BMW i3
Nameplate overview. Specifications and evidence are scoped to individual model years and configurations.
Research coverage
7 model years with exact configuration records. Latest available year: 2021, with 4 listed configurations.
Coverage may be partial. A nameplate does not have one shared engine, price, safety result or recall status across these years.
General nameplate overview
Unscoped catalog background, not specifications for a particular year or trim. Review status is unknown except for the assertions cited below.
The BMW i3 was the brand's first purpose-built electric car and the first product of its i sub-brand, sold in the U.S. from the 2014 through 2021 model years. It is built around a carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic passenger cell bonded to an aluminium chassis, a construction BMW called LifeDrive, which kept kerb weight near 2,900 lb despite the battery. Rear-hinged coach doors, a flat floor and a tall, narrow body give it far more cabin space than its 158-inch length suggests.
The i3 is rear-wheel drive with a single motor over the rear axle and a one-speed reduction gear. U.S. cars launched with a 22 kWh battery good for 81 miles, moved to a 33 kWh pack (94 Ah) in 2017 for 114 miles, and finished with a 42 kWh pack (120 Ah) from 2019 that returned 153 miles. Most versions were also offered with a Range Extender — a 0.6-liter two-cylinder motorcycle engine and a 2.4-gallon tank that acts purely as a generator. A sportier i3s with wider tracks, 20-inch wheels and about 14 extra horsepower joined for 2018.
2021 configuration links
Related comparisons and research
Sources and review status
Source records apply only to the assertions and scopes listed below, not the entire vehicle record. Assertion review dates are not page-update dates or evidence of current prices.
Review status: Unknown. No applicable assertion source is recorded for this scope.