BMW i3 I01 vs BMW 218d xDrive F44: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the i3 hits 100 km/h in 7.24 s versus 9.04 s for the 218d xDrive. The instant torque of 250 Nm from the electric motor makes the difference. At this point, the i3 leads by 1.80 s and sits roughly 5 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the i3 is doing 122 km/h against 109 km/h for the 218d xDrive. The gap is 0.54 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the i3 crosses the line in 15.40 s versus 16.54 s. The 1.14 s gap represents roughly 42 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the gap narrows. The i3 maxes out at 150 km/h while the 218d xDrive keeps accelerating towards 209 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap is down to 1.38 s from 1.14 s at 400 metres.

At 1,000 metres, the i3 finishes in 29.80 s versus 30.52 s, with just 0.72 s to spare. The 218d xDrive fails to fully close the launch gap.

The 218d xDrive features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the i3’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the i3 is capped at 150 km/h, the 218d xDrive at 211 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

Instant electric torque gives an advantage off the line. The higher top speed of the combustion engine gives an advantage over longer distances. The distance at which one catches the other depends on the top speed differential.

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 15.31 seconds. The 1.80 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.