BMW i3 completes 3,700-mile Pan-European trip with under 3 hours of charging

Who says long EV road trips mean hours at charging stations? BMW drove the new i3 for over 3 days, covering nearly 3,700 miles, and it took less than 3 hours of charging.

BMW i3 sets efficiency record during long EV road trip

BMW put the i3 to the ultimate test of efficiency, charging speed, and long-distance EV capability on a nearly 3,700-mile Pan-European journey.

The Paneurpeana, as it’s called, is considered the benchmark for range and charging speed. The route begins at the North Cape in Norway, the northernmost point of continental Europe you can reach by car, and ends in Tarifa, Spain, the southernmost point of mainland Europe.

BMW drove the new i3 50 xDrive for a total of 3,658 miles (5,886.7 km) across eight countries and spent just 2 hours, 45 minutes, and 54 seconds charging at an average of 275 kW.

The performance beat the previous record by more than seven hours, according to Mike Reichelt, head of BMW’s Neue Klasse

BMW said the charging points were not predetermined and that it had to account for external factors such as weather and traffic jams.

The new i3 was impressively efficient during the trip, consuming an average of just 12.5 kWh per 100 km, beating its official WLTP combined energy consumption of 18-13.4 kWh/100 km.

BMW said the trip took 3 days, 2 hours, and 41 minutes, with an average speed of 79.7 km/h, and that the i3 was charged exclusively at public charging points across national charging networks.

The vehicle was driven at all times by a single driver and was not modified in any way, in terms of hardware or software, from the standard i3 available for purchase.

BMW’s new i3 uses a 108.7 kWh battery and Gen6 eDrive system that provides a WLTP range of up to 566 miles (912 km).

With a drag coefficient of just 0.21, the new i3 is the most aerodynamically efficient BMW vehicle to date.

In the US, BMW said the new 2027 i3 50 xDrive will offer an EPA-estimated driving range of up to 468 miles.

With an 800V architecture, the electric sedan can add nearly 262 miles (423 km) of range (WLTP) in about 10 minutes at DC fast-charging speeds up to 400 kW. In the US, the i3 has a built-in NACS port.

Like the new iX3, the i3 features BMW’s Neue Klasse interior design. The setup consists of BMW’s massive 43″ Panoramic Vision display that spans the base of the windshield and a 17.9″ floating central infotainment display.

The new BMW i3 50 xDrive is on sale in Germany starting at €65,900 with a WLTP range of up to 566 miles (912 km).

In the US, the 2027 BMW i3 50 xDrive and 2027 iX3 50 xDrive are available to order, both starting at $61,500.