https://www.autonews.com/article/20160118/OEM05/301189994/bmw-will-boost-i3s-range BMW will boost i3's range January 18, 2016 Diana T. Kurylko
DETROIT -- BMW will boost the range of its i3 electric car by about half for the 2017 model year. This summer, the lithium ion battery pack of the compact EV will be improved, "which puts it into a much more usable range," Ian Robertson, BMW AG board member for sales and marketing, told Automotive News at the Detroit auto show. BMW doesn't have the exact figure yet, but a 50 percent increase means about 120 miles on a single charge, up from the current 81 miles. The i3 will get other improvements, which BMW has not yet disclosed. The improved battery would give the i3 a better range than the Nissan Leaf, the top-selling electric car in the world, which can go up to 107 miles on a single charge. But it will pale in comparison to that of the upcoming Chevy Bolt, which will have a range of 200 miles and cost less than $30,000 after federal tax credits. The i3 went on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2014 and has a base price of $43,350 including shipping. A model with a range extender is also available -- with about double the range -- and starts at $47,200 including shipping. Those prices are before tax credits. [© autonews.com] http://mashable.com/2016/01/19/bmw-i3-120-mile-range/ Report: BMW increasing i3 EV range to 120 miles by this summer [20160119] Nick Jaynes [images http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE2LzAxLzE5Lzc2L0JNV2kzRENGYXN0LjhjNDA3LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTk1MHg1MzQjCmUJanBn/7789c79e/65f/BMWi3DCFastCharger06.jpg The All-Electric BMW i3. / BMW http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE2LzAxLzE5LzczL0NUXzExMTQxM19pLmY0NTg3LmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTEyMDB4OTYwMD4/99a3a5a9/c37/CT_111413_i3_0621.jpg ] Good news, compact luxury EV buyers: America's third-best-selling electric vehicle, the BMW i3, might have a 120-mile range by this summer. BMW is upgrading the battery pack in its i3 electric vehicle this summer, Automotive News reports. The improved system would provide a 50% increase in range. This would take the range from 81 miles to around 120. That figure doesn't take into consideration the optional gasoline three-cylinder engine that can increase driving range by around 80 additional miles. BMW is reportedly also planning a few other unannounced upgrades for its entry-level EV, which starts at $42,400 before tax incentives. While 120 miles is great, especially compared to peppy compact EVs like the Fiat 500e or the sales juggernaut Nissan LEAF, it's a far cry from the range-anxiety-eliminating Chevy Bolt. That car, which was unveiled at CES earlier this month, boasts a 200-mile range for a mere $30,000 — after tax incentives. And that's without any sort of gasoline-burning range-extender onboard. Granted, though tech-savvy and accessible, the i3 easily takes the cake for cool-factor over the Bolt. I mean, i3 has open-pore wood on the dash that ages with the car — never mind the floating screen and swoopy interior lines. Need I say more? Regardless of its coolness, the i3's reported improved range signals that carmakers are seriously investing in battery electric vehicle technology. [© mashable.com] For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-i3-s-range-boosted-to-120mi-tp4679976.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
