BMW continues to update its electric fleet to not only offer the latest and greatest tech available, but also longer range. BMW’s first electric vehicle – the i3 – has already received a battery pack update, but it’s bound to get another one in late 2018.
As we’ve reported before – and confirmed by new sources today – a new i3 with a 120Ah battery capacity will be out next year which could increase the pure electric driving range by at least 60 percent. The longer range of the i3 120Ah will further free some of them from the well-known phenomenon called ‘range anxiety’.
The tech-refreshed i3 features a 94 Ah battery pack which has increased the operating range measured, under the official NEDC test cycle, by more than 50 percent, from 190 kilometers (118 miles) to more than 300 kilometers (186 miles), while real-world driving range is increased to a maximum 200 kilometers (124 miles) on a single battery charge, even in adverse weather conditions with corresponding air conditioning or heating requirements.
Just yesterday, BMW announced that it will be investing €200 million (~$237 million) into the development of a new battery cell technology competence center over the next 4 years. The plan is reportedly for the new battery cell research and development center to open in or by early 2019.
