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Home›Duel›BMW i3 vs Renault 5

Performance comparison

BMW i3 (120 Ah) I01 vs Renault 5 E-Tech Electric 150: which is truly faster?

Simulated drag race 0 → 1,000 m in real time. Synchronised speed counters and stopwatch. Physics calibration on 7 manufacturer measurements.

BMWBEVFaster

i3 (120 Ah) I01

170 hp · 250 Nm · 1,270 kg · 2018

VS
RenaultBEV

5 E-Tech Electric 150

150 hp · 245 Nm · 1,524 kg · 2024

MotorwayRange & chargingPerformance0-100, top speedConsumptionAnnual TCO

Parameters and assumptions

Simulation

Start
Standing, straight line
Surface
Dry asphalt, 23°C
Wind
None
Driver
1 person, 75 kg

Calibration

Splits
0–100, 0–200 manufacturer
Power curve
Real measurement (Caralogy)
VMax
Manufacturer limited
Transmission
Losses integrated in model

Physics model calibrated on manufacturer splits. The limited top speed is not the real aerodynamic top speed of the vehicles.

i3 (120 Ah) I015 E-Tech Electric 150
0–100 km/h7,24 s−0,88 s8,12 s
400 m standing start15,40 s−0,74 s16,14 s
1,000 m standing start29,80 s−0,82 s30,62 s
Top speed (electronically limited)150 km/h150 km/h
Power-to-weight ratio7,47 kg/hpbetter ratio10,16 kg/hp

Watch the race

Standing-start drag race, calibrated on manufacturer splits. The gap shows at each stage.

BMWBEVi3 (120 Ah) I01
Speed
0km/h
Timer
0,00s
Distance
0m
RenaultBEV5 E-Tech Electric 150
Speed
0km/h
Timer
0,00s
Distance
0m
100 m
200 m
300 m
400 m
500 m
600 m
700 m
800 m
900 m
1000 m
0m → 1000m
Gap0m

Stage-by-stage comparison

Simulated performance at each stage. Winner in green.

Palieri3 (120 Ah) I015 E-Tech Electric 150
0–30 km/h1,88 s2,07 s
0–50 km/h3,14 s3,46 s
0–80 km/h5,25 s5,85 s
0–100 km/h7,24 s8,12 s
0–120 km/h9,85 s11,18 s
400 m standing start15,40 s16,14 s
1,000 m standing start29,80 s30,62 s
Top speed150 km/h150 km/h

Under the bonnet

Manufacturer technical specifications. The power-to-weight ratio is the key physical factor in a drag race.

BMW

i3 (120 Ah) I01

7,47kg/hpratio better by 2,69 kg/hp
CharacteristicValueDetail
Power170 hpPending
Torque250 Nm
Weight1 270 kgmanufacturer kerb weight
DrivetrainPropulsion
GearboxAutomatic, single-speed with fixed ratio (9.665:1)
Renault

5 E-Tech Electric 150

10,16kg/hpcompensated by −254 kg
CharacteristicValueDetail
Power150 hpPermanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
Torque245 Nm
Weight1 524 kgmanufacturer kerb weight
DrivetrainTraction
GearboxSingle-speed fixed gear

The start: 0 to 100 km/h

Off the line, the Bmw i3 (120 Ah) hits 100 km/h in 7.24 s versus 8.12 s for the 5 E-Tech Electric 150. At this point, the Bmw i3 (120 Ah) leads by 0.88 s and sits roughly 9 m ahead.

From 100 km/h to 400 metres

At 200 metres, the Bmw i3 (120 Ah) is doing 122 km/h against 117 km/h for the 5 E-Tech Electric 150. The gap is 0.47 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Bmw i3 (120 Ah) crosses the line in 15.40 s versus 16.13 s. The 0.73 s gap represents roughly 29 m of track — two to three car lengths.

Beyond 400 metres: top speed comes into play

Past 400 metres, the Bmw i3 (120 Ah) continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 150 km/h versus 150 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Bmw i3 (120 Ah) finishes in 29.80 s versus 30.62 s, with a 0.82 s lead. Both vehicles have similar top speeds (150 vs 150 km/h), preventing any comeback.

What the numbers don’t tell you

Both rivals share the same electronic speed cap: the Bmw i3 (120 Ah) and the 5 E-Tech Electric 150 are governed to 150 km/h. At that speed, standard-fit tyres approach their safety threshold — an industrial ceiling common to most electric vehicles in this segment. Neither car shows its true aerodynamic potential in this duel.

With two electric powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (7.47 kg/hp vs 10.16 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 13.23 seconds. The 0.88 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.

Compare with other alternatives

Swap one of the two models to explore an equivalent duel in the same segment.

Instead of i3 (120 Ah) I01
Renault Megane E-Tech Electric 217Volkswagen ID.3 ProCupra Born
Instead of 5 E-Tech Electric 150
MINI Cooper E FWDBmw i3s (120 Ah)MG MG4 Standard RWD

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118d xDrive vs 5 E-Tech Electric 150

Frequently asked questions

Sur 0–100 km/h, i3 (120 Ah) I01 gagne (7,24 s vs 8,12 s).

i3 (120 Ah) I01 passe de 0 à 100 km/h en 7,24 secondes (simulation calibrée).

i3 (120 Ah) I01 : 170 hp, ratio 7,47 kg/hp. 5 E-Tech Electric 150 : 150 hp, ratio 10,16 kg/hp.

i3 (120 Ah) I01 : 150 km/h. 5 E-Tech Electric 150 : 150 km/h.