2020 BMW I3 vs Nissan LEAF

What's the difference?

It’s easy to forget BMW was paddling into the growing electric vehicle wave when it was only a gentle swell. It took off early with the i3 city car, which believe it or not has been in the Aussie new car market for six years.

While the German maker has long been developing the concept of electrified powertrains in existing models, the i3 was the result of a dramatically different approach, showcasing the use of exotic materials and innovative packaging.

Like its i8 supercar sibling, the i3 won’t be replaced with a new-generation version, but BMW says it will continue to develop this high-tech hatch before it departs, and we spent a week in the sporty i3s to see how it stands up in 2020. 

It’s so interesting to watch the growth of electric cars and how they are expanding into every category.

This Nissan Leaf is a five-seater hatchback. It looks pretty good from the outside and you wouldn’t guess it had an electric motor if it wasn’t for the big 'Zero Emissions' stamped on the outside. 

This is a fairly pricey hatchback though, at $49,990 it’s around $10 - $15,000 more than a petrol hatchback, and it’s $5000 more than its nearest competitor, the Hyundai Ioniq.

But it only costs around $700 a year to run. And then there’s the dreamy situation of never going to a petrol station again because you charge up at home. 

Is all that enough to warrant the high price? I did a family review where I test drove the Nissan Leaf over seven days with my family of four to find out.