fuel BMW I8 2014 I12 Owner's Manual

FOR OVER THREE QUARTERS OF A
CENTURY, THE BASIC IDEA BEHIND THE
CAR WAS LEFT UNTOUCHED.
Until now. BMW i has launched a groundbreaking sports car with a
wide range of technological innovations – the BMW i8. The innovative
BMW eDrive technology effectively combines an electric motor with
a BMW TwinPower Turbo engine (hybrid electric vehicle). The result
is a breathtaking plug-in hybrid sports car with the fuel consumption
and emissions of a compact vehicle.
The weight of the BMW i8 is a result of the Life module – the passen-
ger cell made of light and extremely robust carbon fiber. It substantially
reduces the weight of the vehicle and has a significant impact on the
design of the BMW i8. The principle of intelligent lightweight design has
also been applied to all other components of the BMW i8. Moreover,
streamflow aerodynamics reduce drag and energy consumption.
With its dynamic proportions and sporty, progressive design, the BMW i8
embodies lightness – as well as efficiency and sheer driving pleasure.
The development process itself is the first of many innovations. In order
to ensure that the BMW i8 is a truly sustainable product, measurable
targets were defined at the design phase and throughout the entire life
cycle of the vehicle, from the extraction of raw materials, production
and use to recycling and the end of product life. The deliberate use of
recycled and environmentally friendly materials in production guarantees
holistic sustainability throughout the entire value chain.

For more information, visit www.bmw-i.com.
01. DEVELOPMENT
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fuel consumption (EU)
2.1 l /100 km
CO² emissions
49 g / km
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ContentsThe fastest way to find information on a partic‐
ular topic or item is by using the index, refer to
page 190.6Notes
At a glance
14Cockpit18iDrive26Voice activation system29Integrated Owner's Manual in the vehicle31BMW eDRIVE
Controls
36Opening and closing48Adjusting54Transporting children safely58Driving72Displays89Lights93Safety105Driving stability control systems109Driving comfort120Climate control125Interior equipment130Storage compartments
Driving tips
134Things to remember when driving138Loading140Increase rangeMobility146Charging vehicle154Refueling157Fuel159Wheels and tires165Engine oil169Coolant170Maintenance172Replacing components175Breakdown assistance180Care
Reference
186Technical data188Appendix190Everything from A to Z
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CockpitVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are notnecessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
All around the steering wheel
1Open the tailgate   422Power windows  473Exterior mirror operation   514Open fuel filler flap,
Tank vent   1545Lock, unlock vehicle   416Opening the door  427LightsParking lights  89Low beams  89Automatic headlight con‐
trol   90
Daytime running lights   90
High-beam Assistant   91Instrument lighting  928Left steering column stalkTurn signal  64High beams, head‐
light flasher   64Seite 14At a glanceCockpit14
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BMW eDRIVEVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
BMW eDRIVEAt a glance1Vehicle battery2Electrical drive unit3High-voltage battery4Fuel filler flap5Combustion engine6Charging port
The concept The hybrid system makes it possible to opti‐
mize fuel consumption and driving characteris‐
tics.
An electric motor assists the combustion en‐
gine. In certain driving situations, the vehicle
can also be driven using only electric power,
thereby reducing fuel consumption.
In addition to this, the electric motor acts like
an alternator: during braking and coasting, it
converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into elec‐ tricity. The current is stored in the high-voltage
battery and is used to drive the electric motor.
Functions
Acceleration boost: ASSIST and eBOOST
Driving off and accelerating require a lot of en‐
ergy. To reduce fuel consumption during high
acceleration and to optimize acceleration, the
electric motor supports the combustion en‐
gine. For this purpose, the electric motor is
supplied by the high-voltage battery.
Electric driving: ePOWER
Under certain conditions, refer to page 61,
the vehicle is powered only by the electric mo‐
tor.
Variable drive configuration
The electric motor drives the front axle and the
combustion engine the rear axle. Depending
on the operating condition, the vehicle has the
options of front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive
or bundled for four-wheel drive.
Follow instructions for electric driving eDRIVE,
refer to page 61, driving with the combustion
engine DRIVE, refer to page 62, and driving
stability, refer to page 105.
Acoustic pedestrian protection Depending on the country variant, the system
generates an artificial engine sound during
electric driving up to approx. 20 mph/30 km/h.
Driving with the combustion engine:
POWER
The combustion engine provides the perform‐
ance to move the vehicle. If necessary, theSeite 31BMW eDRIVEAt a glance31
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high-voltage battery is charged at the same
time.
The hybrid system always starts the combus‐
tion engine automatically.
Energy recovery: CHARGE The high-voltage battery is charged while driv‐
ing through energy recovery.
The electric motor acts as a generator and
converts the kinetic energy of the vehicle into
electric current.
Charging can take place in various situations
while the vehicle is in motion:▷When the vehicle is rolling if the accelera‐
tor pedal is not pressed.▷During vehicle braking.
When exerting gentle pressure on the brakes,
the vehicle is only braked by the electric motor.
When the brake pedal is depressed further, the
brake system is activated additionally. This is
why only part of the brake energy is used to
charge the high-voltage battery when exerting
firm pressure on the brake.
The mark in the instrument cluster is located
within the CHARGE range.
Sensible driving and early speed reduction are
important to make full use of the energy recov‐
ery feature.
Display The eDRIVE displays, refer to page 72, pro‐
vide information about the current state of the
drive and visualize the system's use in a dia‐
gram.
Energy-saving driving To save energy while driving, read the follow‐
ing information:
Before driving eDRIVE allows using the air conditioner even
before driving off. The stationary climate con‐
trol, refer to page 123, provides more range
than full air conditioning while driving.
Parked car ventilation during the charging
process can provide maximum range when
driving off.
During driving▷General driving tips, refer to page 140, for
increasing the range.▷Use the eDRIVE system efficiently, refer to
page 134, for an optimized driving style.▷ECO PRO mode, refer to page 141, for in‐
creasing the range.▷Display of hybrid system utilization, refer to
page 75▷Hints for saving fuel, refer to page 140, for
reduction of the fuel consumption.
After the trip
▷Charge vehicle, refer to page 146, and
plan next trip.▷Prepare for long downtimes, refer to
page 183.
BMW i Remote app
A special BMW i Remote App allows to control
and display certain vehicle functions using a
smartphone.
Safety information Read the information on safe handling of the
high-voltage system, refer to page 178.
Long-term Follow the instructions for vehicle storage and
for longer idle periods, refer to page 183.
Seite 32At a glanceBMW eDRIVE32
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Lighting lights up steady blue
After drive readiness is switched on, light turns
blue. The vehicle is ready to drive. The READY
indicator lights up in the instrument cluster. In
addition, a signal sounds.
Lighting off
Drive readiness, operating readiness and
radio-ready state are turned off. The vehicle is
in the idle state. The charging cable may be
connected.
Activating drive readiness1.Close the driver's door.2.Depress the brake pedal.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
Drive readiness is active, electric driving, Silent
Start or Start of the combustion engine.
Electric drive readiness, Silent Start
The vehicle is ready for driving without starting
the combustion engine.
Silent Start is possible if the requirements for
Electric driving, refer to page 61, are met.
Display READY indicates drive readi‐
ness.
Starting the combustion engine Enclosed areas
Do not let the engine run in enclosed
areas, since breathing in exhaust fumes may
lead to loss of consciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless but highly toxic gas.◀
Unattended vehicle
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
engine running or drive readiness switched on;
otherwise, it may pose a risk.
Before leaving the vehicle, engage lever in po‐
sition P P, and set the parking brake; other‐
wise, the vehicle is not secured against rolling
away.◀
Repeated starting in quick succession
Avoid trying to start the vehicle repeat‐
edly and in quick succession. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or is inadequately burned,
posing a risk of overheating and damage to the
catalytic converter.◀
The combustion engine is started with Acti‐
vate drive, refer to page 60, readiness under
the following conditions:▷The temperature of the hybrid system is
too high.▷The charge level or temperature of the
high-voltage battery is too low.
Driving away
1.Activate drive readiness.2.Apply the brake and engage lever in posi‐
tion P D, SPORT or R.3.Release the parking brake.4.Drive away.
Deactivating drive readiness
After parking the vehicle, you may hear noises due to operation of the hybrid system, such as
for cooling of the high-voltage battery.
After stopping the vehicle:
1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Set the parking brake.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The READY indicator goes out and a signal
sounds. In case of longer idle times, follow the
instructions in the Care chapter, refer to
page 183.
Seite 60ControlsDriving60
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Before driving into a car wash
So that the vehicle can roll into a car wash ob‐
serve instructions for going into an automatic
car wash, refer to page 180.
Electric driving: ePOWER
Note Awareness of vehicle reduced when
driven in electric mode
When driving in electric mode, note that, due
to the lack of engine noise, pedestrians and
other traffic might pay less attention to the ve‐
hicle due to missing engine noises. Please
take special care when parking or leaving a
parking space.◀
General information
In ePOWER, the vehicle is driven exclusively
electrically. ePOWER works automatically.
Depending on the charging state of the high-
voltage battery, maximum speed and range
achieved can vary.
For electrical driving, certain Conditions, refer
to page 61, must be satisfied.
Requirements▷State of charge and temperature of the
high-voltage battery is sufficient.▷Selector lever position D or R engaged.▷The accelerator pedal is only slightly de‐
pressed.▷The possible maximum speed for electric
driving is not exceeded.▷The driver's door is closed.
Auto eDRIVE
General information
With each starting operation, Auto eDRIVE is
activated using the Start/Stop button.
In Auto eDRIVE, the vehicle is driven in hybrid
mode corresponding to the various driving sit‐
uations, i.e. the drive alternates between the
combustion engine and electric motor.
SAVE Battery, maintaining charging
state
Should it be necessary, e.g., to conserve the
electrical range for a later point in time on the
trip, the current charging state of the high-volt‐
age battery can be maintained with this func‐
tion.
The function is possible under the following
conditions:▷The fuel fill level is sufficient.▷Engaged selector lever position D▷Drive mode Auto eDrive
Switching on/off
1."Settings"2."Auto eDRIVE"3."Hold state of charge"
MAX eDRIVE
General information Max eDRIVE forces electric driv‐
ing.
With Max eDRIVE, a speed of
approx. 75 mph, approx.
120 km/h is possible.
In special situations, the speed limit can con‐
sciously be exceeded by applying the acceler‐
ator pedal beyond the full throttle point, kick‐
down. The combustion engine is automatically
activated and switched into AUTO eDRIVE
mode.
Seite 61DrivingControls61
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12Fuel gauge  7913Computer  83Variable drive mode displays
ECO PRO displays In ECO PRO, the instrument cluster switches
to the ECO PRO displays. These displays sup‐
port a driving style that saves on fuel con‐
sumption with more prominent representation
of the efficiency display and various ECO PRO
tips. ECO PRO, refer to page 141.Sport program displays
In the Sport program, the instrument cluster
switches the instrument cluster to the Sport
displays. These displays support a sporty driv‐
ing style with more prominent representation
of the tachometer and a clearer representation
of the eBOOST performance in the form of a
blue illuminated ring.
Charging screen
1Charging screen   1512End of charging time   151
Departure time with timer   1513Maximum electrical range   1514Stationary climate control  1515Range for electric driving  1516Charging state  74Seite 73DisplaysControls73
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Acceleration boost: eBOOST
Five bars indicate the available output of the
electric motor for the eBOOST acceleration
boost. Depending on the available output of
the high-voltage battery, there could be more
or less eBOOST available. If the high-voltage
battery is completely discharged, all five bars
are grayed-out.
Energy recovery: CHARGE
The energy recovered is indicated in the COM‐
FORT and ECO PRO modes by four bars in the
CHARGE range. The high-voltage battery is
being charged. Depending on the available
output of the high-voltage battery, more or
less eBOOST could be recovered. If the high-
voltage battery is completely charged, no en‐
ergy can be recovered. The four bars are
grayed-out.
Auto Start/Stop function: READY
READY indicates drive readi‐
ness.
Indications on the Control Display Displaying the hybrid system
utilization1."Vehicle info"2."eDRIVE"3. "Consumption history"
Hybrid system utilization
Gray bars indicate the fuel consumption of the
combustion engine, arrow 1. Blue bars indicate
the percentage utilization of the functions of
the hybrid system, arrow 2.
One bar indicates one minute.
The combustion engine's average fuel con‐
sumption is indicated by a line above the bar
display and as a value to the right of the graph.
Displaying the energy flow
1."Vehicle info"2."eDRIVE"3. "Energy flow"Seite 75DisplaysControls75
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