BMW i3 to start at £25,680 23 | 07 | 2013
BMW'S NEW ALL-ELECTRIC city car, the i3, will start at £25,680 — including the government's £5000 electric vehicle grant — when it goes on sale at the end of this month. First deliveries are expected at the end of October.
The German car manufacturer will also make the i3 available from £369 on a 36-month lease package. This includes an initial £2995 payment, and a contracted mileage of 24,000 miles.
“The BMW i3 heralds the dawn of a new era for individual mobility and for the BMW Group," Ian Robertson, member of the board of management, sales and marketing BMW, said. "True to a genuine BMW, the BMW i3 has strong emotional appeal, outstanding product substance and a guarantee of sheer driving pleasure. With this leading-edge vehicle and compelling price, we will provide customers with an attractive offer for electromobility.”
With 168bhp and a top speed of 93mph delivered by its synchronous electric motor, the pure-electric version goes head-to-head with the significantly cheaper Nissan Leaf. The Japanese car costs £20,990, including the electric vehicle grant.
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And the i3 range will get even more expensive: BMW has yet to confirm the price of its i3 range-extender version. It is though expected to be significantly more expensive than the base model.
The i3 sits on a chassis made of almost pure aluminium and uses a carbonfibre reinforced plastic body structure.
The final production version of the i3 will be unveiled simultaneously in London, New York and Beijing on July 29.
The pure-electric i3 has a rear-mounted 50kg (110lbs) electric motor producing 170bhp (125kW) and 250Nm (184 lb/ft) of torque.
It will accelerate from standstill to 37mph in 3.7secs, and covers the 0-62mph sprint in 7.2s. In standard form it has a range of between 81 to 99 miles thanks to its 22kWh lithium-ion battery.
The battery pack can be fully charged from a regular socket in approximately eight hours, or in six hours when using the optional BMW i Wallbox.
From a public fast-charging 50kW station, it will take 30 minutes to fill the battery to an 80% level.
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Jim McGill