BMW i3 120 Ah electric vehicle exterior
Discontinued

BMW i3 120 Ah - Electric Vehicle Specs

Hatchback RWD

Power

125.000 kW

(170 HP)

0-100 km/h

7.300 s

Top Speed

150 km/h

Battery Options

Standard Battery (42 kWh / 37 kWh)

Charging Curve & Charging Speed Analysis

Understanding Charging Performance

Charging performance isn't just about peak power—it's about sustained power across the entire charging curve. A vehicle that maintains 150kW from 10-80% SOC will charge faster than one that peaks at 250kW but quickly drops to 100kW after 20% SOC. The shape of the curve matters more than the highest peak power.

The key metric is C-rate, which accounts for both charging power and battery capacity. A C-rate of 2.0 means the battery can theoretically charge from 0-100% in 30 minutes, while 1.0 C-rate equals 60 minutes. This makes it easy to compare vehicles regardless of battery size.

Charging Curve Shape

Flat, sustained power across a wide SOC range beats high peaks that quickly taper off. Look for vehicles that maintain high power from 10-80% SOC.

C‑Rate & Timing

C-rate normalizes charging speed across different battery sizes. Higher C-rates mean shorter charging times and more flexible road trip planning.

Battery Options

Gross Capacity: 42 kWh
Net Capacity: 37 kWh
Buffer: 10%
The BMW i3 120 Ah reaches peak charging power of 49 kW between 10–80% SOC.
It takes 37 min to charge from 10–80% SOC and adds 136 km of real-world highway driving range, representing a 1.2 C‑Rate. This performance is better than 22% in its class.

Average Charging Power

35 kW

Avg C‑rate: 0.9

Maximum Charging Power

49 kW

At 2 → 85% SOC

Minimum Charging Power

5 kW

0–100% Charging Time

1 h 9 min

Charging Curve

State of Charge over Time

SOC Range Charging Time Avg. Power Avg. C-Rate Energy Added
0% → 100% 1 h 9 min 35.3 kW 0.93 C 40.8 kWh
0% → 90% 49 min 44.1 kW 1.16 C 36.7 kWh
0% → 80% 43 min 44.5 kW 1.18 C 32.6 kWh
5% → 100% 1 h 5 min 35.3 kW 0.93 C 38.7 kWh
5% → 90% 46 min 44.9 kW 1.18 C 34.6 kWh
5% → 80% 40 min 45.4 kW 1.20 C 30.6 kWh
10% → 100% 1 h 3 min 34.9 kW 0.92 C 36.7 kWh
10% → 90% 43 min 44.9 kW 1.19 C 32.6 kWh
10% → 80% 37 min 45.5 kW 1.20 C 28.5 kWh