20 months to a 200mi range i3

[sithsmith23]

I'm using mobile phone battery life as my benchmark....these have got progressively worst over the years...maybe EV battery tech will never allow long distance as mass market option because....
If the future is electric charging stations vs petrol/diesel then current/future energy companies will want us stopping/charging more often to put coins in their back pockets rather than driving hundreds of miles on one charge...so I wonder if it will be the EV car manufacturers driving the agenda over next 5,10, 15+years in terms of range which is offered to the market. The tech may well be there (already here) but does it make commercial sense for all and sundry to offer still at the dawn of EV.

 

[jadnashuanh]

If you want to cram in the same amount of batteries as the Tesla, and the car is big enough for them, it's not much of a technical feat at all. The Tesla is not a small car. The i3, on the other hand, is both small and more efficient with the batteries that it does have (look at the mpge figures - the i3 is way more efficient). It all depends on what you want and need. What people think they need verses what they really do often do not coincide. Taking ANY pure EV cross country is not easy if you stray much from the path of Tesla's superchargers. Yes, they are installing more, but they still may not be on your preferred route.

 

[PluviaPlumbum]

Bolt is a show car at the moment so take any marketing claims as to range with a large dose of salt.
Battery tech will no doubt improve but I doubt that by 2016 Energy density will have advanced to the point where a battery pack of similar size and weight to the one in the i3 will deliver 200miles even under lab conditions. The horizon for leaps like that in battery power will come from development of advanced materials like Graphene.

 

[sithsmith23]

who knew...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1

so things have not moved on that much in nearly 20 years....

 

[drb]

Of course, we would all like a battery that will give us 200 miles. While we're at it, how about 300 miles? But for the moment, my i3 gives me everything I was looking for in a vehicle that will give me 120 miles between the battery and the REx. Twice a week I have to drive this distance and the i3+REx allows me to do this without any anxiety, range or otherwise. When not driving this distance, I typically drive locally--perhaps 15 to 30 miles daily. I purchased the i3 for my driving needs which coincide with the purpose for which the vehicle was intended. In addition, I am getting BMW quality beginning with the cabin appointments which are far superior to anything I've seen on a Volt or I imagine we will see on a Bolt. The seats are terrific--thin but strong and comfortable with the kind of support my arthritic body requires. And the airiness of the cabin, well, few cars can rival this. I used to own Chevrolets many years ago when I was a young man starting out in life. They fit the needs of a particular price range. When I could afford it later in life, I purchased Cadillac (ugh, never again) Jaguar, Lexus and BMW. Certainly a Volt or even a Bolt will be less expensive than a BMW, just as almost any car in the Chevy line will be less expensive than the approximate equivalent in BMW. If you need 200 miles, wait for the Bolt (might be a long wait) or get a Tesla. But for most drivers, 200 miles is the exception to their daily transportation needs.

 

[Jeffj]

I agree (and the statistics back it up) that most people don't need 200 miles, certainly not for a daily driver. The oft-quoted figure is 40 miles will cover over 80% of the populations daily commute need. But virtually everyone (this is my opinion) occasionally needs to go beyond the 40-50 miles in a day range, and periodically would like to go several hundred miles. So if you want mass adoption of EV's, you have to make a car that can cover those needs. Waiting 3-5 hours for a charge doesn't satisfy that need when going on a longer trip, but DCFC does. With 120-150 miles of range (200 is more marketing hype than necessity) and DCFC, you have a car that can realistically replace an ICE. With 50-80 mile range, its still in the realm of early adopters (people willing to make the compromises) or people fortunate enough to be able to afford an ICE backup.

 

[drb]

I haven't looked at the stats recently, but I recall that most American households are two car families. Surprisingly, the last time I looked the ratio was higher in Western Europe.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I know that I"ve got more money tied up in cars than I need, as renting an ICE for the occasional longer trips would save me money, but the convenience is worth it to me. THe right tool for the job. I'm at a stage where I can afford to not make compromises...my i3 covers 95% of my daily needs. I only use my ICE when I'm either going further, or need more room than the i3 can handle comfortably. Until CCS units are like fuel pumps, and you can be assured of finding one when you need one, long distance travel is not going to be viable with a BEV, at least unless you are willing to restrict yourself to the few routes where they may be initially deployed. My goal on a daily driver was to avoid things like oil, antifreeze, mufflers, spark plugs, etc. that are less reliable when you do not regularly get the car up to full operating temp, and my 1-5 mile typical trip, does not. Public transport is infrequent, doesn't cover the areas I need to go, and especially with this winter, the sidewalks, when even installed, are often covered in snow piles, making waking in the roadway a very dangerous endeavor (about half a dozen people in the area have been hit or killed by traffic while doing so in the last month)! Boston area has had over 8' of snow, and the temperature has been below freezing for almost the entire last month...very little melting has occurred.

Keep in mind that it is highly likely that only incremental changes in battery capacity are likely to occur, and every extra pound you carry takes more energy to accelerate...there is a decreasing benefit for larger battery packs as it not only requires the weight of them, but bigger, stronger wheels, brakes, chassis, etc. It reaches a point where it starts to decrease maximum range as you scale things up. The i3, with today's materials, is a good compromise. Things will only get better, similar to computing power...but nowhere near as fast.

 

[WoodlandHills]

Bumping this to the top since Ford has also announced a 200 mile BEV to join the Bolt. Folks may not NEED a 200 mile range, but a whole lot of smart people sure think they WANT one....... And they are putting their money down to back the bet. Perhaps all those marketing people and engineers at Ford and GM are simply wrong as the posters above have suggested, but the money says not.

BTW, I was wrong with the title of this thread: it's not 20 months since Ford says they want to introduce their 200 mile BEV this year!

 

[Schnort]

There was also a post on WSJ, I think, discussing how resale values of EVs has plummeted with the onset of cheaper gas, more cars, better features and longer range.

I'm certainly glad I did the owners choice route.

 

[WoodlandHills]

I don't know how long the cheap gas will last: here in LA the price has gone up $1 in one month and is now over $3.50. IMHO the biggest factor in BEV depreciation is obsolescence due to the improvements in the new ones, which is why I am leasing.

 

[i3an]

+1

 

[GeorgeJ]

The i3 is truly "The Ultimate (city) Driving Machine". I just traded what had been my favorite day to day car, a 135i 6M, for a new i3 rex and could not be more pleased. The car's compact proportions, low CG, and relatively low weight make it the perfect machine for getting around San Francisco. It is nimble and quick handling which are not terms you would use to describe a Tesla. The Tesla is fast and has great grip with it's large performance tires. To get that 250 or 300 mile range the Tesla owner carries a massive battery around every day even though typical driving involves far less distance. To haul that big battery requires a big car that does not fit into the typical city parking model easily though perhaps a better car for the suburban commuter.

To me it seems a bit like the horsepower wars, or camera megapixel bragging rights. I hope BMW refines not redefines the i3 in future iterations. Sanctioned hold mode and another gallon of gas would be nice for the occasional long weekend drives but for now BMW has an extraordinary machine. I have watched all of the construction/production videos and they highlight the incredible engineering that has gone into making the i3 as light as it is and light years ahead of anyone else.

 

[cove3]

>.BTW, I was wrong with the title of this thread: it's not 20 months since Ford says they want to introduce their 200 mile BEV this year!>>>

Do you have a link? Ford's official word is that the story is not accurate.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097103_ford-may-show-a-200-mile-electric-car-this-year-to-counter-chevy-bolt

While Ford may show a concept version of a planned electric car this year, it is at least four years away from Job One, the first production version of any new Ford electric car. Such a vehicle wouldn't roll off the assembly lines until late 2018 or sometime in 2019 at the earliest. At best, Ford's unnamed electric car will trail the 2017 Bolt by at least a year, but more likely two or three

There's almost no hard data on any of these 200 mile cars. Weight, body/frame material, how much of the 200 miles is just a bigger battery, availability etc. My take is late 2017 at the earliest for any of them, the majority of the 200 miles via a bigger battery, and a cost more than the 35K touted

Ron

 

[shrikantc]

What is owner's choice?