Electric runabout for the city
BMW has launched its first all-electric vehicle.
Energized. 170 horsepower, 150 km per hour, a range of 130 to 160 km: these are the most important facts about the i3, BMW’s first fully electric vehicle. The car has been on the market since November – the basic version costs €34,950. The i3 takes eight hours to recharge its batteries using a conventional power line. A quick-charge station is supposed to take only 30 minutes charge them to 80 percent. This car is not exactly a lightweight: it weighs at least 1,195 kg – the lithium-ion batteries alone accounting for 200 kg. BMW was researching this new car for six years – its development cost an estimated €3 billion. The investment may well pay off: the electric runabout aims to speed up the spread of energy-powered cars.
