Best SME Green Company Car – BMW i3

ON top of the Best SME Directors Company Car award, BMW has also walked away with the Best SME Green Company Car award, for its game-changing i3 compact electric car.

Despite keen opposition from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid and the all-electric Tesla Model-S, the i3 was the top pick from all of our judges.

So why is this such a convincing victory for the new baby electric BMW car then? Well, what BMW has done is to basically re-invent the electric car and remove hassles associated with owning and driving one.

With full electric cars there’s always that worry in the back of your mind about running out of power and being stranded without anywhere to charge. Well worry not, as if you go for the Range Extender version of the i3, on top of the electric motor, BMW has slotted in a small two-cylinder petrol engine and 9-litre fuel tank, meaning going 186 miles between charges is possible.

The dynamic range display shows destinations that can be reached directly in the form of a spider diagram, for each of the three eDrive modes and depending on the destination chosen, the range assistant will recommend switching between ECO PRO or ECO PRO+ driving modes, to maximise the range.

SME drivers also benefit from the i range’s advanced technology, as standard equipment includes the driver performance control, a 5.5 inch digital instrument display, BMW emergency call, iDrive controller, BMW business navigation system and LED daytime driving lights.

The BMW i3 might be emission-free, but it’s still a BMW and 62mph acceleration takes just 7.2 seconds, plus the 50:50 weight distribution makes sure you’ll enjoy getting there.