By Paul Gover.
In the pioneering world of electric cars, the BMW i3 was – and is – a true pioneer.
It’s not as well known as the Tesla S, or as popular as the Nissan Leaf which leads global battery-car sales, or as fast as the upcoming Porsche Taycan, but the i3 led BMW down its road to electrification.
Now it’s had a tickle and a tune-up for 2019 to put some extra visual punch and performance into the package.
The result is a model that’s now called the i3S, with bigger alloy wheels, more sporty suspension and a battery pack with a bit more kick to give it a claimed 200-kilometre range with 94 Amp-hours.
Like many electric cars, the i3S is built around that battery with what amounts to a ’skateboard’ power power for the chassis and wheels, and a carbon-fibre passenger cell that sits on top.
The design is still futuristic, with clamshell doors and no B-pillar for visual or physical support, a light-and-airy cabin, and rear-wheel drive.
Interestingly, the battery drive system for the i3 was originally fitted to a fleet of front-wheel drive Mini test cars – which sacrificed their back seat to the battery – and and Mini has become the most-recent convert to battery power in the BMW Group fleet, but now with all seats intact.
The i3S is a four-seater with reasonable but not massive boot space, and a front cubby that carries the charging cable. Mounting the seat belts on the front doors can make it annoying for rear access, since you have to open the doors, but it’s a roomy and comfy car for four people.
You will never mistake the i3 for anything else, as it is tall and narrow and distinctively designed. It is great for parking, taking up similar space to the original – and similarly upright – Mercedes-Benz A-Class.
The extra swish for the S model gives it more visual impact with the lowered suspension and bigger wheels, but inside it is just the same with a low-set dashboard with real – and obviously real – wood, eco leather for the seats, recycled door panels, and a simple dash that includes BMW’s signature iDrive with an infotainment screen but only a single control switch to ’start’ the car and select forward and rear gears.
The headlights are bright, the wipers give great coverage and its simple to drive yet surprisingly sporty and responsive with a claimed dash to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds.
There is only a single forward gear and one of the best things about the i3 is its single-pedal use. The regenerative-braking system, which captures energy to feed the battery, means you only have to lift the accelerator for average braking and that presents an enjoyable challenge to bring it smoothly to a stop without resorting to the brake pedal.
The range matches the 200-kilometre claim and it’s fun to try and get extra by going to re-gen on downhills and watching the kilometres-to-empty display rising and not falling.
The i3 accelerates strongly and smoothly, even if it is nowhere near the ‘ludicrous mode’ sprint of a Tesla, and it is extremely quiet at freeway speeds.
The test car is missing the ‘range extender’ petrol engine of the original i3, which brings some ‘range anxiety’ about ensuring the car is fully charged for anything beyond a short suburban run. If it runs out of charge, it will mean a trip on a truck to get it to a BMW dealership for a proper re-charge.
The charging time is way too long from a three-pin garage plug, and it uses a ’Type 2’ fast-charge plug which can be elusive at public charging points, but those things are changing and most owners will fit a fast-charge system at home.
Surprisingly, those owners are not the ones that were originally predicted by BMW. It was aiming for 30-something early adopters but the relatively high price meant it was most popular with 60-ish city dwellers with limited parking and short-trip needs.
The i3S changes the game with more style and range, although it’s $69,900 starting point is still a big jump from the sub-$50,000 bottom line for a Hyundai Ioniq or second-generation Nissan Leaf.
But both of those look like a conventional baby hatch that has had an electric charge, while the i3S is a truly dedicated future car that still turns heads and can make the driver smile.
THE BASICS
BMW i3S
Price: from $69,900
Power: 135kiloWatts, 270 Newton-metres
Position: 4-seat electric car
Plus: Funky, quiet, easy to park
Minus: Costly, still some range anxiety
THE TICK: Yes
