Sector: Lower medium Price: €34,950 – €39,450 Range: 130 – 300km CO2: 0 – 13g/km

With that badge on the bonnet, the BMW i3 was due an advantage from its inception. BMW could easily have got away with converting a 1 Series to electric power, and it still would have sold. But, thankfully, it’s done exactly the opposite.

The i3 is the first of a new plug-in vehicle sub-brand, and not only has BMW made strides in the engineering of the car itself, but it’s taken six years studying the reasons why people might dismiss EV ownership and systematically addressed each one. 

Top of the list is range. Pre-launch trials proved the i3’s 130-150km electric range is enough for most drivers, but there’s a range-extended version for those who don’t believe it will be. Like the Opel Ampera, this uses an efficient petrol engine to power a generator, which stops the battery running flat and emits a barely audible hum at low speeds.

BMW expects this safety net to make the latter more popular at launch, but with sales swinging back towards the pure EV as drivers get used to the technology. The i3 is offered with membership to most public charging points, reaching 80% charge in three hours using a 32-Amp charger, or 20 minutes at a DC rapid charger if the car is equipped with the optional capability.

As rapid chargers appear along major routes, infrequent long-distance travellers could find there’s no need to opt up to the range-extender, particularly as the i3 is also offered with short-term access to conventional BMW Group models as necessary.

The car itself is no less interesting. Beneath its plastic body panels is a carbon fibre-reinforced polymer bodyshell, sat on an aluminium chassis with the battery under the cabin and drivetrain under the boot floor, providing 170hp to the rear wheels.

Manufacturing uses half the energy and 70% less water than a conventional model, and the materials used also allow it to be much lighter than its nearest rivals. A pure electric i3 weighs 30kg less than a MINI Cooper S, or 370kg less than a Nissan LEAF, while the range-extended model is 370kg lighter than the Opel Ampera.

In turn, this offers performance and agility beyond that implied by its egg-shaped back end and narrow tyres. Twist the column-mounted gear selector into Drive, and the i3 surges off the line with ferocity its already impressive on-paper figures don’t capture. The combination of its rigid bodyshell, wide track and low overhangs also allow it to change direction with incredible precision, without resorting to overly stiff suspension.

Single-pedal driving is unusual, though. Most EVs reverse the polarity on the motor under deceleration, regenerating energy and simulating soft engine braking. Lift off the throttle in an i3 and it sheds speed so quickly that you often don’t need to touch the brakes at all. Throttle and braking sensitivity can be blunted using the ECO PRO and ECO PRO+ braking modes, which also incrementally increase range by 15%.

Its size is also deceptive. The stubby bonnet gives it a supermini exterior footprint, but the interior is as spacious as a C-segment hatchback, though the shallow window line could make it a little claustrophobic, there’s plenty of room for adults.

With pricing close to a 1 Series and an ownership experience designed to be as unchallenging as possible, BMW should have no problems finding customers for the i3. This potentially had an easy task on its hands, but by taking the difficult route it’s become a compelling proposition that’s impossible to ignore.

Verdict

High tech, great to drive and backed by some of the sector’s most joined-up thinking, the i3 presents a great reason for taking a fresh look at electromobility.