Beaming smiles and higher beams at BMW

Searching for a new vehicle that breaks the mould? The BMW i3 becoming launched at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas could be just the ticket.

Described by BMW as “electric and electrifying”, the i3 is its attempt to make “the automobile of tomorrow”.

And for the TopGear team at least, the German vehicle manufacturer is on the proper track: “BMW has built the best electric automobile on sale,” they mentioned, awarding the vehicle a whopping 9/10.

So just what is so groundbreaking about this electric BMW? Let’s discover out…

Pleased valet

Emission-totally free, the i3 gives a close to-silent driving expertise – plus lots of other futuristic features.

You can, for example, use the Remote Valet Parking Assistant, which enables you to leave the auto at the entrance to a garage – and trust it to go off and uncover a space, park and lock itself.

And when it is time to go, you can use the exact same app to call the automobile back to meet you at the garage exit.

Light great

How? The car has 4 laser scanners that survey its surroundings and steer it down lanes and about obstacles.

It’s the exact same breed of technology Google and other car makers are employing to develop driverless vehicles, and it enables the i3 to manoeuvre in or out of a car park without any assist from you.

The climate control settings can also be activated remotely via your smartphone so that the BMW i3 is at the excellent temperature when you hop in.

Functionality anxiety

Electric automobiles do not have the ideal reputation when it comes to driving satisfaction.

But the i3, it seems, is not your average electric auto. The rear-wheel drive BMW goes from mph to 60 mph in about 6.5 seconds.

And thanks to its low centre of gravity, it handles just as effectively on the open road as in the urban cycle.

Home on the variety

Buying an electric automobile comes with certain issues – mainly about how far it will get you after it is completely charged.

If you are worried about the i3 only carrying out 81 miles on a 3-hour charge, there is also the choice to add a booster engine that supplies a total variety of 150 miles.

One particular point you do not have to be concerned about, even so, is car tax.

Zero emission automobiles such as the i3 are completely tax free, whilst their all round power efficiency implies the government will even support you to purchase a single.

Subsidies available at the moment, for example, bring the starting cost of an i3 down from about £30,000 to about £25,000.

Beaming smiles and higher beams at BMW