BMW i3 vs Tesla Model S

The i3 costs less to run, by the official figures: about $20 a year less in New Zealand, $20 in Australia, £10 in the UK and $20 in the US.

BMW i3Tesla Model S

Side by side

Specs are for each car's newest version. The better figure is in green.

BMW i3Tesla Model S

A typical year's fuel

New Zealand
$794 (better)
$816
Australia
$678 (better)
$696
United Kingdom
£515 (better)
£529
United States
$724 (better)
$743

Official figures

Uses
18.5 kWh/100km (better)
19.0 kWh/100km
UK
3.4 mi/kWh (better)
3.3 mi/kWh
US
113 MPGe (better)
110 MPGe
Range
246 km
592 km (better)

Space

Seats
4
5
Boot
–
793 L
Length
3,999 mm
5,021 mm
Weight
–
2,069 kg

Engine

Engine
Single motor
Dual motor
Power
125 kW
500 kW (better)
Torque
250 Nm
440 Nm (better)
Gearbox
Single-speed
Single-speed
Drive
RWD
AWD

Safety

Euro NCAP
–
★★★★★
Airbags
–
8

A typical year: New Zealand 11,000 km (Ministry of Transport's average for a light vehicle); Australia 11,100 km (ABS Survey of Motor Vehicle Use average); United Kingdom 11,265 km (DfT National Travel Survey average of about 7,000 miles); United States 21,726 km (FHWA average of about 13,500 miles). Real costs depend on how and where you drive. Work out a particular trip.

i3 or Model S?

Which is cheaper to run, the BMW i3 or the Tesla Model S?

The BMW i3: about $20 a year less in New Zealand, $20 in Australia, £10 in the UK and $20 in the US than the Tesla Model S at today's average prices and a typical year's driving.

Each on its own

Other comparisons

What will the drive cost?

Roadtrip works out the fuel or charging cost of any drive for your exact car, finds the cheapest stations on the way, and splits it between everyone in the car.

Rated 4.7 by drivers · 700,000 downloads

The Roadtrip app showing a drive into London that costs £4.81 each, with fuel prices along the way