SMMT hosts fortnightly displays of products from its 600+ members and began its 2014 exhibition run with one of the year’s most hotly anticipated cars. The BMW i3 and i3 Range Extender went on display this week, showing off the brand’s all-new models, designed from the ground up to be powered by an electric drive system.
The new car builds on testing and evaluation work carried out around the world with the BMW Active E programme and the UK-built MINI E. The i3 has a typical range of over 80 miles and can hit 62mph in just 7.2 seconds thanks to the motor’s 170hp output and innovative use of lightweight materials.
Benefitting from government’s Plug-In Car Grant, the pure electric version of the i3 costs £25,680. The range extender version is priced at £28,830 and boasts a 180 mile range thanks to its 34hp engine that powers a generator, which maintains the battery charge.
The electric vehicle market in the UK has more than tripled in the past two years as the number of models on sale rocketed from just six in 2011, to 17 today.
Click through for more information on the number of pure electric and plug-in vehicles registered in 2013.
