The world is a fast-changing place, especially when it comes to cars and the way we use them, or don’t. Our youth aren’t begging

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their parents for driving lessons and then pestering us for the car keys like teens used to, and fewer are getting their drivers licenses as they graduate to young adulthood than in generations past. Instead our younger citizens are using intermodal transportation 72-percent of the time. Those that have earned the license to drive aren’t necessarily purchasing a vehicle either. Car sharing memberships have now surpassed the 250,000 mark in Canada after doubling over the last two years. Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are amongst the world’s top 10 car share cities, albeit BMW’s own electric-powered DriveNow program has yet to fully expand within North America, only offering services in San Francisco and Seattle.

BMW in the car share business? It’s all about the German automaker’s focus on maintaining

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overall environmental leadership within the automotive industry, the company rated most sustainable for the last 10 years running according to Dow Jones. But it’s an expensive position to hold, especially if hybrids and electric cars are part of the initiative. As much as most pundits and consumers get excited about new electrified models, and many are praised for their drivability, general livability and innovative technologies, not to mention their much reduced environmental impact and lower running costs, nowhere near enough consumers are stepping up to the plate and taking a swing with their wallets. BMW has experienced such with its impressive lineup of hybrids, including its ActiveHybrid 3, ActiveHybrid 5 and ActiveHybrid 7. Hybrid initiator Toyota has learned that a standalone model like its Prius can do much better than

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hybridized versions of currently available models, a tact others have taken such as Nissan with its all-electric Leaf.

No doubt BMW took this information into consideration when developing its new i program, one that incidentally was initiated before Apple’s popular iPhone and iPad came to market. i stood for innovation, and the new i3 and i8 models are as innovative as electrified cars come, as is BMW’s approach to building them.

It all starts out before the materials even arrive at assembly, BMW doing its best to source components in-house for the sake of quality and to make sure their production

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minimized environmental impact. The i3’s supercar-like carbon-fibre reinforced composite body panels and tub are manufactured at the automaker’s own 100-percent renewable hydroelectric-powered CFRP facility in Moses Lake, Washington. Other sustainable materials include KENAF cotton fibres used for the grey mohair-look albeit smooth surfacing found on the dash and door panels, whereas 25 percent of the weight of the plastic used for other surfaces comes from recycled material or renewable resources. Everything gets put together in BMW’s wind-powered Leipzig, Germany plant, resulting in a lithium-ion powered electric wonder that just might qualify for greenest vehicle ever.

That’s a big assumption, but it’s not without factoring in the car’s many other attributes.

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Take that carbon-fibre, for instance. It allows a 300-kilogram (661-lb) advantage over a Nissan Leaf, the i3 weighing in at 1,195 kilos (2,634 lbs) and the similarly outfitted Leaf SV at 1,495 kg (3,295 lbs). Granted, the Leaf is a bit larger, but the similarly accommodating i3 delivers a 10- to 15-percent improvement in fuel economy while it’s shockingly quicker off the line, hitting 100 km/h in a mere 7.2 seconds compared to 11.2 seconds by the comparatively laggard Leaf. How does the Chevy Volt/Cadillac ELR factor in? Its 10.0-second sprint to 100 km/h is better than the Nissan yet nowhere near as adrenaline inducing as the little BMW. And when I use the term adrenaline inducing just after claiming a 7.2-second charge to 100, don’t smirk and roll your eyes as you question the seat of the pants experience. BMW’s quite proud to admit the little electrified tyke will outpace its 425 horsepower M3 up to 20 km/h, and around town

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that’s about where you’ll want to cut off power or you’ll end up catching the attention of the local constabulary.

That’s one of the primary ways the i3 won me over. No, I didn’t have a run-in with the police, but certainly could’ve easily let better judgment fall victim to a momentary lapse of reason. It’s one thing to deliver zero emissions, or near zero with the optional range extender engine, and simultaneously reduce your gas budget to near zero as well, but quite another to do so while providing such exhilarating performance. The i3 isn’t a powerhouse by BMW standards, its 125 kW electric motor and 18.8 kWh L-ion battery combination resulting in just 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of instantaneous torque, but when dropped into such a lightweight

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chassis it becomes an electrified hot hatch. BMW kept the i3’s battery as far down into the chassis as possible to allow for a low centre of gravity, while its mid-engine design helps it achieve 50:50 weight distribution, a quick steering ratio provides for wonderful responsiveness, and its rear-drive layout delivers a tight turning radius, the resultant handling easily up to the storied brand’s extremely high standards. It reacts to steering input as if by a sixth sense, changing lanes with immediate razor-sharp precision yet never feels uncomfortable, gliding through inner city traffic and breezing down the highway with effortless ease. It’ll even cruise at 150 km/h (93 mph), or so I’m told, my highway stint kept to more moderate speeds being that the Autobahn was a very long way away.

Unlike

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BMW’s conventionally powered lineup of cars and crossovers, the i3 doesn’t feature a Sport mode option on the driver selectable toggle switch located next to the iDrive dial on the lower console, but rather Comfort or Eco Pro modes. Choosing the former results in 130 to 160 kilometers of range, but going with Eco Pro allows up to 20 percent more capability. That’s where I left it for about half of my test, and while the i3 is somewhat less enthusiastic as it goes about its business when left in its most economical setting, it certainly kept up with traffic and then some.

It’s during such times when you’ll notice the positive stares aimed your way, the i3 garnering a great deal of attention as there aren’t many yet on the road. While some brows are furled with obvious confusion in their twitching eyes, others offer big smiles and thumbs up, approving of what they see and supportive of the game-changing technology they’re witnessing. It’s a fine looking little runabout. BMW

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calls the design language “Stream Flow”, and while it’s certainly upright and blocky, necessary for its full load of passengers and cargo, it’s nevertheless very aerodynamic, while including some really interesting and attractive styling elements.

And yes, that upright and blocky design makes the i3 very roomy inside. You sit at a near compact crossover ride height, which will please most urban drivers as it allows good visibility all-round, while those in behind get a slight increase in seat cushion height for a better view through the windshield. Access to the second row comes via a set of clamshell doors, those in the rear hinged at the back “suicide” style. From a practical perspective it’s not the most advantageous as you need to open the front door in order to let rear passengers in or out, similar to some pickup

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truck side door designs, but it works well enough. The stiff body structure eliminates the need for centre B-pillars, the result being easier access and a cool concept car look.

That airy experience continues when the doors are shut, the i3’s lack of the usual centre stack that normally divides driver and front passenger making for an odd but welcome level of front leg roominess. Its ergonomically ideal too, the seating position just about perfect and all controls more than easily within reach. Earlier when I said the i3’s performance was one of the primary ways it won me over, I must say the car’s most alluring attribute for me is its interior design. I’m a sucker for the simple elegant lines of Bauhaus modernism and mid-century Danish furniture, which made me fall head over heals for the i3’s beautifully sculpted layered dash, my tester’s

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featuring open-pore eucalyptus wood, full-grain leather and the KENAF cotton fibre surface treatment I commented on before.

On top of this impressive background are two high-resolution digital displays, the first for primary instruments and the second for infotainment, while the pièce de résistance is the wonderfully complex gear selector, an all-in-one design that includes a start/stop proximity-sensing ignition button to the left of a backlit D, P, N, R display set within an elegant blue lighted surround and satin-finished aluminum casing. A separate Park button sits on top, while the shift lever can best be described as an upside down and backward apostrophe.

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While providing an artistic element to the controls, it was also easy to figure out and use.

I was initially wowed by the i3’s cabin during a previous test in which I was loaned a mid-grade Lodge model, but this time around BMW gave me the i3 in top-line Suite trim. While I loved the beautifully detailed Dalbergia brown leather upholstery (which like the Lodge model’s hides is naturally tanned via an olive leaf-based tanning agent, although BMW couldn’t verify if the leather was sourced from organically fed free-range cows – tongue firmly in cheek), would choose this trim’s 19-inch Turbine wheels over the 19s my previous tester employed, and certainly can’t argue against the additional $1,000 for these extras, I prefer the look and lighter hue of the

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Carum Spice Grey leather and wool Pikea cloth upholstery in the Lodge.

Both models come impressively equipped with most of base Loft’s equipment, including automatic climate control, automatic LED headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, a multifunction leather-wrapped steering wheel, auxiliary cabin heating (an innovative heat pumping system that uses the energy of ambient air to warm the interior with 50-percent greater efficiency), heated front seats, BMW Assist emergency calling, BMW’s Remote Services bundle, the AC fast charging system and more.

All

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of the expected active and passive safety gear gets added to the i3 as well, resulting in the highest possible rating of five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, matching the protection of the best conventionally powered vehicles in its segment.

If you opt for Lodge trim you’ll lose the 100-percent recycled polyester fabric upholstery for the leather and wool combo I mentioned a moment ago, plus you’ll also say goodbye to BMW’s more basic Navigation Services Business in exchange for Navigation Services Professional. Lodge adds $3,600 to the base Loft’s $44,950 window sticker, both also needing $2,095 for freight and pre-delivery prep, while also adding proximity-sensing Comfort Access, satellite radio, auto-dimming interior and side mirrors, a universal remote garage door opener, an

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alarm system, and the Park Assistant Package that includes front and rear sonar, a rear camera, the capability of detecting suitable parallel parking spaces, and parking assistance.

If more is your thing, an available $2,500 Technology Package adds a 12-speaker 360-watt seven-channel Harmon/Kardon audio upgrade; BMW’s camera-based Driving Assistant Plus package featuring adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, speed limit info, route-ahead assistance, and person recognition/approach control warning; BMW Online, the base system for ConnectedDrive Services that includes an internet portal with email, weather, news, and address information; Internet with unlimited data usage, allowing you to

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access the web directly from your i3 anywhere in Canada or the US with no roaming or data charges; Advanced Real Time Traffic Information services; Concierge Services with live assistants to help you plan your trip; and Convenience Telephony with Smartphone Connectivity.

Additionally, a sportier set of 20-inch Double Spoke rims is available across the line for $1,300, while a standalone fast charging DC system may also be something to add, although your ability to actually use it will come down to a network of compatible fast charging DC stations being set up, which hasn’t happened anywhere in Canada yet. It’s only $750 and will eventually allow for an 80-percent charge in less than 30 minutes, so you may want to have it there for the future, but the stock system should be ample for most peoples’ needs.

Granted,

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an electric requires a bit of a lifestyle change if you don’t plan out your day to work within the vehicle’s capable range and your driving style. If you run short on power you can get recharged up to 80 percent in a couple of hours via any number of free charging stations dotted throughout most of Canada’s major metropolitan areas. There are two only a block away from my downtown Vancouver apartment, and too many to count throughout the rest of the city and in the burbs as well. A full charge will take most of the night via a regular household socket or can be done as quickly as with any charging station if you opt for BMW’s own 240-volt Level 2 AC BMW i Charging Station, which even includes a tray for holding your coffee (you’ll need your hands when removing and stowing the plug).

If

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you regularly drive farther than the i3’s electric range allows you can opt for the i3’s $4,000 two-cylinder range extender engine, which is a gasoline-powered generator that virtually doubles overall range up to 250 km, while only sipping away at fuel. To verify this point, I was chatting to an i3 owner at the charging station down the street who told me he had only used a total of $18 in fuel (and that’s at Vancouver’s highest in North America pump prices) during the three months he’d owned the vehicle – you’ve got to like that.

Fuel economy in mind, EVs aren’t rated by the usual L/100km system we’re used to, but rather the i3’s kWh/100km usage equals 12.9. The US EPA gives it a 124 eMPG (miles per gallon gasoline equivalent) rating, which equals 1.9 L/100km, making it the most fuel-efficient EPA-certified vehicle ever tested regardless of fuel type, while the i3

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with the range extender is the most efficient EPA-certified current year vehicle with a gasoline engine.

So why isn’t everyone running down to their local BMW store and buying an i3? As already noted, it’s not inexpensive as far as subcompact models go, even considering its fabulously lush interior. Then again, compared to anything else on the road with a carbon fibre tub and CFRP exterior panels it’s a steal (we’re talking top-level supercars here) even at my almost fully loaded i3 Suite test model’s $56,800 price tag.

There are other reasons consumers are hesitant to go with a plug-in electric, however,

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range anxiety being one of the most common. The good news is BMW has taken steps to alleviate our collective emotional reliance on the gas station. The i3’s iDrive system not only lets you scroll through the car’s various functions from audio and HVAC to phone and overall system settings, but additionally includes a range perimeter system to help you plan your charging points, not to mention warn you before passing the halfway point of your drive. It’ll visually guide you to the closest charging station too, plus various other functions to make sure your i3 experience is as worry free as possible. If worse comes to worst and you find your power depleted, BMW roadside assistance (which now includes 10 years of standard service) will respond with a recharge at no extra charge.

How about its practical use? I don’t think you’ll have any trouble carrying your family,

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friends and cargo. As mentioned its two rows of seats are plenty comfortable and accommodating, while the rear hatch opens up to 334 litres (11.8 cubic feet) of luggage space complete with rubber straps, tie-down hooks and thick mesh elastics on the sidewalls to hold stuff in place. The rear seatbacks are split 50/50 for carrying longer items and they’re super easy to lower. All you have to do is click a button on each side headrest, which flips it backwards, and then tug on a little mesh loop before they lay completely flat, a process that’s easily executed from the rear and results in a voluminous 1,045 litres (36.9 cubic feet) of maximum stowage space. Smaller items can be hidden within a little bin under the front hood where BMW otherwise stows the car’s EV plug and cord, more precisely called an occasional use cable.

BMW

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warranties the i3’s battery for eight years, by the way, and claims it will last an average of 15. If it ever falls below a 70-percent state of health they’ll replace it – don’t you wish Apple had as good a warranty on its batteries?

In case you were wondering how BMW managed to bring such an amazingly good electric car to market seemingly out of nowhere, understand that they’ve been in the EV game for a lot longer than most realize. Over 40 years ago they pioneered the technology with a compact 1602 model, while the Mini E underwent a 600-vehicle global field test in 2009 that allowed BMW to accumulate more than 16 million kilometers of data. Two years later the 1 Series ActiveE brought in another 5 million km of information,

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which all preceded the fabulous little i3 compact before us today.

So will I go electric with my next car? It’s a question many are asking themselves these days. I admit the thought of never having to pay for fuel is more than just tempting, but it took my first stint in an i3 to get me excited about going green. You’ve really got to experience it for yourself to know what I mean. The i3’s exotic supercar-like construction, totally eco-friendly materials and build processes, funky concept car styling, breathtakingly beautiful interior, and brilliantly fun performance have won me over, and my province’s reinstated $5,000 rebate certainly sweetens the pot. You can lop even more off the top if you live in Ontario or

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Quebec, but don’t wait forever as these programs were put in place to benefit early adopters, just like the free charging stations (that I should mention oftentimes also include free parking).

I’m not alone in my i3 enthusiasm, by the way. The diminutive Bimmer won the 2015 Green Car of the Year Award and numerous other accolades around the globe, as well as constant praise from most auto scribes.

As far as I’m concerned, the i3 is not only the best electric vehicle I’ve ever driven, but also one of the best cars I’ve ever experienced. Of course it’s hardly the fastest, best handling or most opulently equipped, but it totally impresses in all of these categories while delivering at much higher than average levels in so many other ways. The i3 is an electric car you can get passionate about, which makes it one of the most important EVs yet.
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