Can BMW’s i3 Compete with Tesla? What Auto Technician Students Should Know

The battle for the best electric car is on and BMWs new ‘i’ series electric cars are poised to make a huge impact on the electric car market—but are they good enough to compete with Tesla? Currently, the BMW i3 is literally the most fuel efficient car on the planet, but the immensely powerful and widely popular Model S is difficult to compete with, and Tesla has a direct i3 contender—the Tesla Model 3—in the pipelines, set for release in 2017. Tesla’s Model 3 is exactly the same as the new BMW i3 in one respect—they are both true electric vehicles (EV), relying solely on an electric engine—but that’s where the comparison ends.

Does the BMW i3 stand a chance in a competition with Tesla’s Model 3? Continue reading to find out what auto technician students should know about the emerging electric car market.

Speed Specs and Starting Prices: Some Basics for Auto Mechanic Technician Students

Although quite small and compact, the BMW i3 is rather quick off the line. It’s powered by a 170 hp electric engine which produces a lot of power for such a small car and brings its 0-100 km/h time down to an impressive seven seconds. The specs for Tesla’s Model 3 aren’t official yet, but there have been fairly consistent speculative numbers appearing online. The Tesla Model 3 will be seemingly more powerful than the BMW i3, accelerating from 0-100 km/h in less than 6 seconds, shaving an entire second off the i3’s time. Also, there is speculation of an upgraded Tesla Model 3 version available that is capable of doing 0-100km/h in 3.1 seconds. It seems that when both cars begin to compete, the Model 3 will have the upper hand in both speed and lower pricing, with the i3 costing an estimated $55,500 CAD and the Model 3’s price tag only being $45,000 CAD.

Auto Service Technicians; EV Vehicle Supremacy Is An Endurance Race

A big setback for EVs is their limited travel distances due to batteries eventually losing their power. Students entering an auto service program may know that electric cars actually existed before gasoline powered cars, but eventually submitted to the Ford Motor Company’s new gasoline powered car—in large part due to its superior driving distance. Tesla automobiles generally have some of the largest driving ranges out of any electric car, and the Model 3 is no exception. It’s expected to move for close to 350 kilometers on a single charge. The BMW i3’s driving range is less than half this, taking passengers only 160 kilometers maximum.

The Future of EVs for Auto Service Technicians

Due to better overall specs and a better possibility of higher sales, it seems those with automotive service technician training might see a lot more Tesla Model 3s than BMW i3s. Tesla founder Elon Musk is investing billions of dollars into the production of the Model 3, so let’s hope it’s a great success and we get to experience new Tesla automobiles for decades to come.

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