Reviewer Maxed Out BMW X3 30e Plug-In Hybrid’s Pure Electric Range

Basically, he manages to exceed the EPA electric range, which is an impressive feat.

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Nov 17, 2020 at 10:00am ET

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When I tried the BMW X3 30e, I managed to almost match the usually very optimistic WLTP pure-electric range rating of the vehicle of 31 miles (50 km) by driving it some 29 miles (47 km) in town before the engine sprung into life to charge the battery. That was way more than the lowly 18 miles (29 km) estimated by the EPA, and it looks like you don’t even have to try too hard in order to exceed it.

In this range test of the X3 30e by TFLnow, reviewer Andre drives the vehicle back tho his home and easily manages to squeeze 22 miles out of a single charge. He even has some juice left to start the car on electricity alone the next day and drive it for a while before it actually starts its gas engine.

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With all this being said, though, the X3 30e is not especially efficient - during the test, it recorded an average of 430 wh/mile. Its impressive range credential comes courtesy of the relatively big 13 kWh battery pack whose usable capacity is 10.8 kWh.

However, while the BMW X3 30e’s pure-electric range is quite impressive, it’s no match for its bigger brother, the X5 45e which has a much bigger 24 kWh battery pack, with a usable capacity of 21.6 kWh. It has a claimed WLTP range of up to 54 miles (87 km), which is a bit optimistic, and a more accurate EPA estimate of 31 miles (49 km). During my road test of the X5 PHEV, I managed to cover almost 40 miles (65 km) on electricity alone before the engine started to charge the battery.