Farewell to the future
Well, We’ ve run it for six months and covered just over 6000 miles. And we’ve spent just under £57 on petrol. I’m sure we’ve spent a bit more on electricity, but estimates suggest that would work out at around 3.5p per mile, so we’re talking less than £200 there too.
Compare that to a diesel hatchback that manages 50mpg. You’d be up to more like £500 in fuel. And you’d be lucky to get 50mpg if you commuted with anything like the enthusiasm the i3 has, er, generated.
Of course, there are compromises. One reason why petrol consumption is so low is that the prospect of having to fill up so frequently on longer runs (it’ll only hold a few litres) actually put us off – although the prospect of being able to carry on when the charge has run out is utterly invaluable. But we’re out in the sticks, those of us who live close to the Octane office. Editor James ran the i3 over the Christmas break and loved it. He lives in London. It makes so much sense there.
As we head into an electricpowered future, there will have to be improvements in infrastructure: there are few places apart from home and the office where I can charge the i3. Not everybody in urban areas gets to park outside their own house. And what happens when you visit friends? Seems a bit cheeky to rock up, accept a cuppa, then ask if you can hook-up your car to their mains.
Change will come, and it will need to. Four years into production, the i3 has been facelifted. Ours has a battery with greater capacity than the original version, so it goes further on a charge. Even so, without a fast-charge facility you’re looking at 15 hours to juice it fully, and the 100-odd miles you get in warmer weather diminishes in winter.
No, this is still an experiment, a stepping stone into a new world. And the i3 isn’t BMW ’s only foray. It’s basically an electric car, of which ours is the Range Extender version, with a tiny petrol twin to keep the battery charged. There’s also the i8, BMW ’s 911-rivalling hybrid sports car. You can run that for short journeys on electric power alone, or employ the battery to boost its 1.5-litre turbo triple’s performance. Clever stuff, and proof that BMW is exploring more than one option.
We’re going to miss this car. It feels different from the norm, rather like driving a classic car does. Yet it’s an antidote to classic motoring too, thanks to its heated seats and connectivity. And it’s proof that change is not necessarily to be feared.