The Perfect Marriage - my weekend with Zipcar and the BMW i3

It’s the weekend. I decide it’s time to escape the Paris heat, and pollution. My wife and I find on AirBnB a beautiful country estate 100 km east of Paris, and then realize the journey takes us right past Galleria Continua in Les Moulins – a perfect opportunity to visit this repurposed industrial space.

Our trip planned, all we have to do is figure out how to get there. A train would be impractical, and besides we want to be able to explore on our own terms. I browse Drivy and Zipcar on my mobile and then I strike Gold! A brand new BMW i3 half-a-kilometer from home; only €170 for the weekend including fuel and insurance. I’ve been wanting to test the i3 for a while – I can’t wait.

At 9:50 on Saturday morning I unfold my Brompton bicycle, head out the door and within a couple of minutes I’m inspecting my weekend ride. Its boxy shape, contrasting colors, and Zipcar logo shout ‘this is the future’. I unlock her with my Zipcard, and pack my Brompton neatly in the back. I take the key from the glove compartment…and then I’m stuck. I’m ashamed to say this is my first real e-car experience: how do I get the charge cable out the charger; what do I do if I need to refill the backup engine; crumbs, I don’t even know how to start this thing? A quick call to Zipcar and all is revealed. I am off…thinking: “Where have you been all my life?”

BMW have nailed a perfect urban commuter. The box shape ensures loads of space, with a small footprint. The design follows the logic of a bicycle - weight matters. There’s lots of carbon, low friction wheels, and no clunky junk. I love that the engineering follows this logic, none of that overblown, rugged opulence of SUVs.

The drive experience in a city could not be better, the steering and accelerator have a ‘point and shoot’ feel about them – and who can argue with 0-100 km/h in seven seconds?

Back home I exchange the Brompton for pram, baby seat, and bags, and the three of us head out. My enthusiasm for the BMW i3 is quickly overtaken by my wife’s. “This car doesn’t feel wastefully macho; it’s sensible, silent and smooth.” We feel a little righteous for not adding to Paris’s pollution.

We exit Paris in minutes and on the highway, listening to the great sound system, and coasting along happily at 120 kmh. At this speed there’s is a bit of road noise, but for a purpose-built urban car we were pleasantly surprised with the ride, as is Emma - blissfully asleep in the back.

In no time we arrive at Galleria Continua. The clever Italians bought an abandoned paper mill dating from the 18th century and kept it as is, except it is now filled with art. I’m fascinated by the story, which combines two of my passions: contemporary art, and re-purposing urban space.

One of the exhibits by Pugnaire & Raffini titled Car Crash 2 has a car being compressed 5 mm per day by a hydraulic system. The metal buckles under the pressure of the hydraulic python. Perhaps a metaphor for the challenges facing the motor industry, I wonder.

After a tranquil and relaxing weekend in the French countryside I wake up on Sunday with range anxiety. The closest charge station is in Paris, 120 km away. I will have to rely on the 647 cc range extender, a two-cylinder scooter motor that recharges the battery. When the charge drops to the last few bars, the motor automatically kicks in. The engine noise is only just audible, the power drops by a few percent, and the acceleration isn’t as responsive. These compromises are perfectly acceptable given the alternative. My range anxiety lifts and we happily motor home at 100 km/h, to save fuel. At the Périph' we hit rush hour traffic, and rush hour pollution. Despite the heat we close our windows to avoid toxic fumes; I long for the day of open window driving.

Back home we unload and I return our weekend companion. Brompton in, drop off, plug in, lock and cycle home. Would I want to own it? No, I want to use it when I need it and can’t wait for BMW to release an i4 and i5 so that I can experience those too. Urbanites no longer want to own cars in cities for obvious reasons.

A purpose build urban vehicle run by a car-sharing company is the perfect marriage of convenience for urbanites and the type of relationships we will be celebrating at Autonomy Paris from the 6th to the 9th of October.