At the New York International Auto Show last week, the 2017 BMW i3 (the 94-Ah version) became the first-ever winner of the World Urban Car Award. For its inaugural year, the World Car Awards received seven initial entries for that title; last month, at the Geneva International Motor Show, three finalists were announced, including the BMW i3, the Citroën C3, and the Suzuki Ignis.
Obviously, BMW’s electric vehicle won.
“We are delighted and honored that the BMW i3 has been recognized as the World Urban Car,” said Ludwig Willisch, Head of BMW Group Region Americas. “This award highlights BMW Group’s commitment to sustainable mobility through BMW’s first all‐electric vehicle made primarily of carbon fiber. The design brief for the BMW i3 was to create a Mega City Vehicle for the cities of the future. Today, the new 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah) provides more range paired with a high‐level of dynamic performance, making it the perfect urban vehicle for people around the world.”
The BMW i3 launched in 2014 and also launched BMW to the forefront of electric mobility. With a totally different design, a “life module” created from carbon fiber, and innovative connectivity, the i3 represented a unique approach to personal urban transportation.
Mike Rutherford, the vice chairman of World Car, commented on the i3’s triumph, observing, “It’s an award whose time has come. Everyday cars in many—perhaps most—parts of the world will have to become smaller if road and parking space is to be found for them in increasingly packed towns and cities whose populations are swelling annually. This year’s winner in our inaugural World Urban Car category proves that these small vehicles don’t have to be cheap, undesirable, and unpleasant to drive. Quite the opposite. It is among the best value‐for‐money products on the market.”
The 2017 version of the i3 is a significant upgrade from the original. With a 94Ah battery, the new i3 has 50 percent more battery capacity and 40 percent more range—up to 114 miles on a single charge.
The World Car Awards recognized that alternative energy will play a larger and larger role in city traffic. BMW recognized that, too, when it built the i3, and now they agree on how good an urban vehicle the i3 is.—Scott Blazey
[Photo courtesy of BMW AG.]
