New BMW i3 Range Now Offers Lease Customers An Even Wider Choice

THERE are a growing number of electric vehicles on the market, and a growing number of drivers making the switch. One of the big winners of this shift has been the BMW i3, the top-selling premium electric car in its class.

In fact, in Germany the BMW i3 is the top-selling electric vehicle, full stop. Not just in its class but top-selling right across the range of electric cars. There are around 8,000 of them just in the UK.

If you were considering leasing a BMW i3 the choice has now become more complicated with two new models to choose from. Actually, there are four if you count the range extender but we'll come to that shortly.

Joining the updated i3 is the new BMW i3s, a sportier model with more power to play with. The i3s features a 184bhp electric motor compared to the 170bhp found in the regular i3. The more powerful i3s also has uprated sports suspension and, if there were any doubt where BMW were going with this car, a SPORT mode with sharper acceleration.





The upshot of this is an electric car with zero emissions that can sprint to 60mph in under seven seconds. That's more than enough to take advantage of gaps when negotiating city traffic. Although to be fair, the standard i3 is only around half a second slower. In either case you decent performance and an all-electric range of around 120miles in everyday use which should be more than enough for most drivers.

There are a few visual differences between the new i3 and i3s. The i3s has more of a body kit with aprons and skirts giving it a more dynamic look. The more astute observer might also notice that the i3s is 10mm lower and 40mm wider for a sportier stance.

The interior remains very similar regardless of which version you choose. It's light and airy with a few new trim and colour options now available. It is a BMW so most people will already have a good idea of how well equipped and finished the interior will be.





There's a range of driver assistance features now available on the new BMW i3 models including park assistance, traffic jam assistance, as well as a wider range of safety systems such as active cruise control and speed limit information. The BMW i3 also boasts an updated version of the iDrive system with improved voice control and On-Street parking information service. In line with the rest of the BMW range every i3 model now has BMW Navigation system Professional fitted as standard.

The other option on the new i3 models is the range extender petrol engine we mentioned earlier.

In case you weren't aware, a range extender is a small engine - in the case of the new BMW i3 it's a little two-cylinder that wouldn't look out of place on a lawnmower - whose sole purpose is to recharge the battery as you drive. It's not connected to the wheels, it just an on-board generator that keeps the battery topped up so you can get more miles between plug-in charges. If you already knew that you can skip the paragraph you've just finished reading.

The advantage of the optional range extender petrol engine is to make longer journeys more practical without hammering the economic reasons for choosing an electric car in the first place. Emissions figures for the range extender are around 15g/km so choosing this option isn't going to make much difference to the overall running costs of the new i3 models. BMW figures suggest that the fuel consumption of the range extender versions hovers somewhere around the equivalent of 400mpg.





So if you were considering an electric car this may be a good time to consider the new BMW i3 and i3s. It was already good, as the sales figures show. We think it may have just got a little better. It's a little bit faster, a little bit more comfortable, a little bit sportier.

Obviously this isn't a major overhaul, more a case of BMW incorporating new technology to improve the overall appeal of the car. We have no reason to believe the new BMW i3 and i3s won't prove just as popular.

The new i3 range is already available to order so if you are considering leasing a premium electric car we're here to make that process as simple and straightforward as possible.

Why not check out our latest special offers on the BMW i3 and i3s here: BMW i3 leasing offers.