BMW Has The Most Efficient Electric Car in the US

As reported by Green Car Reports: Well, the numbers are in, courtesy of a quickly-photographed window sticker, and now we know the range and efficiency ratings for the 2014 BMW i3 electric car.

The EPA-rated range is 81 miles, and its efficiency is a record-breaking 124 MPGe combined (138 MPGe city, 111 MPGe highway).

That confirms the lightweight electric BMW i3 subcompact as the most efficient battery-electric car sold in the U.S. today.

The nearest competitor is the 2013 Scion iQ-EV, an electric minicar with 38 miles of range that's not available to the generic public; it's rated at 121 MPGe.

The competitor with the best rating that can actually be purchased by the public is the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV, with a combined efficiency rating of 119 MPGe and a rated range of 82 miles.

The Spark EV, however, is a compliance car sold only in quantities sufficient to comply with California's zero-emission vehicle rules.

BMW would appear to have grander aspirations for the i3 electric car, although sales numbers will tell the story within a year or two.

(A "mile per gallon equivalent" is a measure created by the EPA that gives the distance a vehicle can cover electrically on the same amount of energy as contained in 1 gallon of gasoline.)