Speaking of bmw i3, many people will think of BMW launching a small electric car 8 years ago, but today the name has changed hands and become a standard pure electric intermediate sedan. This car is based on the BMW 3 Series long wheelbase version of the "oil to electricity" product, and currently only launched the eDrive 35L model, using a rear-mounted motor rear-wheel drive, priced at 349,900 yuan. The zero-hundred acceleration and endurance of this car are not much different from the Tesla Model 3, and many users will also choose between the two. Recently, we took a real photo of the 2022 eDrive 35L at the BMW i Shenzhen Happy Harbor store, and we introduced the characteristics of the new car to you while comparing the differences between the two cars.
New car features:
1. Based on the 3 series long-shaft version of "oil to electricity", it is currently the cheapest new energy model of the BMW brand
2. The appearance has been slightly modified, and the closed front face has been adopted, and the body has been optimized for aerodynamic modeling
4. Equipped with BMW's fifth-generation eDrive rear single motor, zero hundred acceleration of 6.2 seconds, CLTC endurance of 526km
5. The chassis adopts HRS hydraulic rebound shock absorber, and the rear axle is equipped with air springs, which is more adaptable
Although BMW has been doing electric vehicles for several years, the model of the real electric vehicle platform NK1 (Neue Klasse platform) is said to be launched until 2025, which is the third generation model in BMW's electric vehicle product lineup. In order to cope with the products needed by the current market, it is also a pragmatic move to improve on the existing platform, and the previous iX3 did a good job. The i3 was electrified on the 3 Series long-axis version (G28 chassis), so the dimensions and shapes were close. However, BMW has re-strengthened and adjusted the chassis to ensure that safety and handling can meet the corresponding requirements. In terms of color, there are 5 colors available in carbon black, Melbourne red, ore white, portimand blue and sky gray.
The main change in the front face is that BMW's iconic "double kidney" grille has been changed to a closed type, which can reduce wind resistance, increase the blue border, and there is an exclusive "i" logo on the right side to enhance the sense of belonging. The lower grille does not change much, and the active grille is used, which can control the opening degree as needed.
The shape of the headlamp has changed significantly, the "angel eye" has been retained, and the split near high beam lamp is equipped with an LED light source, but the daily running lamp has been changed to a two-way bending shape, which is much more recognizable than the fuel vehicle, and the bottom of the headlamp has become straight, looking simple and generous. The ventilation ducts on both sides of the lower grille have become small, but the area of the internal cooling trough is not small.
The side shape has not changed much, the main change is the addition of a gill air outlet at the front fender, which is naturally integrated with the bottom skirt line, which does not look at all contrary, and its role is to guide the internal airflow of the front wheel arch to the side of the body for discharge, but also to reduce the wind resistance. Retaining the classic short front suspension long rear overhang body structure, the front cabin length is sufficient, the body height is relatively low, and the overall posture is still relatively sporty.
The body size is 4872/1846/1481mm, the wheelbase is 2966mm, the size is slightly increased compared to the fuel long shaft version, and even the wheelbase has increased by 5mm, indicating that the magnitude of the chassis change is still relatively large. Compared to the Tesla Model 3, the wheelbase and length are much more, and it looks more like a big lap.
The black and white two-color spliced exterior mirrors are basically the same as the fuel version, with slender LED side lights, and no side camera is arranged, and the 360 ° panoramic image needs to cost 8600 yuan to install, which is not cheap. The exterior mirror supports electric adjustment, folding, memory, heating, automatic roll-down of reversing and automatic folding of locking car, and the functions are relatively complete.
The body of the same color door handle supports optional keyless entry of the whole car, Tesla Model 3 is standard.
The front and rear wheels are 18-inch rims, this semi-closed shape is to reduce wind resistance, aluminum alloy material has also been lightweight treatment, the shape is very designed. Due to rear-wheel drive, the tire widths of the front and rear wheels are not the same, with front and rear tire sizes of 225/50 R18 and 245/45 R18 respectively, with the wider rear wheels providing fuller grip. Because the electric vehicle has a large instantaneous torque, this car has added an ARB anti-slip stability control unit to improve the stability of starting on wet and slippery roads.
The rear change is mainly the bottom bumper, removing the exhaust pipe, adding a blue spoiler structure on both sides, combing the bottom airflow, which can also reduce the wind resistance. The 3D taillights are retained, with a floating visual effect, and the rest are blackened to look deeper.
The change of the carriage is more obvious, the center console basically has not changed, the use of 12.3 inches + 14.9 inches of integrated curved screen instead of the split digital interaction channel, the entire screen through the bracket arranged on the center console, the right screen tilted 6 ° to the driver's side, easy to observe. The central air outlet was changed from two sections to a monolithic type, and some physical buttons were also eliminated. The stall platform eliminates the towering head of the bar and appears much flatter.
The three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with M Sport suit has a small diameter, full grip and comfortable touch, but the rear paddle shifter is eliminated. Banner multi-function control using button + roller combination, very handy, the left side is used to control the driver assistance system, but only provides constant speed cruise and active braking, even L1 level is not reached, full speed adaptive cruise and lane keeping and other L2 level assistance functions need to be optional, the cost is 5900 yuan optional, which is far inferior to Tesla Model 3.
The left side of the screen is a 12.3-inch full LCD meter, the UI interface adopts BMW M style green, blue and red, which looks both stylish and sporty, and the right side can display the computer adjustment interface, and also supports the optional HUD head-up display. In contrast, the Tesla Model 3 is a non-instrument layout, and the BMW i3 is more thoughtful for traditional users.
The central air outlet became integrated, and the row of air conditioning shortcuts below the fuel version of the air outlet was canceled, but the front and rear defogging keys were retained below, because the air conditioner could be adjusted with screen or voice. The few buttons below have all been changed to flat touch keys, and only the volume keys stubbornly retain the knobs, after all, this operation is the most convenient.
The shape of the stop bar table has basically not changed, but the "small chicken leg" electronic stop lever is changed to a small size electronic gear lever, which is simpler to operate and makes the entire stop bar table become particularly flat and looks very comfortable. There are still more physical buttons arranged around, and the iDrive control knob is still retained, including ESP switch, parking radar, start button, driving mode, automatic parking, "P" parking stop, and electronic handbrake button. Underneath the front foldable lid is storage space with a double cup holder, 12V power supply, Type-C connector and phone compartment with optional wireless charging.
The central handrail box has a square opening, a certain depth, a relatively considerable volume, and a built-in Type-C interface, barely meeting the daily electricity demand.
The Sensatec 2.0 two-color interior composed of black + volcanic red, the center console and the top of the door panel are black soft plastic, and the red part of the door panel is imitation leather material, which is comfortable to the touch. And embedded multi-colored atmosphere light strip, which can make Model 3 owners envious. Friends who pursue high-quality music experience can also choose to install Harman Kardon audio with 17 speakers, the cost is 8,000 yuan (including mobile phone wireless charging).
The front seats are wrapped in imitation leather, and the two-color collocation is unified with the style of the carriage, and the leather surface is embellished with diamond-shaped patterns to make it look more advanced. The seat cushion adds a manually adjustable leg rest, which is more adaptable, the lateral support of the backrest is also sufficient, the headrest also supports the forward flip, the padding is soft and hard, the ergonomics are very mature, and the comfort is high. The main passenger seats all support front and rear, backrest, height (4-way) electric adjustment, the driver's seat with memory function, waist support and seat heating all need to be optional, which is not as real as the Model 3.
The rear seats are made of the same material as the front, but the cushions and backrests are filler than the front seats, and soft headrests are provided, which are comfortable to lean on, and the length of the seat cushions and the lateral support of the backrests are good, and the comfort is also high. In terms of space, Kandi is 175cm tall, with two fists and three fingers on his legs, and one fist and two fingers on the top of his head, which is enough to be needed, but the central platform is raised higher, which has a greater impact on the leg activities of intermediate passengers. In terms of configuration, a central armrest with double cup holder and storage plate, a floor air outlet, a dual Type-C interface, and a roof with a panoramic roof that can be opened are added.
The tail compartment space is comparable to that of the fuel vehicle, and the small volume is a common problem of the 3 Series for a long time, and it is also inherited here. The depth of the tail compartment is not short, but the width is narrow and the height is not enough, so the conventional is only 410L. The advantage of this car is that the tail compartment is not occupied by batteries or motors, and the disadvantage is that the rear seats do not support reclining and cannot expand the space. There is also a storage compartment at the rear end under the floor, which can hold equipment such as charging guns, and spare tires are not provided.
In terms of power, it is equipped with BMW's fifth-generation eDrive single excitation synchronous motor, rear-mounted rear drive. Unlike permanent magnet synchronous motors, their rotors are not permanent magnets, but are made up of coil windings. The advantages are large torque, high rotational speed, better control accuracy, no need to rely on permanent magnets, reducing dependence on rare earths, and controllable costs. The disadvantage is that it consumes more energy, has a carbon brush structure, and the risk is durability and noise from long-term use. The maximum power of the motor is 210kW (286Ps), the maximum torque is 400Nm, and the book data is much higher than the Tesla Model 3 single motor, but its zero hundred acceleration is 6.2 seconds, which is 0.1 seconds slower than the Tesla Model 3, which is because its body weight is 2029kg, which is 268kg more than the Model 3 single motor. As can be seen from the above figure, only a few mechanical parts such as motor controllers and air conditioning compressors are placed in the front cabin, which are relatively empty, and the transverse aluminum alloy plate is added to enhance the lateral rigidity of the front frame part.
In terms of batteries, using a 70kWh ternary lithium battery, CLTC has a comprehensive endurance of 526km. In contrast, the Tesla Model 3 rear drive uses a 60kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, and the CLTC has a range of 556km. Because the weight of the i3 is larger, the motor energy consumption is also higher, and the official energy consumption is 14.3kWh/100km, which is actually higher.
The chassis features a front double ball spring damping strut + multi-link independent suspension combination, the same as the fuel version. However, the i3 uses HRS hydraulic rebound shock absorbers, and the rear axle is also equipped with air springs, which can adaptively adjust the softness and height of the suspension, and add the rear anti-roll bar. These are targeted improvements based on the increase in weight, ensuring that the chassis still has good comfort, which is better than the Tesla Model 3.
Kandi Comments:
Although we are not in favor of the behavior of "oil to electricity", we have to admit that BMW's products are really done very carefully. It does not simply install three electrics on the fuel frame, but will readjust the chassis and body rigidity according to the change of weight, ensuring that safety and handling are the level that BMW should have. Of course, in contrast, everyone feels that the i3 and Tesla Model 3 are not much different in endurance and acceleration, but the configuration is far from the same, and the price is much higher, which obviously will not shake the sales of the latter. However, considering that it may have a price concession, the chassis adaptation is higher, the riding comfort is better, I believe there will be some loyal BMW fans will choose it.