The BMW i3 50L electric sedan, developed specifically for the Chinese market, completed a test drive covering 1213 km on a single charge. At the end of the journey, the vehicle retained 1% of its battery capacity. The model is equipped with a 113.4 kWh battery and demonstrates an average energy consumption of 5.5 kWh per 100 km under the CLTC cycle.
The Chinese version of the i3 50L features a body extended by 108 mm compared to global models and utilizes a single rear-mounted electric motor. In contrast, European variants like the i3 40 xDrive use dual motors with 369 hp and an 82.8 kWh battery, offering a range of 710 km WLTP. The more powerful i3 50 xDrive delivers 463 hp and a 108.7 kWh battery, achieving up to 912 km WLTP.
BMW has not disclosed why the 113.4 kWh battery is currently exclusive to the Chinese market. It is suggested that the vehicle's extended wheelbase provides additional space for the larger battery pack under the floor. Integrating this capacity into the shorter global sedan chassis might require significant structural modifications to the vehicle's layout.
