BMW i3 Owner Still Uses Original Brakes After Covering 277,000 Kilometers

Since launching the i3 in 2013, BMW has sold more than 165,000 units of its first mass-produced EV around the world.

With the early cars now entering their seventh year of ownership, it goes without saying that many of them have covered significant mileages. There are actually many owners who have completed more than 200,000 kilometers (124,274 miles) in their BMW i3s.

BMW is obviously proud of that and has released some interesting tidbits of information regarding the i3 ownership experience. For example, one German owner still uses the original set of brake pads and discs despite the fact that his BMW i3 has covered over 277,000 kilometers (172,120 miles).

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Helmut Neumann poses next to his 277,000-km BMW i3

Thanks to the strong deceleration enabled by means of recuperation, Helmut Neumann has still not had to replace the brake pads and discs on his BMW i3 one single time. Obviously, he didn’t have to visit the repair shop for oil changes or defective exhaust systems either.

“Apart from the immense driving pleasure, the BMW i3 is simply an extremely economical car. This applies both to power consumption and maintenance costs alike,” says Helmut Neumann, who has been driving his i3 since 2014.

Over its entire lifespan, his BMW i3 has an average power consumption of 13 kWh per 100 kilometers (62 miles). At an electricity rate of 30 Euro cents ($0.34) per kilowatt-hour, Neumann’s energy costs are just €3.90 ($4.36) per 100 kilometers.

Portuguese owner João Goncalves drives his BMW i3s up to 250 kilometers (155 miles) a day

His car does not feature the original battery pack, though. Neumann participated in the retrofit program and substituted the 60 Ah battery of his BMW i3 with a gross energy content of 22 kWh, for a 94 Ah high-voltage battery unit with a higher energy content of 33 kWh.

Mind you, BMW says not one i3 high-voltage battery has had to be replaced due to premature aging to date. Recently, the automaker switched to an 8-year/160,000-kilometer (99,419-mile) warranty for the battery pack.

Want more good news? Hidden in the press release about BMW i3 owners is the official confirmation that the i3 will remain in production until 2024. The automaker says it “will continue to further develop this vehicle and currently plans to extend production until at least 2024.”