Taking the future for a test drive
There are moments in life when you feel like you’ve stepped into the future.
One of those was hopping inside the BMW i3 REX (petrol range extender) – the company’s first electric vehicle produced for the mass market.
Until you actually drive one, it is hard to fully grasp the significance of this technology.
It soon became clear why the i3 was crowned the 2015 New Zealand Car of the Year – and with a price tag of $85,000, you’d expect good things.
The i3’s unusual-looking carbon fibre body takes some getting used to from the outside, but its interior is simply beautiful, featuring a eucalyptus timber dashboard and German-made leather upholstery.
After starting the i3 (with the press of a button) the most noticeable difference to petrolpowered equivalents is how quiet it runs, thanks to a 60 ampere hour (Ah) lithium-ion battery.
It is also an extremely smooth and responsive car to drive.
But what stood out the most was how much acceleration its electric motor had when compared to a similar-sized petrol-powered car.
The specs sheet tells me it does 0-100kmh in 8.1 seconds. By comparison a 2014 Toyota Corolla takes 10.9kmh.
Apparently the i3’s acceleration is most pronounced at low speeds, which is appropriate because this is definitely a city car, with a range of up to 300km.
The battery has a range of 130 kilometres and an additional petrol tank, which fuels a BMW scooter petrol engine, provides another 130km.
Plugging the car into a charging cable at home will provide a full charge in about 10 hours.
Electric cars produce 80 per cent less in CO2 emissions than their petrol counterparts and cost very little to maintain by comparison because they have fewer moving parts.
John Anthony test drove the BMW i3 REX, courtesy of BMW NZ.