BMW to omit SOC on US model i3?

[Yiiikes]

There has been much discussion on the boards recently about BMW not including a State Of Charge(SOC) indicator in the new i3 for the United States model. Many veteran electric vehicle(EV) drivers have expressed major disappointment, their EVs have always had SOCs. But how necessary is it on the BMW i3?

http://insideevs.com/op-ed-to-soc-o...-and-it-is-called-the-bmw-i3-range-assistant/

 

[Jkoeller]

Thanks for the link, yiiikes! I wasn't aware of the Range Assistant, and it looks very cool! The article doesn't list 'temperature' as one of the many variables that it uses, but I would think it would certainly use that as well. I still think a percentage could easily be added for those that want it (for the record, I'd like to have it... the more stats the better), but the Range Assistant will definitely help as long as it's accurate based on the conditions that were listed (+temp).

 

[Yiiikes]

Temperature is not mentioned in any of the literature or articles yet but it is a very good question and obviously critical to range. Other people have asked the same question. I do have some contacts to get the answer and I will let you know. (I definitely would like to know myself)

 

[Yiiikes]

For a solid well-written counterpoint by a guy with a lot of EV experience, see Tom's article at http://insideevs.com/say-it-aint-so-bmw-omits-state-of-charge-indicator-on-us-i3/

 

[surfingslovak]

While I truly appreciate all the effort an enthusiasm, I think a lot of these considerations are hypothetical. None of us has seen or used the Range Assistant in the real world, and yet you seem to be convinced that it's the be-all and end-all.

The SOC meter, on the other hand, has seen significant use in the field across several EVs. It provides useful information and you might be glad that it's there one day, for one reason or another. Please, this is not an attempt by some EV groupies or geeks to derail an otherwise flawless and fantastic design or to make it appear in an unfavorable light. I believe that this request is borne out of a genuine concern that something essential might have been inadvertently omitted, and while it might not be to late to make a correction today, it could be literally too late tomorrow.

I don't think that this is a good time and place to have protracted debates about the issue. Particularly, if the SOC percentage can be implemented in an unobtrusive way. I mentioned in the comments section of your article, that many consumer devices have such an indicator, including the laptop I'm typing this on. The metaphor is simple enough for most consumers to understand, and despite its simplicity, it can carry a lot of information, which can come in handy.

 

[Sranger]

The bottom line is that it is a simple software modification and there is NO RATIONAL reason not to include it....

 

[Yiiikes]

My Lenovo laptop reports how many working hours are left before I need to recharge, that is what I really want to know. I don't care about SOC just like I don't care about the voltage output of the battery or the current output of the battery. They are all physical characterizations of the battery but all I really want to know is how much longer can I work.

 

[Yiiikes]

The point is that SOC is based on calculations and integrations and assumptions made by any given manufacture. Why bother to provide that intermediate information when the product can provide exactly what you want to know and do it more reliably and accurately then we can in our head.

 

[Yiiikes]

SOC has seen significant use in the field because there was nothing else. Now there is and it is way better. The fuel dipstick saw significant use in the field for a long time as well and the fuel gauge came along and completely eliminated it. Nobody wanted a fuel dipstick once they discovered how convenient and accurate a fuel gauge on their instrument panel could be. Same with SOC -obsolete technology.

 

[Yiiikes]

The problem with the consumer product metaphor is that SOC is only a few calculations away from being what we need to know on a consumer device which is how many hours do I have left on the device before I need to recharge. For an automobile the number of variables that can impact the prediction are substantially greater.
The distance we want to be able to travel, the topography of the route, the driving style of the driver, the stops and goes on the route, the traffic on the route, how the accessories like heating or AC will be used on the route, the top speed we will access on the route, the current condition of the battery and more. There is no way we can know or handle all of that information when we estimate range from SOC. Range Assistant has access to all of that information and more.

 

[TomMoloughney]

Looks like BMW may have realized they made a mistake. At the private ActiveE - i3 Event at BMW headquarters the BMW i program managers said that they were revisiting this and while they can't promise anything at this point, there is a good likelihood the numeric state of charge will be included on a screen in iDrive for those that are interested in looking at it.

Obviously this isn't an official announcement, but it is confirmation they are discussing it internally and are seriously reconsidering the decision to omit it.

 

[Yiiikes]

Range assistant is as hypothetical as the Internet. I believe in Google maps and Google earth and traffic.com and GPS and mobile web so I believe in the result of using all of those inputs to predict driving range

 

[Sranger]

Look at it this way.

It is a simple software modification and will not really cost anything.

It is the same as a fuel gage in an ICE car. Who in their right mind would build a car without a fuel gage?

If nothing else it gives a sanity check for the computer and a backup of the computer if it is having a bad day.

There is absolutely no reasonable reason to omit it....

 

[Yiiikes]

How in the world would the computer know where I intend to go? I a fairly sure it does not read minds.
I am sorry but I am not going to use the navigation every Time I go some where.
Also what happens if the data link is malfunctioning? A state of charge would be darn useful as a backup to the computer would it not?
Again, just because you do not find it usefull does not mean others will. And I'll ask again. What possible reason could there be to not include it?

Really? Sranger, really? I continue to respond to your challenges to Range Assistant capability and you still cannot accept that it is an amazing informational technology that possibly supercedes SOC. You clearly haven't read my article because all of the answers to your questions are in there and more with pictures. Why would you not at least want to learn the other POV before arguing from ignorance?

What if I told you Range Assistant can make the i3 fly, would you still tell me you are concerned you don't have your SOC? To quote GeorgeB (out of context)

"some hardcore old EV drivers don’t want to see the Range Assistant for what it is, don’t appreciate its awesomeness, and somehow fail to migrate away from their ancient habits and methods, while insisting on anachronisms such as an SOC meter being included in this cool new EV."

Your Thing conversion is amazing and you are clearly an EV pioneer and warrior, and I definitely appreciate the effort, commitment and purpose it took to fly in the face of ICE convention and forge a trail for everybody else. I respect you for it. And your fabrication, system integration and electro-mechanical knowledge is to be reckoned with, maybe the best I have seen. But be careful with your blind attachment to your ancient habits and methods, technology will leave you behind.

 

[Yiiikes]

Looks like BMW may have realized they made a mistake. At the private ActiveE - i3 Event at BMW headquarters the BMW i program managers said that they were revisiting this and while they can't promise anything at this point, there is a good likelihood the numeric state of charge will be included on a screen in iDrive for those that are interested in looking at it.

Obviously this isn't an official announcement, but it is confirmation they are discussing it internally and are seriously reconsidering the decision to omit it.

Keep us all posted Tom!

 

[Sranger]

How in the world would the computer know where I intend to go? I a fairly sure it does not read minds.
I am sorry but I am not going to use the navigation every Time I go some where.
Also what happens if the data link is malfunctioning? A state of charge would be darn useful as a backup to the computer would it not?
Again, just because you do not find it usefull does not mean others will. And I'll ask again. What possible reason could there be to not include it?

Really? Sranger, really? I continue to respond to your challenges to Range Assistant capability and you still cannot accept that it is an amazing informational technology that possibly supercedes SOC. You clearly haven't read my article because all of the answers to your questions are in there and more with pictures. Why would you not at least want to learn the other POV before arguing from ignorance?

What if I told you Range Assistant can make the i3 fly, would you still tell me you are concerned you don't have your SOC? To quote GeorgeB (out of context)

"some hardcore old EV drivers don’t want to see the Range Assistant for what it is, don’t appreciate its awesomeness, and somehow fail to migrate away from their ancient habits and methods, while insisting on anachronisms such as an SOC meter being included in this cool new EV."

Your Thing conversion is amazing and you are clearly an EV pioneer and warrior, and I definitely appreciate the effort, commitment and purpose it took to fly in the face of ICE convention and forge a trail for everybody else. I respect you for it. And your fabrication, system integration and electro-mechanical knowledge is to be reckoned with, maybe the best I have seen. But be careful with your blind attachment to your ancient habits and methods, technology will leave you behind.

I work with computer system all day every day. What they can do is amazing, but I would not trust them as far as I could throw them. My point is simple, no matter how good it is, and I admit it is good, I want a quick sanity check that I can do in a few seconds with a 0-100% value. If it wigs out I can still accurately predict range with a simple number and a little common sense.

I could see omitting it added weight or cost a lot of money, but it is more or less free and adds no weight. I stick my my statement that there is no rational reason to omit it...

 

[Bunter]

I posted before that I didn't understand why anyone would want a SOC indicator but equally didn't understand why BMW has chosen not to display the information.

Having watched the interview which explains that the range assistant algorithms used to compute range are off-board the car I think a SOC indicator which is independent of connectivity is a good thing.

Bill

 

[Yiiikes]

In addition to the range assistant the car does have an onboard range indicator prominently displayed in the central monitor.

 

[ultraturtle]

In addition to the range assistant the car does have an onboard range indicator prominently displayed in the central monitor.

... as well as a really large SOC bar graph display.

 

[surfingslovak]

In addition to the range assistant the car does have an onboard range indicator prominently displayed in the central monitor.

... as well as a really large SOC bar graph display.

I'm sorry, but that's not the same as a percentage SOC indicator. When you need the readout, those values won't be granular or consistent enough. Here is how this is elegantly addressed in the Fiat 500e. If you were not looking for it, you wouldn't even notice the SOC value there. While the Range Assistant or the DTE gauge is something that most consumers will flock to, these instruments are unlikely to cover all use cases. Aside from that, consumer devices typically always have a graphical representation of the state of charge, along with a configurable numeric readout, such as time-to-empty or a percentage state of charge. If you think that you won't need this data, good for you. There appears to be a sizable segment of the prospective i3 driver population, which could benefit from this. I don't understand why anyone would be opposing the inclusion of this data.

Fiat 500e

2013 Nissan LEAF

Honda Fit EV

MINI-E

BMW ActiveE

Tesla Roadster

Tesla Roadster

Tesla Model S

Mahindra REVA