BMW has set a new record on the Paneuropeana long-distance driving route, completing the 5,886.7 km journey from Norway’s North Cape to Tarifa in southern Spain with only 2 hours, 45 minutes and 54 seconds of charging.
The production-spec BMW i3 50 xDrive completed the journey across eight countries, beating the route’s previous record from 2017 by more than seven hours of charging time. All charging stops were made at public stations.
The vehicle spent less than three minutes charging for every 100 km travelled, with an average charging power of 275 kW against its maximum DC charging capability of 400 kW.
Efficiency and Long-Distance Performance
The i3 completed the journey with an average energy consumption of 12.5 kWh per 100 km, below its best WLTP-rated figure of 13.4 kWh per 100 km.
Total driving time was 3 days, 2 hours and 41 minutes, meaning charging accounted for less than 4% of the combined driving and charging time.
The Paneuropeana was established by Rafael de Mestre as a long-distance efficiency and charging challenge. It begins at Norway’s North Cape and finishes in Tarifa, Spain, with drivers required to follow designated checkpoints while selecting their own charging stops.
BMW i3 50 xDrive Specifications
The production electric sedan features two electric motors delivering 469 hp and 645 Nm of torque. It uses a 108.7 kWh usable battery and has a drag coefficient of 0.21.
BMW quotes a maximum WLTP range of up to 912 km and DC charging capability of up to 400 kW. The company says a 10-minute charging session can add up to 423 km of WLTP range.
BMW emphasized that the record-setting vehicle used the same hardware and software configuration available to customers, with an engineer completing the entire journey.
Another Long-Distance Milestone for BMW
The Paneuropeana achievement follows another long-distance result announced by BMW in October. A long-wheelbase i3 50L covered 1,213 km on a single charge in China, marking the start of Gen6 battery production in Shenyang.
The European-market i3 is produced at BMW’s Munich plant, where manufacturing of the electric 3 Series began in August.
Together, the two achievements highlight BMW’s focus on improving EV efficiency, battery performance and high-power charging for long-distance electric travel.