissible gross weight 1.620 kg.
Box:	5 seats: 1 aircraft suitcase (36 L), 1 suitcases (68,5 L), 1 backpack (20 L).

Our measurements

T = 29 ° C / p = 1.020 mbar / rel. vl. = 50% / odometer status: 516 km.
Acceleration 0-100km:	7,6s
402m from the city:	16,0 years ( 141 km / h)
Flexibility 50-90km / h:	Measurement is not possible with this type of gearbox. S
Maximum speed:	150km / h (Gear lever in position D)
test consumption:	17,2 kWh l / 100 km
Fuel consumption according to the standard scheme:	14,2 kWh l / 100km
Braking distance at 130 km / h:	61,4m
Braking distance at 100 km / h:	33,6m
AM table:	40m

Overall rating (341/420)

• i3 wants to be different. Even among BMWs. Many will like it, although due to their requirements and needs, they will not find themselves among potential users. But someone who lives a daily routine that allows the use of such a machine will fall in love with it.

• Exterior (14/15)

  This is something special. For example, a top-notch industrial design that plays around and creates a slightly different cable car cabin.

• Interior (106/140)

  Not only a beautiful interior with carefully selected materials, but also the ergonomics and precision of workmanship at the highest level. A few moments pinch off a small trunk and a lack of storage space.

• Engine, transmission (57
  
  
  / 40)

  Silence, calmness and lightness, seasoned with decisive action.

• Driving performance (55
  
  
  / 95)

  It is best to avoid sporty cornering, but there are other benefits as well.

• Performance (34/35)

  An electronically limited top speed ensures an ideal harvest.

• Security (37/45)

  Plenty of security systems are always on the alert, with some deductions due to just four stars on the NCAP tests.

• Economy (38/50)

  The choice of the drive is unambiguously economical. Especially if you take advantage of (for now) a lot of free chargers.

We praise and reproach

motor (jump, torque)

materials in the interior

spaciousness and ease of use of the passenger compartment

information on the center screen

unlocking the door with a smart key

too little storage space

slow charging from a home outlet