BMW i8 Fuel Economy (MPG)
What is the real-world gas mileage of a 2020 BMW i8?
The 2020 BMW i8 gets up to 28 MPG combined (28 city / 29 highway) in EPA testing.
Latest model year (2020):
The BMW i8 gets up to 27 MPG combined (26 city / 29 highway) in the Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L trim.
BMW i8 MPG — All Years
| Year | Trim | Engine | Fuel | City (MPG) | Hwy (MPG) | Combined (MPG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020Config 1 of 2 | Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L | 3 1.5L | Premium Gasoline | 26 | 29 | 27 |
| 2020Config 2 of 2 | Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L | 3 1.5L | Premium Gasoline | 26 | 29 | 27 |
| 2019Config 1 of 2 | Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L | 3 1.5L | Premium Gasoline | 26 | 29 | 27 |
| 2019Config 2 of 2 | Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L | 3 1.5L | Premium Gasoline | 26 | 29 | 27 |
| 2017 | Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L | 3 1.5L | Premium Gasoline | 28 | 29 | 28 |
| 2016 | Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L | 3 1.5L | Premium Gasoline | 28 | 29 | 28 |
| 2015 | Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L | 3 1.5L | Premium Gasoline | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Data sourced from fueleconomy.gov (U.S. Department of Energy). MPG figures are EPA-tested. Fuel costs are estimates based on average fuel prices and 15,000 miles/year.
BMW i8 data analysis
How BMW i8 combined fuel economy varies
Across 7 configurations recorded for the 2015 through 2020 BMW i8, combined fuel economy runs from 27 MPG to 28 MPG. The strongest figure belongs to the 2015 BMW i8 (Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L) at 28 MPG, and the weakest to the 2020 car (Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L) at 27 MPG — a spread of 4%. The narrow spread means any year of the BMW i8 in this table behaves much like the others, so you can shop on price, condition and mileage rather than chasing a particular model year.
What changed for 2020
Average combined fuel economy for the 2020 BMW i8 is 27 MPG, against 27 MPG for the 2019 car — it held flat. A carry-over year like this usually means no powertrain or structural change, so an older example is the cheaper way into the same specification.
How to read this BMW i8 data
This page lists every 2015 through 2020 BMW i8 record we hold for this measurement — 7 rows in total, one per configuration and model year rather than a single headline figure. Figures are published as the source agency records them: we do not round, average or interpolate missing years, and a year that is absent from the table is a year with no published measurement rather than a zero. Where a manufacturer offered several drivetrains or body styles in the same year, each appears on its own row, because those variants rarely share the same numbers.
Where these BMW i8 figures come from
Every value on this page is loaded from federal open data — EPA fuel economy submissions, NHTSA vehicle and crash-test records, and manufacturer specification filings — rather than dealer listings or copied editorial content. The BMW i8 record refreshes as the agencies publish, which typically means new model-year rows appear in the autumn and crash-test results follow through the model year as vehicles are tested. Because certification data is filed per configuration, treat any single headline number for this vehicle with caution: the figure that applies to a specific car depends on its engine, drivetrain, body style and model year, all of which are listed separately above. If a number here disagrees with a brochure, the brochure is usually quoting the best available configuration rather than the one being sold.
Official Factory Specs vs. AutoSpecData Expert Benchmarks
The EPA highway loop never holds interstate speed. Here is what the same engine does when you sit on the cruise control.
| Cruise speed | EPA highway spec | AutoSpecData adjusted MPG | Fuel you lose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 mph | 29 MPG | 29 MPG | 0% |
| 65 mph | 29 MPG | 27 MPG | 7% |
| 70 mph | 29 MPG | 25.2 MPG | 13% |
| 75 mph | 29 MPG | 23.5 MPG | 19% |
| 80 mph | 29 MPG | 21.9 MPG | 25% |
Our Real-World Speed MPG Adjuster re-scales the BMW i8 EPA highway result with a quadratic drag term (mpg = hwy ÷ (1 + k·(v² − 60²)/60²), k = 0.55 for trucks, SUVs and vans, 0.42 for cars). Wind, roof racks, and a heavy right foot make it worse, never better.
Frequently Asked Questions About i8 MPG
What is the MPG of the BMW i8?
The BMW i8 gets up to 28 MPG combined (28 city / 29 highway) in the 2020 model year. Fuel economy varies by engine and trim — see the full table above for details.
Which BMW i8 trim has the best fuel economy?
The Auto 6-spd, 3 cyl, 1.5 L trim offers the best combined fuel economy at 28 MPG. Smaller engines and front-wheel-drive configurations typically achieve the highest MPG.