BMW i3 2022 electric car owner review

Tony Jones/Watt a Journey drives a BMW i3 42.2kWh 2022 electric car (standard spec).

This is Tony’s first electric car, he’s owned the BMW i3 less than a year and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 60,000-70,000 miles and he typically achieves 120 miles of range from an 80% charge.

Why did you choose the BMW i3?

The i3 represented excellent second-hand value for money. Having owned several ICE BMWs it was a natural choice with familiar switching etc. My research suggested it was a solid choice. It was bought as a daily runner mainly for city driving and shorter road trips.

Positives

The performance is great. It’s nippy without being ridiculously quick. It handles well and is perfect as a city car. It’s quirky and ticks a lot of boxes in terms of eco credentials. We bought the car as a daily driver to complement our other EV and it meets our needs perfectly. Oh, and with Octopus Intelligent Go and Hypervolt Home Pro 3 it’s soooo cheap to run!

Negatives

Charging speed isn’t great by modern standards. Only an issue on longer trips.

Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?

Yes, we mainly charge at home. Range is much better in the warmer months.

Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?

What are the standout technological features of the car?

Apple CarPlay, advanced Bluetooth prep and Park Assist are all great. It’s like a minivan with the back seats down making it super versatile.

Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about your BMW i3

There’s a really active, friendly and helpful online community of BMW i3 owners. Both nationwide (UK) and internationally. A real wealth of experience and knowledge is available to ease the transition from ICE to EV. The i3 has quite a following of loyal fans.

What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?

They burst into flames. Some of the less reliable media sources publish articles of cars in flames. The comment sections are universally rammed full with people falsely proclaiming them to be EVs when most often they are not.

What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?

I have a 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N on order which replaces a 2024 model that was written off.

Home charging unit

Hypervolt Home Pro 3

Electricity supplier & tariff

Intelligent Octopus Go – our Hypervolt charger integrates perfectly with the tariff. We get cheap rate electricity overnight with additional ‘slots’ granted automatically outside the core hours. The whole home benefits from the cheap rate electricity whenever they are scheduled. This means we can shift energy-hungry tasks to the cheaper rate and offset the increased energy used to charge the cars.

What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?

IONITY via BMW Charging is cheaper than a direct subscription (see earlier image!). Tesla with a subscription can be great too for longer trips. The monthly cost is usually covered with one or two charges.

Insurance

Tesco insurance – we changed from a BMW 320d to the i3 mid-term and had a small increase to pay. I’ll shop around for the best deal when it’s time to renew.

Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a BMW i3

The i3 is super cheap to run and charging at home is a no-brainer. Compared to running diesel cars in the past it feels like free transport. Road tax was free but it has increased to £195/year.