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Poorly designed EV's without a bespoke chassis are 20-30% heavier than gasoline cars. But better designed ones are much closer in weight, and those are the ca

Poorly designed EV's without a bespoke chassis are 20-30% heavier than gasoline cars. But better designed ones are much closer in weight, and those are the cars that sell well. For example, a Tesla 3 is within 5% of the weight of a BMW 3.

seanmcdirmid 2y ago
Pretty much: Tesla Model 3: 3,862 to 4,054 lbs BMW i4: 4,553 to 5,049 lbs Note that the model 3 and i4 are compacts (accord sized), the BMW 3 is a sub-compact. The i4 shares a chassis with the 4 series, which is 3,578 to 4,034 lbs You really feel the extra pounds also, but I still like my i4.
- OptionOfT 2y ago
  I'm surprised the BMW 4 series is a compact, and a BMW 3 series is a sub-compact. A 3 series is 185.4 in long, a 4 series is 187.7 in long. Does that make it jump from sub-compact to compact? Apart from that, BMW wants to use its CLAR platform. Ever popped the hood of your BMW i4 and removed the 'engine cover'? What a load of wasted space there...
  - seanmcdirmid 2y ago
    I had a loaner 3 once when my i4 was in the shop. It was so much narrow than my i4, at least when parking in my tight garage situation it was really noticeable. Only a couple inches I think. A civic is 70.9 inch wide compared to an accord that is 73.3 inches wide. The 3 series is wider than a civic while the 4 series is narrower than an accord, for what it’s worth. The diff between a compact and sub-compact isn’t that great. Edit: it’s actually just an inch narrower. Goes to show how tight my parking situation is.
emmelaich 2y ago
And the hazard detection in a Tesla means it's much more unlikely to crash in the first place, at any great speed.
- k4rli 2y ago
  Very debatable. A driver paying attention is much safer than any TSLA software, at least in my opinion. They've had plenty of recalls, dangerous bugs, and mislead/scam current/future customers in every way possible.
  - emmelaich 2y ago
    It's the 'paying attention' that is the problem.
dralley 2y ago
The vehicle in the video looks like a Tesla Model 3 though. The article points out the weight distribution matters too, perhaps the lower center of gravity of electric cars leads to greater penetration capability.

seanmcdirmid 2y ago

Pretty much: Tesla Model 3: 3,862 to 4,054 lbs BMW i4: 4,553 to 5,049 lbs Note that the model 3 and i4 are compacts (accord sized), the BMW 3 is a sub-compact. The i4 shares a chassis with the 4 series, which is 3,578 to 4,034 lbs You really feel the extra pounds also, but I still like my i4.

OptionOfT 2y ago
I'm surprised the BMW 4 series is a compact, and a BMW 3 series is a sub-compact. A 3 series is 185.4 in long, a 4 series is 187.7 in long. Does that make it jump from sub-compact to compact? Apart from that, BMW wants to use its CLAR platform. Ever popped the hood of your BMW i4 and removed the 'engine cover'? What a load of wasted space there...
- seanmcdirmid 2y ago
  I had a loaner 3 once when my i4 was in the shop. It was so much narrow than my i4, at least when parking in my tight garage situation it was really noticeable. Only a couple inches I think. A civic is 70.9 inch wide compared to an accord that is 73.3 inches wide. The 3 series is wider than a civic while the 4 series is narrower than an accord, for what it’s worth. The diff between a compact and sub-compact isn’t that great. Edit: it’s actually just an inch narrower. Goes to show how tight my parking situation is.

emmelaich 2y ago

And the hazard detection in a Tesla means it's much more unlikely to crash in the first place, at any great speed.

k4rli 2y ago
Very debatable. A driver paying attention is much safer than any TSLA software, at least in my opinion. They've had plenty of recalls, dangerous bugs, and mislead/scam current/future customers in every way possible.
- emmelaich 2y ago
  It's the 'paying attention' that is the problem.

dralley 2y ago

The vehicle in the video looks like a Tesla Model 3 though. The article points out the weight distribution matters too, perhaps the lower center of gravity of electric cars leads to greater penetration capability.