Eco Pro and Eco Pro+ are the BMW i3’s two efficiency-focused driving modes. Eco Pro reduces climate-control and comfort energy use while allowing a configurable speed ceiling. Eco Pro+ applies the strongest restrictions: heating and air conditioning are switched off, seat heating is disabled, and the nominal maximum speed is 90 km/h (55 mph). You can deliberately exceed that limit by pressing the accelerator fully. Neither mode adds battery capacity; both reduce consumption by changing vehicle and comfort settings.
Eco Pro versus Eco Pro+ at a glance
The practical difference is how much comfort and speed flexibility you are willing to trade for lower energy use. Eco Pro is the everyday efficiency setting. Eco Pro+ is intended for a short, range-critical drive when you can manage without active heating or cooling.
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| Setting | Eco Pro | Eco Pro+ |
|---|---|---|
| Climate control | Air conditioning or heating is turned down. | Air conditioning and heating are deactivated. |
| Seat heating | Seat heating is reduced or shortened as part of the comfort-saving strategy. | Seat heating is switched off. |
| Exterior mirrors and rear window | Heating is reduced or its operating time is shortened. | The 2016 BMW Quick Start Guide does not list a separate mirror or rear-window setting for Eco Pro+; the documented additional restrictions are the climate and seat-heating shutdowns. |
| Nominal maximum speed | Configurable. BMW lists 90–130 km/h (2016 Quick Start Guide) and 80–130 km/h (2018 owner manual), depending on model year and market. | 90 km/h (55 mph). |
| Can the limit be exceeded? | The selected ceiling governs normal operation; the exact override behavior should be read from your iDrive and manual. | Yes. Press the accelerator pedal fully to intentionally exceed 90 km/h. |
| Instrument lighting | No additional change is identified in the cited documents. | The 2018 owner manual says the low beams are dimmed. |
BMW’s figures describe the settings, not a guaranteed percentage increase in range. Actual consumption depends on speed, temperature, traffic, terrain, battery condition and how much climate energy the car would otherwise use.
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Reduced heating and cooling demand
When Eco Pro is selected, the i3 turns down air conditioning or heating rather than removing climate control altogether. You can therefore retain some cabin conditioning, but the system may use less power or deliver the requested temperature more slowly.
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Shorter comfort-heating operation
The mode also reduces or shortens heating for the exterior mirrors, rear window and seats. These loads can be useful in cold or wet weather, but they consume energy that would otherwise be available for propulsion. Eco Pro limits their operation to favor efficiency.
Configurable speed ceiling
Eco Pro includes a driver-selectable maximum-speed setting. The lower bound is not identical in every BMW document: the 2016 Quick Start Guide describes a range of 90 to 130 km/h, while the 2018 owner manual describes 80 to 130 km/h (50 to 80 mph). Treat the range shown in your own iDrive menu as authoritative for your i3’s model year and market. Do not assume that a setting available in one edition is available in another.
Changed accelerator behavior
BMW describes the efficiency modes as changing accelerator and comfort behavior. The purpose is to make energy use easier to control, not to alter the battery’s physical capacity. If the car feels less eager to respond in an efficiency mode, that is part of the mode’s operating strategy rather than a mechanical fault.
What Eco Pro+ adds
Climate systems are switched off
Eco Pro+ deactivates air conditioning and heating. This is the most important distinction for occupants: the cabin will not receive active heating or cooling from those systems while the mode is operating. Ventilation or airflow that does not require active heating or cooling should not be confused with climate conditioning.
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Seat heating is disabled
Seat heating is also switched off in Eco Pro+. If you need heated seats for comfort or demisting assistance, Eco Pro is the less restrictive choice.
90 km/h nominal limit
The nominal maximum speed is fixed at 90 km/h (55 mph). BMW nevertheless allows a deliberate override: press the accelerator pedal fully when traffic or safety requires a higher speed. That action is an intentional request for performance and can raise energy consumption, so use it only when necessary.
Dimmed low beams in the 2018 manual
The 2018 i3 owner manual additionally notes that low beams are dimmed in Eco Pro+. This is a model-year-specific detail from that manual, so consult the lighting behavior described for your own vehicle if it differs.
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How to activate Eco Pro or Eco Pro+
- Locate the i3’s Driving Experience Control switch.
- Press the switch repeatedly until ECO PRO or ECO PRO+ appears in the instrument cluster.
- Release the switch once the desired mode is displayed. The vehicle then applies that mode’s accelerator, speed and comfort settings.
The labels and indicator graphics can vary slightly by model year, but the repeated-switch procedure is the one specified in BMW’s i3 documentation.
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How to configure Eco Pro
Configuration is available after Eco Pro has been activated. BMW’s iDrive path is:
- Activate Eco Pro with the Driving Experience Control switch.
- Open My Vehicle.
- Select Vehicle settings.
- Select Configure ECO PRO.
- Choose the available Eco Pro setting, including the speed ceiling shown for your car.
You can also select Configure ECO PRO from the Eco Pro selection screen when that shortcut is displayed. The 2018 owner manual states that the settings are stored for the currently used driver profile. If another driver profile is selected later, its saved Eco Pro choices may appear instead.
Setting the Eco Pro speed limit correctly
Use the range your car actually displays
BMW’s own documents establish two lower limits: 90 km/h in the 2016 Quick Start Guide and 80 km/h in the 2018 owner manual. This is why a generic instruction such as set Eco Pro anywhere from 80 to 130 km/h can be wrong for a particular car. Open the configuration menu and use only the values offered there.
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A low ceiling can help keep motorway speed under control, but it can also be unsuitable where surrounding traffic travels faster. Choose a limit that is legal and safe for the road, weather and traffic. Eco Pro+ is not a substitute for judging whether a road requires a higher speed; its 90 km/h figure is nominal and can be overridden with full accelerator travel.
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Remember that speed dominates consumption
Reducing the ceiling can prevent unplanned high-speed driving, and that can lower energy use. However, BMW does not publish one universal range-gain percentage for these modes. A speed setting is therefore a driving aid, not a promise that the car will travel a fixed number of extra kilometers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which mode should you use?
Choose Eco Pro for normal efficiency driving
Eco Pro is the better compromise when you want lower energy use but still need some cabin comfort. It leaves climate control available in reduced form, limits comfort heating, and lets you select a speed ceiling within the range shown by your iDrive. It suits routine commuting, mixed urban driving and longer trips where completely disabling heat or cooling would be impractical.
Choose Eco Pro+ for a short range-critical leg
Eco Pro+ makes sense when reaching a charger or destination matters more than comfort and the route can tolerate a nominal 90 km/h limit. It is particularly demanding in cold or hot weather because active heating and air conditioning are unavailable. Plan clothing, demisting needs and traffic conditions before selecting it.
Do not expect either mode to create energy
Both modes work by reducing or controlling loads and by shaping driving behavior. They cannot restore energy already consumed, increase the battery’s rated capacity or guarantee a particular arrival state of charge. Regenerative braking, route elevation, wind and temperature remain important influences on the trip.
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Common situations and the right response
The cabin is still conditioned in Eco Pro
That is expected. Eco Pro turns down heating or cooling; it does not document a complete shutdown. Allow more time for the cabin to reach the requested temperature, or switch to Eco Pro+ only if you can accept no active climate control.
The heater or air conditioner stops in Eco Pro+
This is the defining Eco Pro+ restriction, not necessarily a fault. Return to Eco Pro or another driving mode if active heating or cooling is required.
The car exceeds 90 km/h in Eco Pro+
BMW explicitly permits a full-accelerator override. Ease off the pedal to return to the nominal limit, then select a less restrictive mode if the route routinely requires higher speeds.
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The available speed range does not match an online instruction
Model year and market explain the documented difference between 80–130 km/h and 90–130 km/h. Follow the range presented by your vehicle’s menu and the owner manual for that car rather than forcing a value that is not offered.
Eco Pro settings appear to have changed
Check which driver profile is active. BMW’s 2018 manual says Eco Pro settings are stored per currently used profile, so selecting a different profile can load different choices.
What BMW’s documentation does—and does not—promise
The BMW i3 Quick Start Guide and owner manual document specific setting changes: reduced climate and comfort loads in Eco Pro; deactivated climate systems and seat heating, a 90 km/h nominal limit and, in the 2018 manual, dimmed low beams in Eco Pro+. They do not establish a single percentage range improvement that applies to every i3.
Any claimed range increase must therefore identify the exact model year, battery, ambient temperature, route, speed and climate use behind the number. Without those conditions, a percentage is not a reliable expectation. The defensible conclusion is narrower: selecting Eco Pro or Eco Pro+ can reduce electrical demand by restricting comfort functions and encouraging lower speeds, while the size of the benefit varies from trip to trip.
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A practical decision checklist
- Need heat or air conditioning? Use Eco Pro rather than Eco Pro+.
- Can you travel at a nominal 90 km/h? Eco Pro+ may be suitable; otherwise configure Eco Pro or select another mode.
- Driving in cold, wet weather? Account for reduced mirror, rear-window and seat heating in Eco Pro, and the complete climate and seat-heating shutdown in Eco Pro+.
- Unsure which speed values apply? Open My Vehicle → Vehicle settings → Configure ECO PRO and use the values your iDrive presents.
- Sharing the car? Verify the active driver profile because saved Eco Pro settings are profile-specific in the 2018 documentation.
- Need extra speed briefly in Eco Pro+? A full accelerator press intentionally overrides the nominal limit; return to lighter pedal input afterward.
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