BMW i3s vs Nissan Micra

The BMW i3s costs £14,675 more than the Nissan Micra. For that premium it adds 45 kW more power and a 2.1s quicker 0-62mph time. The Nissan Micra is not just cheaper - it also offers 30 kW faster peak rapid charging, 66 litres more boot space and 1 more seat (5 versus 4). On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Nissan Micra comes out ahead overall.

The Nissan Micra is £14,675 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £160 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Nissan Micra comes out roughly £14,795 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 118 miles for the BMW i3s and 137 miles for the Nissan Micra - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Nissan Micra goes roughly 19 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 42 minutes in the BMW i3s and 30 in the Nissan Micra, so the Nissan Micra loses less time at each stop. That makes the Nissan Micra the stronger long-distance car.

The two are within 11 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 620 mm of total clearance for the Nissan Micra and about 609 mm of total clearance for the BMW i3s.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the BMW i3s and 90% for the Nissan Micra. That gives the Nissan Micra a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Nissan Micra's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the BMW i3s's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use.