A purely electric car (BEV, Battery Electric Vehicle) drives exclusively with electricity. It therefore has no combustion engine to power the vehicle. The electricity is stored in a battery. Its capacity determines the range of the e-car, in other words the distance that can be covered with one battery charge.

Purely electric cars are ideal for users who can charge electric cars at work or at home. At the same time, the extension of the public charging infrastructure is being pursued intensively. New charging stations are therefore appearing all the time in urban areas and along motorways. This also includes a large number of high-power charging stations for ultra-fast charging while travelling, e.g. at our partner IONITY in Europe. In the future, long-distance journeys will become easier and easier as a result. In the future, long-distance journeys will become easier and easier as a result.

An electric car offers an entirely new, emotionally charged driving sensation. Thanks to the torque available from a stand-still, you experience fascinating electric dynamics and spontaneous acceleration. At the same time, the almost silent electric engine gives you a new and relaxed driving experience.

When actually driving, a BEV is also emission-free (the term also used is “locally”) and thus offers maximum protection for our environment.

Additional benefits of BEVs are the highest category of country-specific subsidies and tax incentives that they entail.

A significant external factor that influences the performance and capacity of a battery is the temperature. You may have noticed the same thing with your mobile phone battery. Very cold temperatures can limit battery performance in particular. It is similar with your electric vehicle. However, our optimised performance strategies minimise the effect that temperature can have.

And did you know that the capacity of the battery also provides information about your remaining range? In addition to temperature, the range is influenced by other factors that affect how fast energy is consumed, such as the use of air conditioning, the current load, and your driving style.

If you ever need to recharge while away from home, your BMW electric vehicle will be preconditioned for the DC charging point* at your destination, which means the high-voltage battery is brought to the optimum operating temperature by the time you get there. This increases the maximum power while charging and reduces the amount of time you need.

* Only relevant for BMW electric vehicles.

If you don’t plan to use your vehicle for a longer period of time, such as during a holiday, there are various ways to positively effect the lifespan of your battery. Whenever possible, maintain a charge of between 30 and 50 per cent and park your vehicle in a cool place or in the shade during summer months and keep it in a garage in the winter. In addition, the vehicle should not be left plugged in for charging when stationary for longer periods of time.

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

As is the case for a vehicle with a conventional combustion system, driving style also affects the range of an electric car. As a general rule, an anticipatory, relaxed and consistent driving style optimises your range. If, for example, you reduce your speed on the motorway, you can noticeably increase your range as a result. 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 you gain further kilometres in range.

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.