Weekend Picnic in Malibu with the new BMW i3

You all know by now that I love to drive.  Windows down, tunes up and the open road in front of me…my perfect little getaway.  Living in Los Angeles we have two things to deal with when driving: awful traffic and beautiful scenery.  So I decided to take a long Sunday drive with my two favorite passengers, my hubby and our dog Kenai up the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway.  Plus, I had a new toy to play with.

I had on loan the new, upgraded electric BMW i3.  Now I have the 2014 version of this car and am really happy with it but I was excited to try out the new extended battery and upgraded system.

My biggest gripe about my car when I leased it was they only came in a combination of half black and white, burnt orange or two shades of grey (I picked the darkest color grey they offered).  I was relieved to see that they now offer the i3 in all black.  Simple and chic and my choice for my week loaner.

Packing up the car was great, we folded down the back row of sets flat so the dog and our picnic basket had plenty of room for our journey north.  The first thing I noticed was the pickup seemed even better than in my car which was already fast.  That’s one of the beauties of an all-electric vehicle, you have all of the car’s torque available right off the line, so you shoot out at a green light like a rocket.

We cruised along the Highway 1, in awe of this beautiful place where the waves crash against white sand under majestic green mountains (the latter thanks to our recent on slot of rain).  We drove about 40 miles north to beautiful Leo Carrillo State Park which is one of the beaches that welcomes dogs in SoCal.  We try to visit and support our local, state and national parks as much as we can and this spot is gem.

With lunch and dog in hand, we found a perfect little nook next to a giant rock which shielded us from the slight chill in the breeze.  There we ate our ideal meal of cheese, cornichon and a half bottle of biodynamic wine (the 2009 Grgich Hills Estate Violetta).  We watched the birds dance and the ocean sing as sweet Kenai chased the waves up and down the beach.

After a few hours of bliss, we packed up and headed home another 40 miles.  But this was no problem for the new i3.  With 125 miles per charge, we had plenty to spare from our outing.  Range anxiety is one thing that keeps a lot of people from going electric.  But this new extended battery is wonderful, especially because Americans drive on average 29 miles a day.  Loads of miles to spare for little weekend getaways with your favorite passengers.