New BMW i3 electric car to arrive next year with a facelift and longer range

According to a German weekly BMW is planning to launch a facelifted version of its current i3 electric car in the coming year. The news was first reported by Reuters and comes from Welt am Sonntag with the weekly citing company sources.  [caption id=“attachment_349999” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  2017 BMW i3[/caption] The new facelifted BMW i3 will feature a new front and back design and will also pack in a longer range as per the current generation. As per the Reuters report, the new i3 will feature a new battery which will let the car increase its range taking it past the 300km mark.  The news is a bit odd, considering that BMW has already updated its i3 offering in some markets. So this could be a last ditch effort for the vehicle as sales have been lower than expected . BMW will need to add a few more products under ‘i’ brand to compete with offerings from Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Mercedes at the recent Paris Motor Show  showcased its all-new brand for its electric range called ‘EQ’. It also showcased a concept sport utility coupe called the Generation EQ which it claims gives a range of 310 miles.