NOT THE BMW YOU KNOW
It’s unlike any Beemer we’ve ever run in the fleet, but the i3 quickly established itself as a firm team favourite
FOR the second time in as many minutes, a roguish fella in a Fiesta ST cuts me off. The hot hatch bucks and weaves through early-morning traffic, yet isn’t making meaningful progress. I’m fed up with the driver’s selfish habits, and then I spot an opportunity to get my revenge. I stop the i3 REX next to his hot hatch just as the traffic light blinks red. The road ahead is clear. I check that the BMW isn’t in eco pro mode and floor the throttle as soon the light blinks green. In the i3’s rear-view mirror, ST Guy’s mouth hangs agape before he recovers and dumps the Fiesta’s right pedal. I ease off and let him race past. It’s a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. If the i3 represents the future of motoring, cut up my fuel card and sign me up.
Suffice to say, the CAR team is mostly made up of a cohort of petrolheads with a nostalgic bent to the days of large-capacity, naturally aspirated engines that rattled and rumbled. But, those same guys were quick to jot down their names to drive the i3 REX during its six months in the CAR garage. We loved it, and here’s five reasons why (followed by two reasons why we remain sceptical).
THE GOOD
Performance: The i3 has a deceptive turn of speed that’s as addictive as it is slightly hilarious in something the shape of a storage shed. The electric motor develops 125 kw and 250 N.m of torque that’s on tap right from pull-away, allowing the REX to hit 100 km/h in just 8,1 seconds (it feels even quicker than that). It whines like George Jetson’s spaceship, but the zing is more charming than grating.
Ef ciency: Our sole point of reference for EV ef ciency is the Nissan Leaf, which also spent six months at CAR and consumed 19,95 kwh/100 km. The lighter i3 Range Extender managed just 16,32 kwh/100 km. Factoring in the 96,24 litres of unleaded the i3 REX consumed, its per-kilometre running cost was a round 40 cents, or 59 cents less than the similarly sized Renault Captur 1,2 that recently left the eet.
Design: People loved spotting the little Beemer, and it received admiring glances wherever it went. I’ve never been approached more to chat about a car, nor received such a colourful mix of responses when explaining that it’s electric; and that it has a 28 kw/56 N.m 647 cm3 scooter engine below the boot; and the car sometimes sounds like a diesel generator because the engine is busy charging the lithium-ion battery.
The cockpit is brilliant, with an interesting mix of premium and recyclable materials, skinny seats that are com er than they look and a generous spec sheet. It seats four adults and can t a weekend’s worth of luggage.
Manoeuvrability: Not even a Fortwo is as easy to drive in an urban area as the i3. It’s a breeze to park; the instantaneous torque allows it to squirt into small traf c gaps; the ride is absorbent; and noise-insulation excellent.
Convenience: BMW lent us an i Wallbox (R25 000, including installation), which allowed us to drive the i3 into the garage every morning, simply plug in the charging cable and off we went. Able to charge the batteries to 80% capacity in three hours, the Wallbox is an essential piece of kit. If only it were cheaper…
THE BAD
The cost: The i3 REX retails at R653 900, or more than a BMW 320d, Benz C220d Coupé, any new Kia Sportage and all Toyota Fortuners bar one. New tech is expensive until it gains widespread acceptance and economies of scale make it possible for manufacturers to rationalise the cost, but for a city car with limited scope, that’s expensive.
The range: This version of the i3 has an everyday electric range of 120-150 km, which you could theoretically boost to 300 km with petrol power added. But that’s unrealistic; the best I could do was 223 km before limping onto a forecourt to ll the empty 9,0-litre tank. I proved you could use the i3 REX on a long trip (see the December 2016 issue), but I wouldn’t recommend it.
It’s been an illuminating six months with the i3, a car that makes electric motoring truly desirable (despite South Africa’s obvious infrastructure shortcomings). However, we can’t deny its narrow remit makes its existence logical to only the smallest group of buyers.
But, as a glimpse into the near future of motoring, it’s a tantalising one. We can’t wait to see what BMW’S i-brand does next.
It cost us just 40 cents per kilometre to run the i3 REX