BMW i3 Test Drive and Review by Edmunds

Edmunds.com tests drives the BMW i3 and discovers that this vehicle has a few tricks up its sleeve. In terms of performance, the vehicle has a punchy acceleration, great response, and an impressive energy recuperation. Read more about these traits on the excerpt below:

Punchy Performance

“The i3 offers punchy and lively acceleration. A heady rush of acceleration is unleashed the moment you introduce the smallest degree travel to the throttle. It is delivered seamlessly with just a faint whirring sound from the electric motor and a distant rumble of specially developed low rolling resistance tires.

The benchmark zero-to-62-mph (100km/h) is achieved in a respectable 7.2 seconds. The initial urgency away from the line has as much to do with BMW efforts in keeping weight in check than the electric motor’s 184 lb-ft of torque, which by comparison’s sake is 7 lb-ft more than the turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engine used in the Mini Cooper S.

The new BMW i3 is also impressively responsive and sensationally refined at highway speeds, offering enough in-gear shove that you’re never likely to feel exposed when mixing it with other traffic. The silent surge of propulsion you experience on a loaded throttle comes at the expense of range and that initial urgency tends to trail off as speeds rise closer to the limited 93-mph top speed achieved in Comfort and Eco Pro modes.

A defining feature of the i3′s on-road character is its energy recuperation. The setup slows the car quite dramatically the moment you step away from the throttle at lower speeds as the electric motor switches from drive to generator mode. The recuperation is speed-sensitive, though, so it coasts with little drag at typical highway speeds to take advantage of the inertia that has been built up under acceleration. At urban speeds, there’s a strong braking effect for maximum production of kinetic energy.”

Read full review at Edmunds.com