BMW i3 60Ah range under different conditions and battery health levels.
About these figures
- The official range for this car is an NEDC figure, not WLTP: it predates the WLTP test. NEDC flattered EVs considerably, so we derive the realistic range at 70% of it rather than the 85% we use for WLTP cars.
- DC rapid charging was a factory option on this car, so a fair share of used 60Ah i3s cannot rapid charge at all.
Why real range is below the official figure
NEDC tests run in mild lab conditions at gentle speeds, so nearly every EV undershoots the sticker in real driving, and the older NEDC test flattered them harder still. For the BMW i3 60Ah, a fair planning figure is about 83 miles, roughly 70% of the official 118. That works out at about 4.4 miles per kWh from the 18.8kWh usable battery.
- Motorway runs at 70mph cost the most: air resistance rises sharply with speed
- Winter takes 20 to 25% off: expect around 65 miles on a cold day with the heating on
- Gentle town driving can beat the realistic figure, sometimes even the WLTP one
How battery health changes the picture
Range fades slowly as the battery ages. At 90% battery health the realistic range drops to about 74 miles, which most owners barely notice day to day. At 70% health, the typical warranty threshold, it falls to about 58 miles.
If you are buying a used BMW i3 60Ah, that spread is the reason to get the battery's actual state of health measured rather than guessing from the odometer. A specialist reads it directly from the car in under an hour.
Related on The EV Pros
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