The BMW i3

The Ultimate
Driving Machine

BMW i3.
QUICK START GUIDE.
GETTING STARTED. 1

Charging Cables. 1
Removing The Charging Cable. 1
Integrated Owner’s Handbook. 1
Adjusting Your Seat. 2
Vehicle Preconditioning. 2
Start-Up Procedure. 2
Noise Levels. 2

DRIVING THE i3. 3

Torque And Power Delivery. 3

Checking Vehicle Range. 3
Eco Pro Or Eco Pro+ Mode. 3
Brake Energy Regeneration. 3

TURNING THE i3 OFF. 4

After Stopping. 4

CHARGING THE i3. 4

LOCATING A CHARGE POINT. 5

OPTIONAL RANGE EXTENDER. 6

Identifying Optional Range Extender. 6

FUELLING A RANGE EXTENDER WITH PETROL. 6

DRIVING A RANGE EXTENDER i3. 7

Activating the Range Extender. 7

MAXIMISING YOUR RANGE. 7

TIPS FOR EXTENDING THE RANGE. 8

CONTACT DETAILS. 8
GETTING STARTED.
CHARGING CABLES.

The i3 is available with two charging cables; one optional

32 amp AC Fast Charge cable (colour blue) that can be used
at public charging points, and a 10 amp domestic use cable
(colour black) that can be plugged straight into a normal
13 amp household socket.
We advise you to take care when plugging the cable into
a household socket and ensure it is only plugged into a safe
and secure environment. Extension leads must not be used.

REMOVING THE CHARGING CABLE.

If the charging cable is attached when you arrive at the i3 prior
to departing it will need to be unplugged. If the charge point is
lit green the i3 has completed charging.
During the charge process the i3 will lock the charge cable to
secure it. To remove the cable, unlock the vehicle which will
release the lock on the cable for a short amount of time.
Hold the charge cable by the end connecting into the i3
securely and pull it towards yourself to remove it.
Replace the i3’s charge port cover and close the flap by
depressing it to lock.
If applicable remove the other end of the cable from the charge
point by following the guide provided at the charge point.
The cable should be correctly wound, without bending or
kinking and be placed in the boot. Alternatively if fitted, place
the cable in the bag located in the front compartment (bonnet)
of the i3.

INTEGRATED OWNER’S HANDBOOK.

The i3 has an integrated Owner’s Handbook which can be
accessed via the iDrive Controller found in the centre console.
To access this press the MENU button (found next to the
iDrive Controller), turn the iDrive Controller to select ‘Vehicle
Information’ and then select ‘Owner’s Handbook’.

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 ADJUSTING YOUR SEAT.
The seat position can be adjusted using the lever
under to move it back and forth.

You can also adjust the steering wheel position

using the lever on the steering column, and the
wing mirrors by using the switch on the door.

VEHICLE PRECONDITIONING.
It is possible to precondition the vehicle at all times, although it
is recommended to do this whilst connected to a charge point
to avoid it affecting the range. This process will require setting
a timer and temperature to automatically turn on the climate
settings to heat or cool the cabin prior to entering the i3.
The battery can also be preconditioned whilst the vehicle is
on charge (i.e. a wallbox or public charging point) in order to
ensure that it is of the optimum temperature before you set off.
Using the iDrive Controller select ‘Settings’ followed by
‘Departure Time’ followed by ‘Preconditioning at Departure
Time’ followed by ‘Departure 1’.

START-UP PROCEDURE.
Depress brake pedal and press the Start/Stop button
together to start the electric motor.
The illumination around Start button will turn blue and the
vehicle will show as ‘Ready’ in the display.
Move the gear selector to ‘D’ for forward or ‘R’ for reverse.
Handbrake is automatically released when depressing
accelerator, do not touch ‘P’ other than when parking the car.
Only change from ‘D’ to ‘N’ or ‘R’ when stationary.
Do not do this while the vehicle is in motion at any time.

NOISE LEVELS.
Remember when departing the i3 will emit dramatically less
noise than a combustion engine car, so please ensure you are
aware of all your surroundings.

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DRIVING THE i3.
TORQUE AND POWER DELIVERY.
Due to the nature of an electric motor 100% peak
performance is available instantly meaning the i3 is capable
of smooth and fast acceleration.

CHECKING VEHICLE RANGE.

Ensure that the vehicle range is checked prior to setting off
and that this is sufficient for the planned route.
If necessary engage ECO PRO or ECO PRO+ mode to reduce
consumption and extend the range.
With ECO PRO+ the maximum speed is limited to 56mph, with
the ability to override this through hard acceleration if required.

ECO PRO OR ECO PRO+ MODE.

In these modes the vehicle is optimised for moderate
acceleration while also adapting comfort functions, such
as air conditioning.
Some vehicle functions cannot be operated with
ECO PRO and ECO PRO+ drive mode activated,
for example seat heating.

BRAKE ENERGY REGENERATION.

The i3 features brake energy regeneration that recoups the
kinetic energy when decelerating to recharge the batteries.
This results in the vehicle decelerating when lifting off
the accelerator.
The brake lights are automatically activated.

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TURNING THE i3 OFF.
AFTER STOPPING.
Apply the brake pedal and once stationary select ‘N’ from the
gear selector column. Press the ‘P’ button located on the top
of the gear selector to engage the parking brake.
Apply the handbrake (switch behind the iDrive Controller).
Press the Start/Stop button to turn off the i3.
The ‘Ready’ display is no longer illuminated and an audible
signal is given by the vehicle.

CHARGING THE i3.

For charging the i3 in public locations the BMW AC Fast Charge cable (colour blue) will be needed.
The car will charge in approximately 4-5 hours (from empty) with this cable. In some locations the charge
point may feature a tethered cable to use instead.
The standard black charging cable (with the three pin plug) located in the vehicle can be used if required.
The car will charge in approximately 10-12 hours (from empty) with this cable.
All BMW i3’s are fitted with DC Rapid charge preparation as standard, which will allow the i3 to charge from
a combined charging system (CCS) charge point to 80% in up-to 40 minutes (from empty). Available public
charging points can be found on the navigation system under points of interest. Please be aware that all DC
Rapid charge stations have their own tethered charging cable and therefore an additional cable is not required.

Every charge point is different and so individual instructions

on the charging station will need to be followed.
The i3 will need to be prepared for charging as follows:
1. Have the relevant charge card and cable ready to go – the
image opposite shows the BMW AC Fast Charge cable.
2. Open charge flap on driver’s side rear quarter of the
car (opens by pressing in on left-hand side of the flap),
remove the charge port cover and connect the cable.
3. Once connected to the charging station the display
on the dashboard shows current charge level and the
expected time of charging completion.
Ensure that the vehicle display shows ‘Charge Immediately’
in the iDrive settings when exiting the vehicle. Alternatively a
departure time can be set if the vehicle is not required to be
charged immediately. Select this from the ‘Charging’ menu in
the iDrive settings.
The charge status is shown using the indicator light
inside the car’s charge flap:
White: Charge cable can be connected.
Yellow: Charging is initialised.
Blue: Charging is active.
Red: Error with charging.
Green: Charging completed.

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LOCATING A CHARGE POINT.
The BMW i Navigation with BMW ConnectedDrive fitted as standard, allows the BMW i3 to display
the nearest charging stations and their availability* in real time, including them in the navigation route
if required. Therefore the navigation can be used to easily find one of the fast-expanding network of
charging stations to top up the battery, including DC Rapid Chargers which enable the i3 to be charged
to 80% in up-to 40 minutes.
*ChargeNow Partner charging stations only.

LOCATING A CHARGING STATION.

To locate a charging station go to the BMW Navigation
system, push the iDrive controller left and scroll down to
select “Points of interest”. In the next menu scroll down
and select “Vehicle Charging Station” with the plug logo.
The car will then search for nearby charging stations and
present the results as a list and show the location of the
selected charge point on the map in the split-screen.

The icon for the charging station shows on the map

as a plug. If the icon has a white star in the top left corner
this charging station is part of the BMW i ChargeNow
network. It is preferable to use a partner charging station
like this to make use of the BMW i ChargeNow charging
card, available separately. Other charging stations can
still be used but further charges may apply and pre-
registration is often required.

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For further information on any charging station click on the relevant location from the list and turn
the iDrive controller to scroll through the information available. If a plus symbol is shown in the top
right of the icon this means there are multiple charging stations at the location.

The icon for charging stations may also feature a colour

square in the bottom right hand corner. The square is colour
coded and has the following meaning:
Green: Charging station is unoccupied.
Yellow: Charging station is partly occupied.
Red: Charging station is occupied.
Even with the most up-to-date online data, information on
the occupation of the charging stations may have changed.
You can also visit www.chargenow.com to learn more about
the BMW i ChargeNow network, locate a charging station
and also view their live availability.

OPTIONAL RANGE EXTENDER.

IDENTIFYING OPTIONAL RANGE EXTENDER.
The Range extender is a small, smooth-running combustion
engine that runs on unleaded petrol. This acts as a generator,
which maintains the charge of the high-voltage battery so
that the vehicle can continue to drive electrically.
You can identify if you have the optional range extender
on your car by the fuel flap located on the front driver’s side
of the car. In addition to this the display shows both the fuel
level and the state of charge.

FUELLING A RANGE EXTENDER WITH PETROL.

In order to open the fuel flap to fuel a Range Extender
you need to briefly press and hold the fuel pump button,
located by the driver’s door.
The fuel cap is located on the front driver’s side of the car.
The Range Extender runs on unleaded petrol only.

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DRIVING A RANGE EXTENDER i3.
ACTIVATING THE RANGE EXTENDER.
This section applies to the BMW i3 with Range Extender (as opposed to a fully electric i3).
It is not possible to activate the Range Extender until the state of charge is below 75%.
You may wish to save the electric charge for later in the journey; to do this the range extender can be
started manually using the iDrive. Press the MENU button, using the iDrive Controller select ‘Settings’
followed by ‘Range Extender’ followed by selecting ‘Hold State of Charge’.

An example of when you may want to activate the

Range Extender is whilst driving on main roads preceding
a city destination so the electric charge can be used in
built-up areas.
When entering a destination on the navigation system it will
provide a warning if the electric only range is insufficient to
reach the destination. At this time make use of the Range
Extender early in the journey. This can then be deactivated
when the electric range is sufficient to reach the destination.

MAXIMISING YOUR RANGE.

The range displayed in the i3 takes into account numerous
different factors.
These include ambient temperature, use of functions
within the car e.g. heater/air conditioning and also recent
driving style. Under normal driving conditions the i3 can
achieve a real world range of up to 125 miles; the i3 with
Range Extender can achieve a real world driving range
of up to 194 miles with one tank of fuel*.
A smooth driving style and using brake energy regeneration
is the best method of ensuring the maximum possible range.
When entering the cabin, if you notice the range is lower than
you would expect, the most common cause is from recent
enthusiastic driving or cold temperature.
When placing the i3 on charge, set your the departure time
in the iDrive. This will allow the i3 to charge itself at the time
closest to when the vehicle is going to be next driven.
The charging process warms the battery and this can help
achieve a greater overall range.
The i3 can also be pre-conditioned to the optimum operating
temperature prior to departure using the BMW i Remote App.

*Range determined from internal BMW study under normal conditions and is
dependent on individual driving style, climatic conditions and route characteristics

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TIPS FOR EXTENDING THE RANGE.
- Use ECO PRO mode or when travelling at lower
speeds the ECO PRO+ setting as this will reduce
functions which are not currently in use.
- Use the ECO PRO route setting for calculating
navigation routes.
- Use brake energy regeneration whenever possible and
try to anticipate changes in speed to improve efficiency.
-U
 se the departure time to delay charging so the
batteries are being charged shortly prior to departure
to start warming the batteries (assumes the charging
cable is connected).
- Use the preconditioning function to warm the cabin
while the vehicle is on charge.

CONTACT DETAILS.
BMW i Customer Information Team.
Opening Hours
8am – 10pm on Mon – Fri 08000 640 360
9am – 10pm on Sat
9am – 5pm on Sunday

For Breakdowns please call the BMW i Mobile

0800 777 144
Care available 24hrs

www.chargenow.com
For information on public charge point locations
or shown on the car’s navigation system

For general BMW i information www.bmw.co.uk/bmwi

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The BMW i3

The Ultimate
Driving Machine Part No. 95.38.0.003.182.
Printed August 2016.