Impressions after 2 weeks ownership: Mileage tips & more

[lencap]

Greetings -

I want to first thank the members of this forum. Without this forum I doubt that I would have become an i3 owner. The amount of knowledge, genuinely helpful/insightful posts and friendly supportive comments is truly exceptional. You are all to be commended for the high quality of this forum. Kudos!

I've owned a Nissan Leaf (2013), three Prius hybrids (2007/2011/2014), several diesel cars (BMW 335d/VW Passat TDI/VW Beetle/Mercedes E) and generally find that I like the torque of the diesel and the efficiency of a hybrid. I was hoping to find a car that combined both features, and to do so in a higher quality form than is typically found in many cars. My quest lead me to an i3, which I've not owned for two weeks putting on 250 miles in various conditions. I considered the Tesla as well, but the Tesla seating position doesn't work for me - too low and the window belt line makes the cabin claustrophobic - I'm "vertically challenged" at 5'7"; it's worse for my wife who is 5'1". Both of us far prefer the i3 seating position and airy cabin.

Frankly, I've been modestly disappointed in the i3 range - about 65-70 miles in comfort mode after the first week, driving mostly level ground, city driving oriented, moderate temperatures, no "jack rabbit" starts. I had hoped for the EPA 80 mile estimate, and falling short by 10-15 miles has created some issues based on my daily needs. I find myself charging during the day at public spots, adding extra range and having more range anxiety than I expected or want.

One notable shortfall occurred when I left my office for a business appointment, a 35-40 mile round trip partly highway driving on level ground, temperature near 60. The range meter showed 59 miles of range when I left. When I arrived (driving in Custom mode) I had 27 miles of range remaining. When I left my meeting to return to the office after driving 3 miles the range fell to 22 miles. I got concerned and switched to Comfort Pro mode, and switched to local roads without any high speed driving. Happily I returned to the office without incident, and actually had 16 miles left when I arrived. The extended driving distance was much appreciated, but created too much range anxiety to be enjoyable even though the car rode well.

The moral of the story is that I'm still learning how to get the best mileage and the driving technique is different from the Leaf and the hyper-mileage techniques of the Prius. I've found a few tricks:

- The estimated mileage range is helpful, but not overly accurate. Caveat emptor!
- To get the best realized mileage keep the driving gauge right in the middle of the display. Doing so expands the miles/Kwh efficiency dramatically.
- - Put the Car Info display in split mode so you can monitor miles/Kwh and range while driving. Have the other part of the display show the map - helps with seeing range shortfall.
- Use cruise control. I found that using the dynamic cruise control on the highway helped mileage more than expected. The computer is pretty smart - try it and you may be surprised.
- Don't "lift" when you're on the highway. Keep the gauge in the middle of the display. Doing so boots miles/Kwh dramatically.
- Lifting off the accelerator slows the car dramatically, killing the miles/Kwh range. Don't do it if you want to maximize range! This wasn't at all intuitive. Try it - it surprised me.
- Raising the speed is efficient. Another surprise. With a 45 MPH speed limit I was driving at 38-42 typically. Accelerating to 45 and staying in the middle of the gauge helped mileage.
- A "smooth" hybrid driving style is not effective. Think of a go cart. When you lift off the gas it takes a while to rebuild momentum - same with the i3. Keep your foot on the throttle.

The BMW approach to EV driving is very different from the Leaf or the hybrid Prius (I have over 100K miles in these vehicles combined). They do not have as aggressive braking regeneration as the i3. The result is that you can let off the accelerator without immediately slowing in other cars, not so in the i3. When you reapply the throttle the car hasn't lost much momentum in other cars. On the BMW that isn't the case. Lifting off the accelerator requires lots of energy to regain the lost speed. You do gain energy from regeneration, but it appears to be less efficient than staying at higher speeds. This is more acute in the i3 versus any other EV I've driven.

My "mileage" increased from 3.8 miles/Kwh to 4.3 using the above driving technique. My range is now in the mid 70s, quite an improvement over the initial week of driving. As I learn more I'm sure that will improve as well. I've also found that temperature is very critical to mileage - more than expected. The Leaf has a basic battery setup - no heating or cooling is applied. The Volt does condition the battery temperature, an improvement, as does the Tesla. The BMW also conditions the battery applying heat/cooling as needed. As such I didn't expect temperature variation to make a difference - I was wrong, it does.

The way around it, for me, was to reduce the interior heat to 64 or so (even shutting the heater off entirely as an experiment) and switching to the seat heaters - which are excellent with both seat back and the seat itself responding with whatever temperature setting you select. I noticed 4-5 extra range from this simple change in Comfort mode - and 8-10 miles in Comfort Pro + mode in lower temperatures. (The Leaf changed to a heat pump climate control in 2013 - which the i3 also uses - primarily to boost range since the electric heaters drained range rapidly. The i3 heat pump may not be as efficient as it could be, impacting mileage more than expected).

From a quality and "fun to own" perspective the i3 is exceptional - far worth the pricing difference versus the Leaf. It is also quieter, more responsive and has none of the disadvantages of having been built from a lower priced donor car (the Versa is the Leaf donor - a very different price level than the i3 built from scratch approach). If you have range anxiety, or are experiencing range shortfall, try some of the tips I've mentioned. I'm certain there will be many more, but I was happily surprised that I've gained 10% plus mileage gains with a few simple driving adjustments. And this is still having the instant torque of the Comfort mode.

I've gone from "Did I make a mistake?" to "I love this car" in two short weeks. I've also purchased the Clipper Creek HCS-40 EVSE "charger". Very happy with that decision - allows rapid charging at a very reasonable price and works well. It allows me to charge when I want without concern, greatly extending the usefulness of the i3. I debated buying the ReX version, with my driving adjustments and home charger, I'm very pleased that I have the BEV version, which works well for my needs.

Finally, the newly raised residual values make the leasing deals pretty attractive. When I first priced a lease on the i3 (list price $48,100) in March of this year, the lease was over $700 month plus $2,500 down for a three year lease. With the new rates and reduced money factor my payments, adjusted for the up front cash, is about half of the original monthly quote, and the term is 24 months. That's about $100/month more than my Leaf lease (that was a 2013) for a BMW i3 that bests the Leaf in every category except cargo storage and a fifth seat for passengers, if that's what you need. I can't emphasize enough how cheaply built the Leaf felt - it was a major disappointment.

If you've been on the fence about the i3, the end of year lease deals, coupled with some experimentation in driving style could be your ticket to a very enjoyable, unique car that is surprisingly fun to drive, as well as a very good financial deal.

 

[DAZ]

Thanks for there great information from a knowledgable EVer. Prior to my i3, I drove a Prius Plug In, which I still have. I loved the Prius and couldn't get enough EV. With an average 10.5 miles range, it just wasn't enough. I was obsessed, but it was painful, Just too much effort required. I achieved 75% EV miles out of just over 10,000 total. Wanting a "real" EV, I considered everything, but just couldn't find the right vehicle. Once I checked out the BMW i3, it was a perfect match.

I also went with the BEV. With a estimated 85 mile EV range, it fits my lifestyle and driving routine. With the i3 BEV range, I can typically do three days on a charge, versus the twice daily charge for the Prius. I felt my Prius EV experience would help my i3 range. I'm sure it does, but they're different and I have much more latitude to be lax and enjoy my i3.

What I've learned with the i3, initially, 85 mile range seemed endless. How quickly it became normal. Regardless how many miles I use each day, home and work provide a full charge. I have no need for a REx or it's current associated issues. I'm happy to be all i3 EV.

 

[psquare]

I have no need for a REx or it's current associated issues.

Current associated issues? Could you elaborate?

P

 

[PhilH]

I presume he's referring to the fact that, in the USA, you cannot turn the REx on and off at appropriate times based on your knowledge of your route: it only comes on at 6.5% SoC.

 

[psquare]

Ah, if that's the case then yes: it's been discussed many times on here before.

 

[jadnashuanh]

There are various other little things on the REx that hit some people other than the implementation of the REx engagement (which was a business decision, and not a fault or accident in operation - not saying that it may not be better if it were different, but it is as designed for the USA). Fuel pressurization sensor, CEL, and a few other things. In most cases, they are easily fixed, and by no means do they hit everyone. On the other hand, not that there are lots of REx issues, there are very few unique to the BEV. The same issue on the KLE applies to both versions, and there are a lot fewer parts on the BEV that need maintenance and eventual repair or replacement: muffler, oil, filter, fuel system, spark plugs, wires, etc. Certainly, with only a two-cylinder engine, there aren't a lot of parts, but access means a bit more time. THen, throw in the slight, but real acceleration potential and the slightly less max range on the batteries because you're carrying around the equivalent of a good sized person all of the time. If you need it, it's a good deal. IF you don't, it's just one more thing that needs maintenance.

 

[psquare]

It's like with so many things in life: only time will tell what the real cost/benefits of a REx are.

For an overall servicing cost of £375 (offered by my UK dealer, incl REx servicing) over five years, I was happy to take that "risk". In return, I get piece of mind that my wife can do longer journeys on those few occasions when I'm out with the Diesel.

Horses for courses.

 

[user 1096]

Greetings -

I want to first thank the members of this forum. Without this forum I doubt that I would have become an i3 owner. The amount of knowledge, genuinely helpful/insightful posts and friendly supportive comments is truly exceptional. You are all to be commended for the high quality of this forum. Kudos!

I've owned a Nissan Leaf (2013), three Prius hybrids (2007/2011/2014), several diesel cars (BMW 335d/VW Passat TDI/VW Beetle/Mercedes E) and generally find that I like the torque of the diesel and the efficiency of a hybrid. I was hoping to find a car that combined both features, and to do so in a higher quality form than is typically found in many cars. My quest lead me to an i3, which I've not owned for two weeks putting on 250 miles in various conditions. I considered the Tesla as well, but the Tesla seating position doesn't work for me - too low and the window belt line makes the cabin claustrophobic - I'm "vertically challenged" at 5'7"; it's worse for my wife who is 5'1". Both of us far prefer the i3 seating position and airy cabin.

Frankly, I've been modestly disappointed in the i3 range - about 65-70 miles in comfort mode after the first week, driving mostly level ground, city driving oriented, moderate temperatures, no "jack rabbit" starts. I had hoped for the EPA 80 mile estimate, and falling short by 10-15 miles has created some issues based on my daily needs. I find myself charging during the day at public spots, adding extra range and having more range anxiety than I expected or want.

One notable shortfall occurred when I left my office for a business appointment, a 35-40 mile round trip partly highway driving on level ground, temperature near 60. The range meter showed 59 miles of range when I left. When I arrived (driving in Custom mode) I had 27 miles of range remaining. When I left my meeting to return to the office after driving 3 miles the range fell to 22 miles. I got concerned and switched to Comfort Pro mode, and switched to local roads without any high speed driving. Happily I returned to the office without incident, and actually had 16 miles left when I arrived. The extended driving distance was much appreciated, but created too much range anxiety to be enjoyable even though the car rode well.

The moral of the story is that I'm still learning how to get the best mileage and the driving technique is different from the Leaf and the hyper-mileage techniques of the Prius. I've found a few tricks:

- The estimated mileage range is helpful, but not overly accurate. Caveat emptor!
- To get the best realized mileage keep the driving gauge right in the middle of the display. Doing so expands the miles/Kwh efficiency dramatically.
- - Put the Car Info display in split mode so you can monitor miles/Kwh and range while driving. Have the other part of the display show the map - helps with seeing range shortfall.
- Use cruise control. I found that using the dynamic cruise control on the highway helped mileage more than expected. The computer is pretty smart - try it and you may be surprised.
- Don't "lift" when you're on the highway. Keep the gauge in the middle of the display. Doing so boots miles/Kwh dramatically.
- Lifting off the accelerator slows the car dramatically, killing the miles/Kwh range. Don't do it if you want to maximize range! This wasn't at all intuitive. Try it - it surprised me.
- Raising the speed is efficient. Another surprise. With a 45 MPH speed limit I was driving at 38-42 typically. Accelerating to 45 and staying in the middle of the gauge helped mileage.
- A "smooth" hybrid driving style is not effective. Think of a go cart. When you lift off the gas it takes a while to rebuild momentum - same with the i3. Keep your foot on the throttle.

The BMW approach to EV driving is very different from the Leaf or the hybrid Prius (I have over 100K miles in these vehicles combined). They do not have as aggressive braking regeneration as the i3. The result is that you can let off the accelerator without immediately slowing in other cars, not so in the i3. When you reapply the throttle the car hasn't lost much momentum in other cars. On the BMW that isn't the case. Lifting off the accelerator requires lots of energy to regain the lost speed. You do gain energy from regeneration, but it appears to be less efficient than staying at higher speeds. This is more acute in the i3 versus any other EV I've driven.

My "mileage" increased from 3.8 miles/Kwh to 4.3 using the above driving technique. My range is now in the mid 70s, quite an improvement over the initial week of driving. As I learn more I'm sure that will improve as well. I've also found that temperature is very critical to mileage - more than expected. The Leaf has a basic battery setup - no heating or cooling is applied. The Volt does condition the battery temperature, an improvement, as does the Tesla. The BMW also conditions the battery applying heat/cooling as needed. As such I didn't expect temperature variation to make a difference - I was wrong, it does.

The way around it, for me, was to reduce the interior heat to 64 or so (even shutting the heater off entirely as an experiment) and switching to the seat heaters - which are excellent with both seat back and the seat itself responding with whatever temperature setting you select. I noticed 4-5 extra range from this simple change in Comfort mode - and 8-10 miles in Comfort Pro + mode in lower temperatures. (The Leaf changed to a heat pump climate control in 2013 - which the i3 also uses - primarily to boost range since the electric heaters drained range rapidly. The i3 heat pump may not be as efficient as it could be, impacting mileage more than expected).

From a quality and "fun to own" perspective the i3 is exceptional - far worth the pricing difference versus the Leaf. It is also quieter, more responsive and has none of the disadvantages of having been built from a lower priced donor car (the Versa is the Leaf donor - a very different price level than the i3 built from scratch approach). If you have range anxiety, or are experiencing range shortfall, try some of the tips I've mentioned. I'm certain there will be many more, but I was happily surprised that I've gained 10% plus mileage gains with a few simple driving adjustments. And this is still having the instant torque of the Comfort mode.

I've gone from "Did I make a mistake?" to "I love this car" in two short weeks. I've also purchased the Clipper Creek HCS-40 EVSE "charger". Very happy with that decision - allows rapid charging at a very reasonable price and works well. It allows me to charge when I want without concern, greatly extending the usefulness of the i3. I debated buying the ReX version, with my driving adjustments and home charger, I'm very pleased that I have the BEV version, which works well for my needs.

Finally, the newly raised residual values make the leasing deals pretty attractive. When I first priced a lease on the i3 (list price $48,100) in March of this year, the lease was over $700 month plus $2,500 down for a three year lease. With the new rates and reduced money factor my payments, adjusted for the up front cash, is about half of the original monthly quote, and the term is 24 months. That's about $100/month more than my Leaf lease (that was a 2013) for a BMW i3 that bests the Leaf in every category except cargo storage and a fifth seat for passengers, if that's what you need. I can't emphasize enough how cheaply built the Leaf felt - it was a major disappointment.

If you've been on the fence about the i3, the end of year lease deals, coupled with some experimentation in driving style could be your ticket to a very enjoyable, unique car that is surprisingly fun to drive, as well as a very good financial deal.

Very worthwhile reading; I'm going to have to go back to checking my Gamble-On-Meter that I slacked off of once I too installed the CC HCS-40.

The one thing you did not mention, and I only learned recently (I bought not leased) that a lease can still earn you a $4300 (?) federal tax credit. I was shocked to learn that and it ought to be emphasized more.

Good luck; I'm at 3500 miles since the end of July delivery.

 

[jadnashuanh]

FWIW, the feds extended the credit for installing an EVSE in the USA in the budget, so you can recover some of the costs of installing your EVSE as well.

 

[WoodlandHills]

30% of actual costs up to $1000 maximum credit