The New Electric BMW i3 Will Reportedly be Made Available With a Range Extender

Feb. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- BMW has recently announced that their sporty little electric car, the BMW i3, will be made available with a range-extending two-cylinder motorcycle engine when it is finally released in December of this year. This is terrific new for the staff at Motor Werks BMW (http://www.motorwerksbmwbarrington.com/dealership/about.htm) in Barrington, Illinois, who see the range extender for this next-generation electric vehicle as a big plus when it comes to appealing to U.S. drivers.

The all-electric model of the i3 will be powered by an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack, and is reported to provide a range in the area of 60 to 100 miles. The range extender, which is expected to pair the electric system with a two-cylinder motorcycle engine, is believed to boost the range to around 250 miles. The motorcycle engine will not power the vehicle, but will be employed exclusively to recharge the battery pack.

Including a range extender with the i3 seems to make a lot of sense. At this point, while many drivers have expressed interest in owning an electric vehicle, there are still lingering concerns about the limited range of all-electric motoring. By offering this innovative solution for extending that range, BMW looks poised to score big when the 2014 BMW i3 rolls out onto showroom floors across the country this December.

As the acceleration of the production of electric and hybrid vehicles continues to light up the auto industry, a wide variety of innovations have been developed to enhance their range, which historically has been the one of the major drawbacks to owning an electric car.

With the exciting advancements in hybrid technologies, including regenerative braking, more efficient batteries, and the ever more intelligent interplay between electric motors and gasoline engines, it’s clear that the move towards cleaner and more efficient vehicles is where the future of the automobile will be.

To learn more about the 2014 BMW i3, visit the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Motor Werks BMW. They are located at 1475 South Barrington Road in Barrington, IL. For hours and directions (http://www.motorwerksbmwbarrington.com/dealership/directi...), visit their website.