BMW's Neue Klasse electric platform has delivered another long-distance demonstration, with the China-specific i3 50L sedan covering 1,213 kilometres (754 miles) on a single charge. The stretched electric saloon completed the endurance challenge with just 1 per cent of battery capacity remaining, according to figures released by the manufacturer.
The run also produced an exceptionally low average energy consumption of 8.8 kWh per 100 kilometres, equivalent to roughly 7.1 miles per kWh. The i3 50L uses a 113.4-kWh battery pack that is rated for an estimated 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) on China's CLTC test cycle, meaning the sedan exceeded its official figure by almost 20 per cent.
BMW said the test combined highway, national-road and urban driving rather than focusing on a single type of route. The company described the exercise as representing «real-world driving conditions for ultimate range validation», though it has not disclosed the average speed or the proportion of the journey spent on each road type.
The result follows an earlier endurance run by the long-wheelbase iX3 50L in China. That electric SUV covered 1,030.2 kilometres (640 miles) between BMW's production facility in Shenyang and its research and development centre in Beijing, arriving with 5 per cent battery capacity remaining. The i3 50L has now travelled approximately 183 kilometres (114 miles) further than the SUV.
BMW notes that the two results are not directly comparable without accounting for their different routes and testing conditions. The sedan's lower, more aerodynamic body should give it an inherent advantage over the taller SUV, which may help explain why it travelled farther on a single charge.
The achievement adds to the growing body of evidence that BMW's bespoke Neue Klasse electric architecture can break the 1,000-kilometre barrier under carefully planned conditions. The iX3 had already demonstrated that capability, and the sleeker i3 sedan has now raised the bar further.
Such manufacturer-backed endurance runs should not be mistaken for a guarantee that every owner will achieve the same numbers. Driving speed, weather, traffic, elevation changes and other variables all affect an electric vehicle's real-world range. China's CLTC certification cycle is also more lenient than Europe's WLTP procedure and, especially, the EPA's testing regime in the United States.
Most owners will never drive their electric cars until the battery is practically empty simply to see how far they can go. Nevertheless, the exercise offers a useful indication of how much farther a vehicle can travel on a single charge when efficiency takes priority over speed.