AUTONEWS

BMW i3 covers nearly 6,000 km with less than three hours of charging

Just four or five years ago, this feat would have seemed like science fiction. An electric sedan from the *Neue Klasse* generation achieved an average energy consumption of only 12.5 kWh/100 km on a journey from the North Cape in Norway to Tarifa in Spain, setting a new record in the process.

The new i3 50 xDrive departed from the North Cape and reached Tarifa, covering 5,886.7 kilometers across eight countries. Even more impressive is the fact that, throughout the entire journey, the vehicle spent only 2 hours, 45 minutes, and 54 seconds at charging stations.

The objective was to complete a pre-determined route while minimizing the total time spent charging. Participants were required to pass through specific checkpoints and utilize public charging infrastructure along the way.

BMW claims that its electric sedan surpassed the previous record—set in 2017—by more than seven hours. This represents a significant advancement in less than a decade, especially considering how much Europe’s charging infrastructure has developed during that time.

Efficiency was another notable outcome of this trip. The i3 50 xDrive achieved an average consumption of just 12.5 kWh/100 km—a figure significantly better than its official WLTP rating, which ranges between 13.4 and 18 kWh/100 km. The route encompassed highways, regional roads, and urban driving, making this result even more compelling than a laboratory test. BMW completed the journey across eight countries with an average speed of 79.7 km/h. The actual time spent driving totaled 3 days, 2 hours, and 41 minutes.

The record-setting vehicle relied exclusively on publicly accessible charging stations, which are part of national networks along the route. The i3 50 xDrive model supports DC fast charging at up to 400 kW, thanks to its 800-volt electrical architecture.

While that maximum figure is impressive, perhaps even more significant is the fact that the car maintained an average charging power of 275 kW throughout the challenge. Sustaining such a high charging rate across multiple stops is no small feat, especially when utilizing public infrastructure.

This explains how BMW managed to cover nearly 5,900 kilometers while spending less than three hours at charging stations.