2021 BMW i3

Rating applies to 2017-21 models

Tested vehicle: 2017 BMW i3 4-door

The BMW i3 was introduced in the 2014 model year. The car is a plug-in battery-electric vehicle with an optional 2-cylinder gasoline engine “range extender” to assist in charging the battery. The EPA city and highway values listed below are based on a comparison of the energy content of a kWh of electricity vs. a gallon of gasoline. The battery capacity and weight of the car were increased beginning with the 2017 model year.

Overall evaluation

G

Structure and safety cage

G

Driver injury measures

Head/neck

G

Chest

G

Hip/thigh

G

Lower leg/foot

G

Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

G

Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy’s position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver’s survival space was maintained very well.

The seat belt and airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury. Deceleration was so gradual in this test that the dummy’s head never quite reached the frontal airbag.

The driver’s space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy’s legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID
CEN1627

Lower occupant compartment

Lower hinge pillar max (cm)
7

Footrest (cm)
2

Left toepan (cm)
2

Brake pedal (cm)
3

Parking brake (cm)

Rocker panel lateral average (cm)
2

Upper occupant compartment

Steering column
0

Upper hinge pillar max (cm)
3

Upper dash (cm)
4

Lower instrument panel (cm)
3

Driver injury measures

Test ID
CEN1627

Head

HIC-15
47

Peak gs at hard contact
no contact

Neck

Tension (kN)
0.6

Extension bending moment (Nm)
9

Maximum Nij
0.15

Chest maximum compression (mm)
27

Femur (kN)

Left
1.0

Right
0.4

Knee displacement (mm)

Left
2

Right
1

Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)

Left
0

Right
0

Maximum tibia index

Left
0.77

Right
0.24

Tibia axial force (kN)

Left
3.6

Right
1.2

Foot acceleration (g)

Left
49

Right
100