This BMW i3 Just Did 754 Miles On One Charge, But You Can't Have It

BMW's i3, the electric 3-Series, went on sale in the U.S. and Europe this fall, bringing with it the brand's Neue Klasse architecture, some of the quickest charging speeds in the industry, and the promise of more than 400 miles on a single charge. It sounds like a great EV package, until you learn that there's another i3 that pushes even further. Sadly, this version is completely off limits to Western BMW fans.

We're talking about the i3 50L, a unique version of the 3 Series EV built specifically for the Chinese market. BMW claims the 50L recently covered an incredible 754 miles (1,213 km) while competing in a long-distance endurance challenge, Car News China reports. The sedan arrived at its destination with 1% charge remaining, and presumably with its drivers breaking the 100 m world record on their way to the bathroom.

China's CLTC range figures look optimistic next to American EPA numbers and even make Europe's generous WLTP calculations look vaguely realistic. So, when the i3 debuted in China with promises of more than 621 miles (1,000 km) for the rear-wheel drive i3 Long Wheelbase, we were naturally skeptical. But the results of this road trip experiment suggest the sedan is capable of smashing the claimed range on real roads, though it's worth noting that it was a BMW test. BMW says the i3's efficiency average 8.8 kWh per 100 miles, which equates to 7.06 miles per kWh, or 238 MPGe in EPA parlance. Whichever way you cut it, it's a frugal EV.

Western i3s aren't available with China's 113.4 kWh battery, so it won't go as far on a charge. And that's not the only difference. The i3 50L has different door handles to satisfy China's new safety regulations, and it also comes in a single-motor, rear-drive configuration — Western versions are currently available only in dual-motor, xDrive form and this model will eventually be offered in China, too.

Europe's entry-level i3 is the 40 xDrive, which has a 369 horsepower (374 PS / 274 kw) dual-motor powertrain and 82.8 kWh battery. It can charge at up to 300 kW and is rated at 441 miles (710 km) of WLTP range. The more expensive i3 50 xDrive increases output to 463 hp (469 PS /345 kW) and drops the 0-60 mph sprint time from 5.4- to 4.7 seconds. It also has larger 108.7 kWh battery with a claimed WLTP range of 567 miles (912 km), and it can charge at 400 kW.

So why doesn't BMW offer the even larger Chinese battery to European and American customers? BMW doesn't say, but one plausible reason is that the i3L is 4.3 inches (108 mm) longer than the Western version to appeal to Chinese customers' love of rear seat space. There simply might not be enough room under the floor of the shorter i3 to stash the 113.4 kWh battery.