The 2017 BMW i3 features a bigger battery and more standard equipment (pictures)

The biggest change in the 2017 i3 is its larger battery capacity.

Thanks to larger energy density, the battery grows from 22 kWh to 33 kWh without a corresponding weight penalty.

The 2017 i3's range should be about 114 miles, up from about 80 in the outgoing i3.

That new battery should take 4.5 hours for a full charge on Level 2 charger.

If you pick up the range extender, the gas tank is now 25 percent larger, storing 2.4 gallons of gasoline to recharge the battery.

Output remains 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

Standard equipment grows to include the Deka World package, which consists of a unique interior motif, universal garage door opener, real-time traffic information and keyless entry.

The i3 can now be optioned in protonic blue, the same color that first appeared on the i8 sports car.

BMW has not yet said when the 2017 i3 will go on sale.

Pricing is also absent, but I'd expect it to cost a little bit more than the $43,000-ish 2016 model.