The BMW i3 sis often regarded as one of the best electric cars out on the market that is not from Tesla. According to a report from Car and Driver, the 2017 model will be released soon and will come with a series of improvements, which include a more powerful battery and a fully unlocked gas tank.
The report states that the 2017 BMW i3 will come with a 33 kWh lithium-ion battery, which is significantly larger and more potent than the previous model's 22 kWh battery. Despite the added weight of a larger battery, the car has also been improved with its energy consumption now eating away 27 kWh per 100 miles.
As previous models had a two-cylinder gas tank so will the 2017 model but it has a big improvement over the previous iterations. Because the 2017 model now has a higher Electric Vehicle (EV) range which has allowed BMW to fully unlock the gas tank. In previous models, the last half-gallon was always locked to ensure the BMW i3 would still be rated as a zero-emissions vehicle.
It is also notable that the gas tank has been increased from a 1.9 gallon tank to 2.4 gallons. According to the report, the BMW i3 has always had a 2.4 gallon gas tank but this is the first time that the full capacity will be made available for drivers.
The larger battery will take an hour longer to charge with a Level 2 Charger as the total time required is now tallied up to 4 and a half hours. According to the report, roughly 80 percent of the battery's power will be charged within the first 40 minutes of charge time.
No offiical price or release date has yet been announced but the report points out that it is currently scheduled to launch by this fall. Official retail prices are expected to be released closer to the car's public launch.
