Geekazine

Geekazine


First Look with Seth Leitman on the BMW i8

July 20, 2016

The BMW i8 is a remarkable sports car. The car is a plug-in hybrid that debuted in 2013 at the NAIAS in Detroit. I was there with Green Living Guy Seth Leithman looking over the car. We geeked out over the design and charge-ability. The prototype only had a fuel efficiency of less than 2.5 L/100 km. But it’s real feature was the aluminum frame with carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Since then, the BMW i8 has gone through some great upgrades. The 2015 i8 holds a 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery for 76 mpg and up to 330 miles total. Of course, you can get there pretty fast, as the i8 goes from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds. The striking exterior is an added feature to it’s EfficientDynamic ventilation technology. The BMW i8 will reduce coefficient of drag to improve overall aerodynamics. At the end of the day, simply plug it in...