BMW built the same car for gas and electric. The EV is $4,400 cheaper.

宝马推出同款燃油与电动车型，电动版售价便宜 4,400 美元。

For years, automotive analysts have been predicting that electric vehicles would become cheaper than their gas-powered equivalents. They figured it would happen sometime in the latter half of the 2020s. BloombergNEF, for example, expected it to happen in 2026. They weren’t far off. 多年来，汽车分析师一直预测电动汽车的价格将低于同类燃油车。他们认为这一转折点会出现在 2020 年代的后半段。例如，彭博新能源财经（BloombergNEF）曾预计这一时刻会在 2026 年到来。他们的预测相差并不远。

EV prices have dropped significantly in the last few years, but it has been hard to compare prices with fossil fuel vehicles because not every EV has a like-for-like gas-powered model. BMW has given us one. The 2027 BMW 3 Series comes in both gas and electric versions, and the EV is $4,400 cheaper. 过去几年里，电动汽车的价格大幅下降，但由于并非每款电动车都有对应的燃油车型，因此很难进行直接的价格对比。宝马现在为我们提供了一个样本：2027 款宝马 3 系同时推出了燃油版和电动版，且电动版比燃油版便宜 4,400 美元。

The gas-powered M350 xDrive will set you back $65,900, while the electric i3 50 xDrive will cost $61,500; neither price includes destination charges. Both are similarly powerful, similarly styled, and aimed at similar pocketbooks. The difference is the EV is 6.7% cheaper. 燃油版 M350 xDrive 的售价为 65,900 美元，而电动版 i3 50 xDrive 的售价为 61,500 美元；以上价格均不含运费。两款车动力相当、风格相似，且面向相同的消费群体。区别在于，电动版的价格便宜了 6.7%。

Pedants will point out there’s a significantly cheaper gas-powered 3 Series trim, though it has no electric equivalent yet. The 2027 BMW 330 is priced at $49,900, and its upgraded xDrive trim costs $51,900. The two comparable vehicles are built on different platforms, with the EV i3 benefiting from BMW’s newest chassis and technology. The gas-powered 3 Series makes do with an overhauled version of an existing platform. 严谨的人可能会指出，3 系还有更便宜的燃油版本，尽管目前还没有对应的电动车型。2027 款宝马 330 的起售价为 49,900 美元，升级后的 xDrive 版本售价为 51,900 美元。这两款可比车型基于不同的平台打造，电动版 i3 受益于宝马最新的底盘和技术，而燃油版 3 系则沿用了现有平台的改进版本。

For most people, the biggest difference will be the charging or refueling experience, but even there they’re more similar than some might expect. The range of the new gas 3 Series is likely similar to previous models, or about 450 miles per tank in all-wheel-drive guise. The electric i3 will travel 468 miles on a full charge, and BMW says the vehicle’s fast charging is speedy enough to replenish 208 miles of range in 10 minutes. The difference might be noticeable to extreme road warriors, but for most drivers, it’ll be academic. 对于大多数人来说，最大的区别在于充电或加油的体验，但即便是在这一点上，两者的相似程度也超出了许多人的预期。新款燃油版 3 系的续航里程可能与前代车型相近，全轮驱动版每箱油大约可行驶 450 英里。电动版 i3 充满电后可行驶 468 英里，宝马表示其快充技术足以在 10 分钟内补充 208 英里的续航里程。对于极端的长途驾驶者来说，这种差异或许值得注意，但对大多数驾驶员而言，这只是理论上的区别。

The generally accepted wisdom is that EVs have cost more up front, even if they’ve delivered a lower total cost of ownership. But now EVs are gaining the upper hand on purchase price, too. 普遍的共识是，尽管电动汽车的总拥有成本较低，但其前期购买成本一直较高。但现在，电动汽车在购买价格上也开始占据上风。