BMW Gets Sued Over its i3

The United States is likely the leading country for the number of lawsuits per citizen. We frequently hear stories about their inhabitants suing large corporations for astonishing amounts... and frivolous reasons.

The latest one is quite amusing: it opposes Edo Tsoar (and his lawyer) against BMW North America. Why? It seems as though M. Tsoar has an i3 equipped with the Range Extender engine that is designed to give it added range when the battery pack runs out.

• Also: 2015 BMW i3: Today’s Shape Of Tomorrow
• Also: 2014 Green Car Of The Year Award: The Winner Is...

According to the lawsuit, the power of the REx engine isn't high enough. The little two-cylinder generator develops 34 horsepower, and when the battery runs out on a steep incline or when the car is fully loaded with people, it might not be enough to keep the BMW running at full speed.

M. Tsoar wants BMW to stop sales of the i3 until the issue is resolved. He also wants the manufacturer to engineer a solution so the car won’t lose power when the range extender comes on. Finally, he wants BMW to give him and everybody that owns an i3 financial compensation, because they were not made aware of this “problem.”

Like a lot of American lawsuits, this one is ridiculous. It's pretty obvious that a 34-hp generator won't have enough power to make the i3 run at full speed. As its name implies, its purpose is simply to extend the range of the EV.