How far will an old gas-guzzling Ferrari travel on $12 of gasoline? Any guesses? How about spending the same amount of money on electricity to "fuel" up a BMW i3? The results will most certainly be drastically different, but we can honestly say that before doing a little napkin match and watching the video, we weren't really sure precisely how this would all turn out.
While there's really nothing similar between an old Ferrari sports car and a relatively new BMW i3 electric crossover, it's still eye-opening to look at how far vehicle technology has come over the years. You could honestly compare the range and efficiency of just about any older gas-guzzler to any newer EV and come up with similar results.
YouTube channel Number 27 put £10 ($12) worth of gasoline into a 1979 Ferrari 308 supercar name InfluEnza to see just how far it would go. Of course, it also charged up a BMW i3 electric car with $12 worth of electricity at a public charging station.
Clearly, there are variables at play in comparisons like this, especially when we relate it to real-world driving. Gas costs fluctuate, they're very high right now, and they vary widely by location. Charging an EV at home is relatively cheap, but on the road, it can be pricey, especially in certain areas. However, the range and efficiency of these two vehicles are so drastically different that the variables don't matter much.
Before we move on, this would be a good time to pause from reading ahead, scroll down to the comment section, and let us know how you think this unique range test plays out. Just how much further will the thirsty old Ferrari go than the modern BMW electric car?
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Range tests of any sort aren't easy, they take plenty of planning, and hardcore EVs fans are typically unhappy with the results. Needless to say, this "experiment" wasn't nearly as easy as expected.
How do you figure out the exact dollar figure of gas used by the 308? What happens when the i3 (no gas-powered range-extender) dies and you need to have a generator on hand to charge it?
Without getting into too many of the details, since you can just watch the video, they drain the Ferrari of all fuel and only add $12 worth. For the i3, they check the remaining battery percentage, add $12 worth of electricity, and then drive the EV until it's back to the original percentage prior to the charging session. Not perfect, but more than good enough to prove a solid point here.
The Ferrari 308 runs out of gas after traveling only just over 28 kilometers, or about 18 miles. The i3 travels about 67 miles, though they estimate that it could have probably done about 80 without some disruptions to the testing. Keep in mind that the public charging was pricey, so if they had charged the BMW with $12 worth of electricity from home, the range would have come in at more like 160 miles or so.
Source: Number 27 (YouTube)