INTERVIEW
BMW ups travel range for i3 electric car
Lerato Matebese recently sat down with Carina Gartner, product manager of BMW i brand
As you will have read in Motor News late in 2017, we travelled to Lisbon, Portugal, to sample the sixth-generation M5, which is due in SA in March, but also to sample the updated BMW i3 electric vehicle that is touted for local introduction in April. As an avid Motor News reader, you will recall the team being custodians of the pre-facelift BMW i3 for six months during which we learnt a great deal about the technology. Our recent drive of the updated version, which includes new standard LED headlights and cabin appointments, only reinforced our affinity with the model as it comes with an even denser battery pack, which means improved travel range. The 94Ah/33kWh battery now gives the i3 a claimed 300km range, which is essentially double of what was offered before. The model can still be had in both battery electric vehicle (BEV) or range extender, the latter incorporating a 647cc motorcycle engine under the boot floor to act as a generator and provide electricity for the battery pac...
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