One look at the electric i3 makes it clear that is heading into the organic, macrobiotic wilderness. From the front, with its kidney-shape nostrils and black wraparound mask, the car resembles nothing so much as Procyon lotor, the North American raccoon. This hatchback’s quirky, design-forward shape, stubby proportions and save-the-world powertrain put it a world apart from any previous BMW, even the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car with which it shares much of its structural DNA. The i3 is available only in a few eco-conscious regions of the country: major cities of California; Austin, Tex. ; and the New York City area. Using all this power is a guilty pleasure, as it reduces range with each lunge from a stoplight and each additional digit on the speedometer. I recorded a low range of about 70 miles in uninhibited freeway blasting and a high of nearly 120 miles using Eco Pro Plus mode in stop-and-go urban crawling. The satellite navigation system monitors the expected range; if you run out of juice in an i3 with navigation, you can’t say you haven’t been warned. BMW calls the suspension of the i3 stiff. They’re not kidding, especially if the car has the optional 20-inch tires. The combination of a high seating position, rigid structure, stiff suspension rates and thin 20-inch tires gave it a disconcerting side-to-side rocking motion over uneven pavement. My head felt like a metronome. I ride dirt bikes in the Mojave Desert, sail a 14-foot sailboat in the open Pacific and enjoy in-flight turbulence. Even so, I found the rocking motion uncomfortable, to the point of giving me a vague headache on anything but perfectly smooth roads. I took a short drive in another i3 with the standard 19-inch tires. The ride was much improved, the rocking motion far less objectionable. Though even with the standard tires, the i3 is on the stiff side for routine in-town errands. Also, a short-hop E. V. should be optimized for picking up human offspring and dropping them off with minimum fuss. But the i3’s rear-hinged rear doors leave the back-seat passengers trapped unless the corresponding front door is opened. The base Mega World i3 retails for $42,300. The well-optioned Giga World test car was $48,675, less a $7,500 federal E. V. tax credit and any state incentives. There’s more than one way to skin a raccoon, and BMW has made the i3 a showpiece of haute design and aerospace technology at the expense of some day-in, day-out convenience and creature comforts. The similarly priced Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive accomplishes roughly equal performance with a heavier, more conventional steel structure and makes up the difference with a larger battery pack obtained from Tesla. If you want to attract I’m-saving-the-polar-bears attention — and the occasional confused, amorous Procyon lotor — the i3 could be your brave new transport pod. But if you just want to drive yourself and your family in convenience and comfort, with minimal use of planet-chok

• published: 19 Oct 2014
• views: 0