The stunning BMW i3 has been landing awards since it rolled off the production line and it’s not surprising. Despite being an electrically-powered vehicle, it maintains all the driving dynamics associated with the Bavarian company.

The good

Economy, handling and style

The bad

The hefty £30k outlay for an electric car

Tech Specs

Price from

£39,980

Combined Fuel up to

200 miles on a single charge (range extender)

0-62 from

7.2 seconds

max speed up to

150mph

co2 from

0g/km

Test Drive

BMW i3 Rex

Look out – there’s a revolution taking place at BMW – an electric one!

For the German marque that has a highly respected reputation for designing premium cars that are packed with cutting edge technology and deliver breath-taking driving dynamics has diversified into the electric vehicle marketplace.

And the wait has been very worthwhile for the rear-wheel-drive i3 which is available as a Bev (battery electric vehicle) or Rex (range extender). One thing is for certain though, whichever model you look at is guaranteed to change the way you think about electric cars.

The myth that EVs look like milk floats, sound like sewing machines and have as much bite as a gum shield has definitely been laid to rest. In its place is a car that boasts stand-out design cues, is packed with techno treats and handles incredibly well along the way.

I tested the i3 Rex priced at £33,830. This asking price was increased by a further £5,765 with options added but did not include the Government subsidised grant of £5,000.

The i3 Rex utilises a 647cc two-cylinder motorcycle engine to offer extra flexibility and dispense with any range anxiety issues. Although this tiny engine never actually drives the vehicle it does act as an added power source for the 230kg floor-mounted battery pack.

According to official figures the i3 Bev can achieve up to 80 miles on a full charge, but the i3 Rex can deliver 180 miles thanks to assistance from that tiny nine-litre petrol tank.

Other figures show the car can achieve a staggering combined fuel economy of 470.8mpg with carbon emissions of just 13g/km.

The i3 certainly stands out from the crowd with its design ethos, but not in a bad way. BMW has introduced an air of sophisticated elegance and futuristic kudos to the EV segment.

For the Bavarian company has incorporated as much lightweight carbon fibre into the vehicle as possible to help maximise efficiency. Eye-catching features include a black gloss bonnet and tailgate, carbon roof, heat protecting windows with a green tint, rear LED lights that are integrated into the tailgate, LED daytime running lights, double sunroof, 20-inch alloys, halogen headlights and two filler flaps – one for petrol and the other for electrical charging.

And looks can be deceptive too as the i3 is actually a four-door vehicle with interlocking rear doors that open backwards. But be warned, they can only be opened or closed when the front doors are also open.

Once inside, it’s hard not to be wowed by the space, layout and use of renewable materials such as natural fibres.

Gone are the traditional instrument clusters and in their place are two dashboard-mounted colour display screens. One offers vital information about charge, range and fuel levels. The other is a 6.5-inch widescreen that shows details about the sat-nav, Bluetooth, air con, audio systems and other features, all of which are controlled by the user-friendly iDrive dial.

The driver benefits from a high seated position which means the all-round visibility is excellent with light flooding into the cabin through the massive windscreen and the sunroof.

There’s bags of space to stretch out inside the i3 and even back seat occupants have ample leg room. Storage levels are also impressive with a capacity of 260 litres that can be increased to 1,100 litres with the 50:50 split folding rear seats flat.

So the car looks fabulous and has plenty of top notch technology to be explored, but how does it cope out on the road?

The answer is remarkably well. There are only two gears – forward and reverse – and the emphasis is definitely on regenerative energy. For example, if you take your foot off the accelerator the car immediately begins to brake and if the deceleration is sharp enough, the brake lights are automatically engaged to warn following drivers.

Admittedly it does take a few miles to get used to, but I found that I was able to navigate a six-mile circuit complete with roundabouts and junctions without touching the brakes once.

There is also a choice of driving modes – Comfort, Eco Pro and Eco Pro Plus – which adjust the car’s features such as accelerator response and air con accordingly to maximise energy efficiency.

The i3 can reach 62mph from a standing start in 7.9 seconds, but the 0-39mph sprint time of 3.9 seconds is a true indication of how sprightly and quick off the mark the car really is. It tops out 93mph, but in all reality the i3 isn’t a car that will be gunning up and down motorways for much of its lifetime.

However make no mistake, it can certainly hold its own with faster moving traffic and you do feel incredibly safe and sound inside the car thanks to plenty of safety systems such as anti-lock brakes, dynamic stability control, hill-start assist, cornering brake control and lots more besides.

On the downside, the ride can be a little bouncy at times and when the range extender cuts in it can be a tad noisy.

But those negatives aside, the i3 is one giant leap forward in electrically-powered vehicle design and puts a fashionable slant on a car segment that has been looked upon with a certain amount of disfavour in the past.

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