BMW announced that BMW i 3 2017 model year will have more than 50% increased battery capacity comes with free charging for two-years, can come in blue and can have moonroof. The 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah) has a capacity of 33 kilowatt hours (kWh) with a range up to 114 miles combined (hwy/city).
The driving performance figures are bout the same. The motor propels the BMW i3 from 0 to 60 mph in just over 7 seconds. BMW claims the figure makes the BMW i3 both the sportiest and most efficient electric vehicle in its segment with an expected EPA electricity consumption of 27 kWh/100mi.
The BMW i3, the Range Extender model will also have the 94 Ah battery. When equipped with the Range Extender, if the driver requires additional range, the 2-cylinder gasoline engine is switched on once the battery is depleted to 6.5% state of charge and keeps the charge level of the battery constant while driving and provides an additional range due to a 25% larger fuel tank (2.4 gallons).
Fore BMW i3 (94 Ah), BMW offers a new BMW Home Charger Connect, a residential charging station designed for comfortable and fast home charging featuring additional connected functions. Pricing for the 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah) will be released closer to market launch.
The high-voltage battery of the BMW i3 consists of eight modules with twelve storage cells each. By optimizing the cell-internal packages with more electrolyte and adapting the active material, BMW and Samsung SDI have succeeded in increasing cell capacity to 94 Ah and overall battery energy to 33 kWh of which 27.2 kWh can be effectively used. The previous battery of the BMW i3 (60 Ah) produced 22 kWh (gross)/19 kWh (net).
The high-voltage battery also has an advanced thermal management system that keeps the battery operating in the optimal temperature range. Customers receive an 8-year/100,000-mile High-voltage Battery Warranty.
When necessary a single battery module can be exchanged which distinguishes the BMW i3.
The electric consumption of the BMW i3 (94 Ah) has also been reduced by a large number of detail improvements including revised electric motor management as well as advanced low-resistance tires with optimized compound.
The 7.4 kW charging electronics of the BMW i3 (94 Ah) can charge the 33 kWh battery in approximately 4.5 hours using a Level 2 charger, which is slightly more than the approximately 3.5 hours required to charge the battery on a BMW i3 (60 Ah).
The BMW i3 is equipped with the future-proof 50 kW direct current (DC) fast charging technology. When the BMW i3 (94 Ah) is connected to a DC fast charging station, the battery cells are charged up to a minimum of 80 percent of their capacity in less than 40 minutes. In the BMW i3 (60 Ah) this takes around 25 minutes. This means that the BMW i3 (94 Ah) achieves a charging speed of 2.5 mi/min which corresponds to 24 minutes charging time per 62 miles of range.
Thee BMW i3 (94 Ah) is now available in the exclusive Protonic Blue metallic exterior color, previously only available in the US on the BMW i8. The BMW i3 (94 Ah) customer can also choose from two non-metallic paint colors (Capparis White and Fluid Black) and, in addition to Protonic Blue, three metallic paintwork colors (Mineral Grey, Platinum Silver and Ionic Silver).
The highly anticipated electric moonroof is also available for ordering for the first time in the US. This option features individual shades and adds to the great set of convenience features that the BMW i3 has to offer.
Standard profile and equipment for the BMW i3 (94 Ah) includes: Automatic climate control, Dynamic Cruise Control, LED Headlights, HD Radio, DC Fast Charging, Navigation Business System, BMW Assist and BMW Teleservices. Other standard features include: the iDrive operation system, the BMW i RemoteApp functionalities, the Driving Dynamic Control switch, hands-free telephone operation, leather steering wheel and Park Distance Control (PDC).
In late 2016, BMW i will be offering the new BMW Home Charger Connect, a residential charging station designed for comfortable and fast home charging.
The new BMW Home Charger Connect, with a more compact, sleeker design, charges the battery of the BMW i3 (94 Ah) in approximately four hours and 30 minutes. The charging process starts automatically as soon as the car and charging cable are connected. The BMW Home Charger Connect is operated using an LED interface.
The BMW Home Charger Connect comes standard with WiFi. ChargeNow is designed to optimize the public charging experience for BMW i customers, for easy access to public charging options. Offered by BMW in cooperation with EVgo, ChargeNow DC Fast allows eligible BMW i3 drivers in participating markets to enjoy 24 months of no cost charging sessions for the BMW i3 at participating EVgo Stations. Enrolled BMW i3 customers can use the ChargeNow card for unlimited 30 minute, DC Fast Combo charging sessions and Unlimited 1 hour, Level 2 charging sessions.
The BMW i3 is equipped with the future-proof 50 kW direct current (DC) Fast charging technology. When the BMW i3 (94 Ah) is connected to a DC Fast charging station, the battery cells are charged up to 80 percent of their capacity in less than 40 minutes. In the BMW i3 (60 Ah) this takes approximately 25 minutes.
The optional Navigation System Professional provides BMW ConnectedDrive Services especially developed for BMW i. The range assistant follows the planned and currently driven route. If the destination selected in the navigation system is beyond the car’s range, the driver receives the suggestion to shift to the ECO PRO or ECO PRO+ mode. Additionally, the system calculates a more efficient alternative route. Should it be necessary to recharge at a public charging station, the driver is shown all the available stations along the planned route.
A dynamic range map is another central element of the connected navigation unit. Apart from the current charging status of the battery, the driving style, the activated electric comfort functions and the selected driving mode, the topographic features, the current traffic situation and the outside temperature are all taken into consideration. The Advanced Real Time Traffic Information (ARTTI) data is used for this purpose. The data is provided by the BMW ConnectedDrive Server.
The BMW i Remote App provides useful vehicle-related mobility planning data available on the customer’s smartphone. Apart from pedestrian navigation; navigating your way to your destination from the parking space and back, BMW ConnectedDrive offers a so-called intermodal routing system and for the first time in combination with the Navigation System Professional. This also incorporates public transport connections such as subway stops if this means you can reach your destination quicker. From the actual trip in the BMW i3, looking for a parking space, changing onto a metro and or a walking route, the BMW i ConnectedDrive services take the customer to his destination efficiently.