Published on 5 May 2015

The idea of owning an electric car once appealed to me. But that was in the days when people used to talk a little more about the environment.

When terms like carbon footprint and climate change briefly mattered and pictures of polar bears drifting on tiny ice packs featured prominently in The Daily Mail.

 Now, such issues have been side-lined as we instead debate the national deficit and banker's bonuses. The fact that the price of petrol has dropped about 14 pence per litre in a year has fuelled my disinterest too.

Without that environmental guilt to inspire me to a more sustainable lifestyle, I've slipped into believing the sort of eco-bashing opinions Jeremy Clarkson used to convey in the good old days, when there was enough meat on his plate. Primarily, that electric cars were powerful enough only to reach the end of the driveway, or perhaps the end of the road if you drove like a little old lady in a, well, Toyota Prius.

So it was nice when Vines BMW gave me an opportunity to make qualified insights by giving me the key (or plug) to the new i3.

Looks Like Kryten

Firstly, it looks like an electric car. It has that concept car look that manufacturers tend to normally avoid when it comes to production time.

But in this case, because it is electric, they didn't ditch those hexagonal edges that make the i3 look a little like Kryten from Red Dwarf. Whilst its appearance harbours few surprises, the acceleration and speed of the i3 does
raise an eyebrow.

Off the mark, the car has very impressive acceleration, particularly from 0-40mph. As well as immediate power, you lose that coasting speed of the internal combustion engine too so when you take your foot off the gas you'll lose speed at a far greater rate than normal.

With a 0-60 time of 7.9 seconds (we checked – it does!) and a top speed of 93mph you'll leave similarly sized cars for dust, and have a good time doing it, as driving the peaceful i3 has all the playful thrill of driving a high speed golf cart.

You get childlike enjoyment as the battery power gives an impression of enhanced speed. At 60mph, the i3 feels more you're moving at 80mph.

The car feels light and loose thanks to its weight-saving carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) construction and those narrow wheels. It might lack a little grip, but it's so well aerodynamically designed that it feels fun and responsive rather than nervy and wild.

Also worth noting is the distinct lack of sound. There's a gentle whirr, like the distant noise of an aeroplane flying at peak altitude.

This silence can have its advantages - especially if you despise scavenging town pigeons - but it can catch out pedestrians too, as I discovered whilst tip-toeing the i3 through Guildford city centre.

Enhanced Power

So it has the speed, but what about its endurance?

The general perception is that electric cars are not yet where they need to be and one day surely will be.
For instance, surely we'll look back and laugh about the fact that the 2015 Formula E race drivers needed to switch their entire car mid-race as they didn't have the battery power to complete a race distance!

However, progress is being made, and BMW has made a significant step forward with the i3. That lightweight structure – including the lightweight cabin fittings - is offset by the 230kg lithium ion battery from which the car draws nearly all of its power.

Having picked up the i3 from Guildford, I drove at a steady pace back to Horsham along the A281, and on to South Lodge Hotel for these photos. In that time, we went from 100% to 68% battery power.

It boasts an impressive real-world range of up to 100 miles, although of course if you want to put your foot down and use that acceleration from time to time, then perhaps an 80 mile average range is more accurate.

However, in an economical mode (in which your driving can even be graded) you can boost that distance considerably. Whilst this may sound a little boring, it can actually be a rather enthralling driving challenge, like a low speed version of Lewis Hamilton needing to make his 'option' tyres last another five laps.

Whilst the battery gives a limited range, BMW also offers the i3 Range Extender, which I would thoroughly recommend - although it bumps up the price by several thousand pounds.

On this model, as well as the battery power, you have a small petrol tank too. This means that when your power is down below 5%, the i3 will switch to its fuel power. In theory, you can run the Range Extender i3 on petrol alone, without ever recharging. But the tank is very small, and this would rather be missing the point!

With the two power sources combined, you should comfortably be able to travel 150 miles before finding power - of one source or another. This option is worth the extra money, as recharging, in all honesty, can still be a monumental hassle...

Charging Points

I noted that, according to the on-board computer screen, around Guildford there were several charging points, but in Horsham there are not many at all.

The district council has provided two 3kw charging units in North Street, and there are four 7kw points 100 yards down the road at Horsham Station.

That aside, you have to go to Storrington library or the admittedly excellent power units at Pease Pottage services to charge up, unless you're fortunate enough to be a guest at South Lodge Hotel. The i3 does come with a home charging kit, but it can take at least ten hours to charge up, three times as long as a 7kw charging point.

Whilst the i3 was far more than I thought it would be, it is still this inconvenience that might stop me buying one.
But if my routine was different – if I made fewer journeys, or could leave the car for several hours whilst at work, I really would plug in and have fun, as finally the electrical revolution is coming!