Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

BMW’s i8 eco sports car does 0-62 in 4.4 seconds and achieves 134 mpg … Impressed yet?

Nick Jaynes
By

BMW has announced it will begin deliveries on its plug-in hybrid sports car, the i8, in June for some European customers.

Along with the delivery date, Bimmer has also released the final efficiency numbers for the Porsche 911 Carrera S-fighting eco sports car.

For a refresher, the carbon fiber bodied i8 is powered by a twin-turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine, producing 231 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, and an electric motor good for 131 hp and 184 lb-ft. Combined, the shoebox-sized powerplants are good for 326 hp and a 0 to 62 mph time of 4.4 seconds.

Rather than wax philosophic about the supercar the i8 could have been, let’s just jump into its low carbon motoring characteristics, shall we?

BMW estimates the i8 to achieve – on the European drive cycle – 56 mpg around town and 35 mpg “at higher speeds.” Combined with an electric range of 23 miles, the i8 is rated at 134.5 mpg.

Those aren’t the only impressive numbers the i8 puts out. It’ll do up to 75 mph in all-electric mode, accelerate from 50 to 75 mph in 2.6 seconds, and hit an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

You can tell BMW is working its press department overtime. Look at the errant German word left in this sentence, “the BMW i8 engineers hat a particular focus on low fuel consumption in real life.” Germanglish!

BMW also brags the i8 is the first production car to feature laser headlights, which will illuminate the road ahead up to 600 meters. This would be a really cool selling feature for the car, if they were legal on U.S. roadways.

Itching for an i8 now more than ever? Well, even if you have the $135,000 lying around, orders for the i8 have already exceeded the production cap. So you can’t have one.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Nick Jaynes
Nick Jaynes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…
Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations
The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more
Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Read more
Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs
Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.

Read more