I drove the fully upgraded “tera world” trim model, which includes the aforementioned eucalyptus wood grain dashboard, heated leather seats, and other fancy doodads that I didn’t really notice. Much like the i3 exterior, the interior design is unique. A minimalist design helps the driver focus on driving instead of the media / navigation screen, and makes the cabin seem bigger by not overcrowding the interior space with buttons, dials, and levers.
The i3 is keen to let you know if you’re driving efficiently, conserving battery power and maximizing the potential 81 mile range. It does this, in part, by giving drivers access to a wealth of data. The i3 center console displays graph reports to show you how economically you are driving. If you’re only getting a 40 mile range, for example, the vehicle will show you where you’re going wrong – perhaps accelerating too fast, or using the brake pedal instead of letting the regenerative braking decelerate the vehicle. All of this data can be overwhelming, and it’s tough to resist the urge to explore the plethora of menu options when driving, but I found that it helped adapt my driving style to maximize fuel efficiency.
Is the i3 right for me?
Overall, the i3 is an excellent choice for urban dwellers. The folding rear seats give the i3 adequate cargo space and the vehicle range and driving performance make it easy to zip in and out of daily traffic. It’s therefore no surprise that the i3 recently joined a London-based car sharing service. However, the i3 was not built to meet everyone’s driving needs, and lacks the space needed to haul lots of gear or passengers on a daily basis. The stylizing can also be pretty polarizing and the range extender has gotten mixed reviews. So I deducted a couple points off the Bunsen burner scale, but the i3 meets an important niche in today’s urban EV marketplace – where many early EV adopters can be found – and will remain an option for any driver looking to save money on fuel, reduce emissions, and look super suave for decades to come.
This article was originally published on the UCS blog, The Equation, as part of a series of electric vehicle test drive reviews