A big topic of conversation when it comes to electric cars is the range, of which the benchmark at the moment seems to be 600 km. BMW has come out to say that electrified products don’t need to travel any longer than this before needing to be recharged.
According to Which Car, BMW i4 project leader David Ferrufino says that “One thousand km of range is not a target we have with our fully-electric cars,
“We are aiming for 600 km [of driving range] for our fully-electric cars, and 100 km with our plug-in hybrids in everyday driving,
“We not only have the advancements in battery technology, we also have the public charging network – which is growing rapidly. Going cross-country in Europe from Norway to Italy is already a joyful experience when you do it in an electric car,
“The maximum range of the car is dependent on the segment of the vehicle where it is being offered,
“For example, we don’t think a range of 600 km will be suitable for a BMW i3 as an urban car, but when it comes to the BMW iX or i4, we think that around 600 km is a very customer-friendly solution,
“So you have two things: you have the battery making more and more progress, but also charging speed and infrastructure making big steps forward.”
For long distance travels, access to infrastructure is a key element as direct current fast chargers can replenish 80 per cent of range in around 30 minutes. With this, journeys over 600 km can be completed with short breaks in-between.
Automotive manufacturers in China are pushing for the 1 000 km range mark on their EVs due to the vast distances travelled by its local consumers.