BMW i3

BMW i3 stands out because it was built as an electric city car rather than an electrified version of an ordinary hatchback. By our assessment, that gives it a tidy cabin feel, a light footprint for urban driving, and the oddball carbon-fiber-reinforced structure that made it feel more like a design project than a commuter box. The trade-off is familiar to anyone who looks at small EVs: limited range compared with newer electric rivals, and a shape that leaves little room for cargo compared with bigger hatchbacks. In daily use it is the kind of car that likes short trips, easy parking, and quiet traffic, with a cabin that still looks distinct from the usual grey interior. It sits between premium small cars and early mainstream EVs, and BMW i3 remains one of the clearer examples of how electric cars were first made to look different, not just cleaner.