BMW i3 facelift by Vauxford - CC-BY-SA-4.0 The BMW i3 has a remarkable ability to pack a whole lot of technology and luxury into a small package. It was designed for zipping around the city streets with snappy acceleration and quick handling, though with its battery range of up to 135 miles on the latest model, don’t expect to drive much further than the city. If you love the i3 but that doesn’t sound like enough range, the Range Extender trim is available on each model year which uses a small gasoline generator to add power to the batteries, extending the range to up to 180 miles.