THE RANGE OF BMW ELECTRIC CARS AND PLUG-IN HYBRIDS.

The respective range of an electric vehicle depends on various factors such as driving style, route conditions, vehicle equipment, weather conditions and payload.

High average speeds (highway) reduce the range most significantly, while inner-city traffic leads to a higher range due to lower speed and higher recuperation shares (in contrast to vehicles with internal combustion engines). Furthermore, the range is reduced at low temperatures due to heating, and high temperatures with strong air conditioning. Regarding the special features/equipment, the selection of larger tire combinations generally reduces the range (if the aerodynamic disadvantage is not compensated for by a more closed wheel design). The rolling resistance class of tires is also relevant for the range: e.g. the use of a winter tire reduces the range compared to a Label A summer tire.

In the model selection, the communicated range is based on the WLTP (Worldwide harmonized Light-Duty Test Procedure) cycle.

WLTP enables a calculation of the range under prescribed driving conditions. WLTP assumes a defensive driving style with a route mix of city streets, country roads and highways.

The range indicator enables you to estimate the range under your typical driving conditions. The outer circle represents the calculated range value based on linear distances (not the actual street map), while the inner circle shows the calculated value -30% to take the real-life routes into account. 

Setting a ""sporty"" driving style assumes 100% highway driving with an average speed of approximately 130 km/h and a dynamic overtaking style. The ""economical"" setting assumes defensive driving on country roads with an average speed of around 80 km/h. Settings in between produce a mixture of both."

One important external factor influencing the performance and capacity of a battery is the temperature. As you probably know from your mobile phone battery, the performance is restricted in cold and hot temperatures. In your vehicle, however, this temperature influence is largely minimised by means of optimised operating strategies. And did you know that the capacity also yields information on the range you may have? Apart from temperature, other influential factors are devices in use, such as the air conditioning, the load carried and your driving style.

In order to get the maximum out of your vehicle from the outset, it is advisable to precondition the battery and vehicle interior. As cooling and heating require electric energy, this process should be carried out while the vehicle is still charging. To do this, simply set the desired departure time and conditioning requirements using the My BMW App* or in the menu of the vehicle itself. When the time comes to depart, the battery will then have attained the ideal operating temperature and the climate of the interior will also be at an optimum.

As is the case for a vehicle with a conventional propulsion system, driving style also affects the range in an electric car. As a general rule, an anticipatory, relaxed and uniform style of driving optimises your range. If, for example, you reduce your speed on the motorway from 130 km/h to 110 km/h, you can noticeably increase your range. During recuperation, that means whenever you lift your foot from the accelerator pedal, kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy and fed into the battery – and as a result you gain further kilometres in range.

If your navigation destination is outside of the electric range, a charging option is automatically added to your route or alternatively you get suggestions for relevant charging stops.*

*The availability varies depending on the model and equipment.