BMWi3 Range Extender (2016) electric chargers

The Car

BMW’s well-designed i3 was a pioneer in the purpose-built all electric cars sector, yet its sleek design remains current and attractive. Its superb range between top-up charges and truly sparkling performance make it an extremely attractive all-rounder, for both town-car and open-road use. 

The i3 is available in two options. both using the same 42kWh battery - the standard i3, which has a WLTP range of 177 miles and lighter, more powerful and faster i3S. The BMW i3 also originally launched with a "Range Extender" edition which featured a small petrol generator to extend the range of the battery up to around 230 miles. This version is no longer available new, but can still be found on the used car market.

All i3 models feature revolutionary use of materials, using 25% renewable raw materials and recycled plastics in the interior, while the upholstery is 100% renewable and a further 25% recycled materials were used on the exterior.

BMW i3 charge time is relatively short, owing to the smaller battery capacity compared to other vehicles on the market. Charging time is reduced further if you get a dedicated i3 home charger, such as one of our 7.4kW charge points. The full electric models also include CCS rapid charging or fast home charging thanks to the Type 2 AC charging connection.

For a futuristic and fantastical-looking car, as well as one that handles like a BMW should with the added benefit of long range, zero-emissions driving, the BMW i3 is the ideal candidate.

Charging at home

You can find full details of how long it takes to charge this vehicle from empty to full using a 7.4kW home charge point at the bottom of this page.

However, it's important to note that most electric car charging is done overnight when you're asleep (so you wake up to a charged vehicle) and it's very unlikely you will ever need to charge the battery from completely empty to completely full. So, in reality, most drivers will only need to "top up" their car's battery overnight - for example, from 50% to 80%. 

We tested how often the average driver would need to charge each week using the Jaguar GO I-PACE app. See how we got on in this video.