Top Electric Cars

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9. BMW i3

The BMW i3 is BMWs entry in the EV game. With a 170 horsepower electric motor, the BMW i3 has a range of 81 miles per charge. The optional range extender increases this to 150 miles by adding a 34 horsepower gas engine generator to the vehicle, which removes any anxiety about trips that go beyond the estimated range. The regenerative braking is so well developed, that you can almost drive the vehicle without using the brake pedal, as long as you are attentive to traffic. When you lift off the accelerator, the i3 initiates the regenerative braking scheme that converts kinetic energy into electricity to extend the range. This isn’t much different from other EVs, except that the BMW decelerates so quickly and consistently at all speeds that the regenerative braking can slow the car all the way to a stop. As usual, BMW is doing its best to innovate with each new model it creates.