Ti Drives: BMW i3 50 xDrive M Sport

When I got in, it claimed to have a range of 427 miles, and a battery with a 96 per cent charge. Home was 162 miles away, therefore I should arrive with 265 miles remaining.

But I knew something it did not, namely that all but the first two and last ten of those miles were on dual carriageways or motorways. It was a chilly, range sapping, morning and we all know what sustained high speed does to projected range. Not to mention the fact that EVs just lie about these things, don’t they? So there was no way the i3 would make the theoretical figure.

And I was right. I drove home at the same fast but not too fast speed that has kept my licence spotless this last decade or more and by the time I arrived I indeed did not have 265 miles of range remaining. I had 290.

Even taking it at its word, here is an electric car which in notably sub-optimal conditions looks likely to cover 450 miles on a charge, so call it 400 miles before you start to get twitchy and looking for somewhere to juice up. That’s London to Manchester. And back. If you don’t need a break after that, your bladder’s stronger than mine.