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Longer trips take planning in an i3. With a coastal campsite 60 miles away (and a realistic electric range of 60-80 miles), I checked the availability of the campsite's three-pin plug for an overnight 're-fill' so I could drive fully electricly there and back (preserving the range-extender's 60-80-mile 'back-up tank' of unleaded just in case). The key is choosing the right driving mode.
The i3 has three: Comfort (which basically means 'drive how you want and the car will do its best'), Eco Pro (70mph cap, but easily overridden) and Eco Pro+ (56mph limit and aircon deactivated - pictured). In town, Eco Pro+ is perfect (open the windows a bit if it's hot), and on motorways Eco Pro results in almost no compromise to driving style - unless you like speeding.
At one point on the way (with the destination in the satnav) a message popped up on my centre screen that said something like "in your current [Comfort] driving mode you do not have sufficient range to get to your destination".
A bit scary, but honest. After flipping to Eco Pro I was miraculously back in range. Best of all, the switch didn't take away all accelerator oomph or dial-in harsher re-gen braking. In fact, it all felt pretty normal, and I got there with a dozen, almost comfortable, miles to spare.
BMW i3 Range Extender |
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| Mileage 1850 | |
| Official consumption | 470.8mpg |
| Our average consumption 887.0mpg | |
| Forecast/actual CPM 59.1p/56.4p | |
| P11D price | £35,575* |
| Model price range | £30,925-35,575* |
| Residual value 39.1% | |
| Depreciation cost £21,675 | |
| Fuel £1670 | |
| Service, maintenance and repair £1722 | |
| Vehicle Excise Duty £0 | |
| National Insurance £1031 | |
| CO2 (tax) | 13g/km/5% |
| BIK 20/40% per month | £28/£57 |
Verdict |
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