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BMW Will Stop Making The Clever i3 Range Extender Or Will It

Oct. 05, 2018 1:06 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 3 Comments The i3 range extender may be going away, but not in the U.S. market. Just a week ago, BMW revealed the updated 2019 i3, which now boasts a larger battery and a longer electric range. The i3, thanks to its new 42.2 kWh battery pack, can now go 153 miles on a charge. This is a nice improvement over the previous model's 115-mile range and enough to justify killing off one of the i3's variants (at least in some markets). Autocar reported that the i3 will no longer be sold as a range extender model. The i3 range extender houses a 650 cc engine to provide additional range. BMW didn't provide any range estimates for a new range extender model when it revealed the 2019 i3 and now we may be getting a clearer picture of why. Interestingly, BMW has reached out us, saying that this news was market specific and that the i3 range extender will continue to be sold in the U.S. market. So if you live in the U.S. you will still be able to buy an i3 with the gasoline range extender. Unfortunately, there is still no official word on what the range will be. BMW BMW initially said the range extender model would benefit from the same 30% range increase as the regular i3, putting it around the 225-mile range mark. Unfortunately, BMW says the added range of the 2019 model was enough to justify getting rid of the range extender, at least for certain markets. For reference, the 2018 range extender model had a combined range of 180 miles. BMW issued a statement saying: "The Range Extender i3 will cease production and we will only sell the pure-electric version going forward. With the gains in pure-electric range, together with the increasing availability of rapid charging facilities, we believe the customer demand is shifting to a pure-electric model." As we stated earlier, this statement only applies to certain markets. BMW then issued a second statement saying: "In 2015 we saw a worldwide share of REX versions of the BMW i3 of 61%. Since the battery update in mid-2016, the share has dropped significantly to date, with the current level at less than 40%. In Europe, we started with a REX share of 50% in 2015 and now we are at just 25%. For this reason, we have decided to not to offer REX in countries where the demand is low. The REX remains available in countries like the US and Japan." BMW Even without the range extender, buyers will still be able to choose from the standard i3 with a 170 horsepower electric motor or the i3S with 180 hp. This is an interesting move for BMW considering the range extender made up over 60% of i3 sales. We like the idea of the range extender because it eliminates range anxiety as long as you have gas in the tank - unfortunately, some markets will no longer be able to buy it. BMW BMW BMW BMW

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BMW i3 Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top