BMW has announced that the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car will start arriving in dealerships in June 2014, beginning with the main European markets and following the production start in April. Pre-orders for the BMW i8 have already opened since autumn 2013 in all major markets.
During final development of the car, engineers managed to further improve driving performance and fuel consumption, with the BMW i8 averaging just 2.1 liters/100 km (134.5 mpg UK, 112 mpg US) with the use of the battery-powered electric motor.
BMW had previously communicated a combined fuel economy of 2.5 l/100 km (113 mpg UK, 94 mpg US). CO2 emissions are 49 g/km, while the related electricity consumption is rated at 11.9 kWh per 100 km. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) remains the same at 4.4 seconds.
BMW says the i8’s low fuel consumption is not only on paper, but in real life as well. For instance, in typical everyday commuting, with the battery fully charged at the beginning, the BMW i8 can return a fuel consumption below 5 l/100 km (56.5 mpg UK, 47 mpg US) around town.
If the commute includes extra-urban or motorway driving, the i8 can return less than 7 l/100 km (40.3 mpg UK, 30.6 mpg US), while in longer-distance operation at higher speeds, average fuel consumption can be under 8 l/100 km (35.3 mpg UK, 29.4 mpg US). BMW says that overall, the i8 is around 50 percent more fuel-efficient than conventionally powered sports cars.
Starting in autumn 2014, BMW will introduce the optional laser headlights, with the i8 to become the world’s first production car to offer this technology.
By Dan Mihalascu
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