Author: Song Shuanghui

As we enter the era of electric cars, we say goodbye to more and more classics, bidding farewell to engines and manual transmissions. Even in the not-too-distant future of self-driving cars, we will also bid farewell to the steering wheel and pedals.

Technological advances have made our travel more convenient, but it seems to have made driving more and more boring. Nowadays, pure electric vehicles often talk about acceleration and endurance, but few brands mention handling and driving pleasure.

Thankfully, in the era of electric cars, BMW has not abandoned its pursuit of driving pleasure. This is also one of the biggest surprises that the new BMW i3 brings to Bimmer fans.

Electric and driving pleasure are not contradictory

If in the era of fuel-powered cars, a BMW 3 Series is an inevitable object, then in the era of electric cars, a brand-new BMW i3, which inherits the innovative spirit of the BMW i brand and the sports essence of the BMW 3 Series, is an electric car that we cannot ignore.

The new BMW i3 is equipped with the fifth-generation BMW eDrive electric drive system and a synchronous magnet motor, ensuring that the vehicle can display strong performance at both low and high speeds. On paper, the new BMW i3 has a maximum power of 210 kilowatts, a maximum torque of 400 Nm, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.2 seconds, demonstrating its sports performance.

Of course, the actual driving experience is more important than these numbers. Unlike many electric cars that have a stiff acceleration and can make people feel dizzy, the acceleration of the new BMW i3 is linear and uniform, and its output is more like a high-horsepower, naturally aspirated car. The power is constant, and even at high speeds, there is no electromechanical attenuation.

When in Drive mode, the new BMW i3 performs more like a fuel-powered car. However, switching to the B mode allows us to experience the energy recovery function that is unique to electric vehicles, for most of the time we can control the speed with only one pedal, adding a different driving pleasure.

When it comes to handling, the solid chassis technology of the all-new BMW i3 cannot be ignored. After being specially tuned, the all-new BMW i3 adopts the HRS hydraulic shock absorption technology, and for the first time, the rear axle is equipped with adaptive air suspension, which can self-adjust the center of gravity and posture during driving. Anti-roll bars have been added to both the front and rear axles, and the front suspension has a top pull rod, which improves the rigidity of the car.

In addition to the superior chassis configuration of the same level, the tuning of the chassis has further widened the gap between the all-new BMW i3 and its rivals. The chassis is compact and resilient, with minimal delay in steering response and stable body posture when turning quickly. Coupled with the structural advantages of pure electric vehicles, the all-new BMW i3 has a lower center of gravity and wider front and rear wheelbase. Along with the DSC dynamic stability system including the ARB anti-slip stability control unit, the whole vehicle has superior traction and grip.

Finally, the BMW designer’s tireless efforts in aerodynamics have further improved the pure electric cruising range and performance of the all-new BMW i3. The grille at the lower part of the front bumper provides active air intake control, reducing the drag coefficient by 0.03Cd. The new “shark gill” flow guide, 19-inch aerodynamic wheels, and flat chassis design effectively optimize the air circulation, reduce the vehicle’s underbody wind resistance, and improve its dynamic performance.

Digital Technology, Enhanced Charm

If the excellent driving performance is the soul of the all-new BMW i3, the latest digital technology is the icing on the cake. The one-piece suspended curved surface screen composed of a 14.9-inch touch screen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel is built-in with the all-new BMW iDrive operating system 8.0, which still has a smooth operation and a more flat interface design.

In addition to supporting conventional voice interaction, smartphone app control, and other functions, this operating system also supports rich localization functions such as QQ music, Ximalaya, Tencent Small Scene, WeChat, and Tmall Elf, indicating that BMW has made a great effort to meet the localization needs of Chinese users.

Furthermore, the all-new BMW i3 is equipped with the Pro automatic driving assistance system and the Plus automatic parking assistance system. Although BMW does not like to tout automatic driving like some brands, the intelligence of this system is definitely not inferior to brands like Tesla, and it runs more smoothly and can handle braking, merging and other problems more smoothly as well.# Building the Greenest Electric Vehicle

As a pure electric vehicle, the all-new BMW i3 inherits innate green genes, which permeate the vehicle’s entire lifecycle from design development and supply chain to production, use and recycling.

For instance, the all-new BMW i3 is equipped with a magnetoelectric synchronous motor that does not use any rare earth materials, significantly reducing reliance on rare metal resources. The new vehicle also uses a large number of parts made of non-polluting materials. At the Shenyang production base, 100% renewable energy is used throughout the production process of the all-new BMW i3, with constant optimization of water resources utilization efficiency and recycling capacity.

Moreover, BMW is collaborating with a wide range of Chinese partners to promote emissions reduction and carbon reduction in the supply chain and production fields and to cultivate a circular economy. The all-new BMW i3 perfectly embodies BMW’s idea of “building green vehicles in green factories.” It is the company’s implementation of sustainable concepts in unseen areas that demonstrates their role as a socially responsible corporate citizen and vividly illustrates the true meaning of a luxury brand’s sustainable development capabilities.

AutoLab’s Observation:

In the all-new BMW i3, we see the perfect blend of classic continuation and innovative change in BMW’s brand of the electric era. There is no excessive packing of useless features and no dull driving experience as with most electric vehicles we know. Even in the electric age, the all-new BMW i3 is still a luxurious car full of driving pleasure and high quality.

As BMW’s first pure electric mid-sized sports sedan, the debut of the all-new BMW i3 further expands and enriches the BMW Group’s array of electric vehicle products. This year, including the all-new BMW i3, BMW has presented five pure electric products in the Chinese market. Next year, BMW will launch a new round of electric attacks, with 11 pure electric products planned for the Chinese market, including domestically produced BMW iX1, Rolls-Royce, Motorrad and MINI brands.# The electric future has arrived, and BMW is clearly ready.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.