Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there the Prius Plug in that would compete with the Volt fairly well? That's the one I think I would have. But if I wanted performance and space I might go for the Honda Accourd Hybrid plug in thingy. That seemed like a pretty decent electric car.
The Prius plug-in doesn't have close to the electric range as the Volt or i3.
Actually, the bigger issue is that the Prius's gasoline engine continues to power the driven wheels, whereas in the i3 and the Volt, it's electric-only propulsion, even when the range extender is active.
...that's why these two are the only real 'true' competitors, though to the casual consumer, yes, a plug-in hybrid is a plug-in hybrid and the C-Max and Prius come into play.
As for the two, ya'll are about to have your minds BLOWN:
I prefer the Volt.
WHAAAAAAAAAA?!
The i3 has some REALLY great ideas. Like, REALLY great. For one, I LOVE that it's lighter (and uses the CFRP). I LOVE its zero-emissions production plant (a fallacy in some ways as the battery manufacturer makes no such claims, but still - impressive nonetheless). I LOVE its better placement of the batteries (the Volt's massive T-stack eats interior volume and doesn't lower the centre of gravity enough). I LOVE that it does the range-extending duties with 1/2 the generator that the Volt uses.
...but only installing a 7L gas tank? I mean, come the f*ck on. So 130km range without the REx, 240 with? 7L tank? So that 2 cylinder engine uses barely <7L/100km? The Volt's real world usage (and others here will back me up on it) is closer to 6L/100km with the 1.4L 4-banger and carries a much more realistic 35L tank for another ~600ish km of range once the 50km-ish e-range is depleted.
As far as the regenerative braking is concerned, our RX400h has a "B" mode on the shift gate to change how 'aggressive' the regen braking is. I used it yesterday for maybe the second time, ever, and I can say that it's utterly a waste. It forces you to use more gas while driving (or sucks more energy from the e-only range), and then makes it very difficult to modulate. The ability to coast in Canada/US is far more important than in Europe, where streets are narrower and less open. This is where the US-designed Volt is more relevant to our market.
I don't like that the Volt is cramped for interior space and the Bimmer clearly is more effective with packaging, but the Volt is the better car here. It's far less of a compromise - why would someone spend $4k on the range-extender for another 100km? You'd have to stop at pretty much every gas station along the 401 and even then you're getting worse fuel economy than pretty much every compact sedan/hatch. So, this is a city car. I like the Volt because it at least gives you the realistic option of being a weekender when needed.
...and for the occasional weekender, trading in for a 1- or 3-series may sound nice, but even if it takes 30 mins to get into your 'rental', you have to get to the dealership first...so you're talking 1.5-2hrs of your commute added to the weekend just to pick up the rental. I hate renting, and I've done more than my fair share of it.
Now, if we could design our i3/Volt lovechild:
From the i3:
-battery
-motor
-CFRP
-better greenhouse
-more comfortable interior
From the Volt:
-gas tank
-can't believe I'm saying it, but styling
-cargo dimensions
-regen brakes
-PROPER TIRES - who the f*ck is going to carry 155/70 R19 84Q tires? "You have a choice of the OEM Bridgestones, or the OEM Bridgestones."
-pricing?
don't care:
-generator - both seem pretty much the same for average economy
-interior styling (I don't like either - the tacky plastic futuristic (from 1980s) look of the Volt vs the minimalistic but not-my-taste look in the i3).
With all that being said, I'm not necessarily sold on the i8, either. It's beautiful, no doubt, and to get 3.8s 0-60mph and 24MPG combined from a 357hp 1.5T 3-banger is impressive...but it's again a huge compromise that I don't see as worth the effort. In e-drive alone, the i8 will still take 9.5seconds 0-60. Shyeet.
I like the Voltec powertrain better, but think the generator could be smaller and the car it's plopped into better, as well.
