BMW i3 Insurance

The i3 represents BMW’s first foray into the world of electric cars.

The BMW i3 was originally launched in 2013 with two versions - the standard electric powered model for which a 60Ah battery afforded a range of around 80-100 miles and a Range Extender.

The first i3 received plaudits for its handling, ride quality and speed, the latter aided in no small part by its low weight carbon fibre body propelled by an electric motor generating 170 PS.

The cost of the battery was included in the cost of the car i.e. it isn’t leased as was and indeed is the case with some of its competitors.

The i3 went on to claim the UK Car of the year 2014 award and the title of Green Car of the Year by WhatCar.

BMW proclaimed the i3 as the most economical electrically powered car of its size and output class with the low cost per mile equating to running a diesel engine and achieving 470.8mpg. The on the road price for the original BMW i3 was £27,830 (including the OLEV Government Grant available at the time).

December 2018 saw the launch of the new all-electric BMW i3 120Ah in the UK. As the name suggests, in the latest i3 BMW has doubled the capacity of the battery without increasing its size. Designed and developed independently by BMW , the lithium-ion high performance cells are combined with a cooling system that constantly keeps the battery at optimum operating temperature, to achieve a significantly enhanced range. BMW put this at 223 miles (previously 180 to 186 miles) or 160 miles on everyday use. Using rapid-charging stations that run on DC power, the charging capacity, the high voltage battery will reach 80 per cent of its total power in just 42 minutes.

The new BMW i3, continues to be powered by a 170hp electric motor and completes the zero to 62mph benchmark in 7.3 seconds. This strong performance is continued at motorway speeds, with the i3 accelerating from 50mph to 75mph in 5.1 seconds.

The original award winning design has been tweaked and the aluminium chassis now comes in an extended range of paint finishes. LED headlights are standard, while adaptive LED headlights are now optional. Further optional equipment now also includes telephony with wireless charging, which allows compatible smartphones to be recharged without use of a cable, and wireless LAN hotspot which can accommodate up to ten devices inside the vehicle.

Prices for the brand new BMW i3 start from £35,180 OTR.