just jumped straight in

[Neil Harris]

Hi All, bought myself a 4 year old I3 S yesterday, traded in my A1 TFSI black for it from a well known UK online car shop!

Have never driven a I3 but contemplated buying one when i bought the Audi 18 months ago and chickened out as didnt like the idea of the small range and REX and the newer EV only cars were out of my price range.

Will be only used for local journeys < 50 miles as the A1 is currently so will be home charged only and probably stick with the normal 3 pin plug charge instead of paying out for a wall charger. I think in the summer one charge a week should easily do!

Car will be delivered next week so looking forward to the first drive and getting used to not putting petrol in and plugging in instead!

As for the car its a 2020 I3 s in grey with the following extras from new

Interior world, Suite
Loadspeaker system - harman/kardon
Online Entertainment
Interior trim Eucalyptus wood, matt
Mineral Grey metallic with highlight BMW i Blue
Sun protection glass
20" light alloy wheels Double-spoke style 431 Jet Black with mixed tyres

 

[ilance]

Welcome Neil! I just jumped too……but I’m going to predict that you’re gonna LOVE the i3.

Most entertaining and engaging machine I’ve ever found.

 

[JamesInLondon]

Hi All, bought myself a 4 year old I3 S yesterday, traded in my A1 TFSI black for it from a well known UK online car shop!

Have never driven a I3 but contemplated buying one when i bought the Audi 18 months ago and chickened out as didnt like the idea of the small range and REX and the newer EV only cars were out of my price range.

Will be only used for local journeys < 50 miles as the A1 is currently so will be home charged only and probably stick with the normal 3 pin plug charge instead of paying out for a wall charger. I think in the summer one charge a week should easily do!

Car will be delivered next week so looking forward to the first drive and getting used to not putting petrol in and plugging in instead!

As for the car its a 2020 I3 s in grey with the following extras from new

Interior world, Suite
Loadspeaker system - harman/kardon
Online Entertainment
Interior trim Eucalyptus wood, matt
Mineral Grey metallic with highlight BMW i Blue
Sun protection glass
20" light alloy wheels Double-spoke style 431 Jet Black with mixed tyres

I live in north London and the i3 is the only car I have owned which is fun to drive in London, enjoy yours.

 

[Neil Harris]

was delivered yesterday, not driven it for more than 10 mins in total but it was a fun 10 mins!
Ordered myself some mats which should be here in a couple of days as it turned up without any.

 

[Paul4A]

I’d suggest your initial best source of information is to watch the London based Wisely Automotive videos on YouTube. They have two different playlists covering the i3.

https://youtube.com/@wiselyauto?feature=shared

 

[John O'Malvern]

I’d suggest your initial best source of information is to watch the London based Wisely Automotive videos on YouTube. They have two different playlists covering the i3.

https://youtube.com/@wiselyauto?feature=shared

I'd second that. Excellent information, well presented (no time wasted).
If you're prepared to let Facebook onto your device, there's a friendly and well-informed group there (sorry US guys, limited to UK residents ).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bmwi3uk
One tip: don't bother looking on the secret menu for Max Kappa - to get your battery State of Health. The figure can vary with different circumstances.

 

[Paul4A]

I'd second that. Excellent information, well presented (no time wasted).
If you're prepared to let Facebook onto your device, there's a friendly and well-informed group there (sorry US guys, limited to UK residents ).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bmwi3uk
One tip: don't bother looking on the secret menu for Max Kappa - to get your battery State of Health. The figure can vary with different circumstances.

The use of the Max Kappa figure is widely quoted as a measure of battery health but likely questionable at all times. If you look at the reply to viewers comments on this Wiseley Automotive video

Wiseley respond with:
the purpose of the Batt Kappa Max figure shown in the hidden menu is widely misunderstood so to avoid fuelling the fire, we have not made any mention of it. As explained in the comment you have read, it is worth looking at occasionally to make sure there are no serious faults, but to use it as a gauge for battery health (or even worse for regular comparison to establish degradation) is pointless. Here is some copy/paste info you might find interesting:
Max Kappa (short for “Kapazität”) is the BMS estimated snapshot capacity at that point in time, its based on external factors (temperature, current load), coulomb count, these factors are then fed into a statistical model to provide an educated guess of what the current capacity of the pack. This is what is shown in the service menu. It is not like a fuel tank you can't just measure it as there is chemistry involved. Max Kappa as such is not a measure of anything, it is a guess of what the BMS thinks the pack is doing at that moment in time and therefore how many kWhs are available. It is not a true reflection of capacity.
Consider the following scenario, it has been cold overnight you haven't preconditioned so the battery is at 4c well below its preferred operating temperature of 24-28c, Max Kappa will show a corresponding low number as due to the cold the pack is less chemically active, as you drive the load starts to warm the pack up, so you then lose range but Max Kappa goes up due to battery reaching operating temperature.
The only way to test true capacity and health of a battery is to charge and discharge the pack to known points and record the input and output rates. It is perfectly possible for Max Kappa to read 19.1kWh (on a 60aH) on a full charge but the battery actual be degraded, or vice versa for it to read well under 15kWh but be perfectly fine

 

[Neil Harris]

I'd second that. Excellent information, well presented (no time wasted).
If you're prepared to let Facebook onto your device, there's a friendly and well-informed group there (sorry US guys, limited to UK residents ).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bmwi3uk
One tip: don't bother looking on the secret menu for Max Kappa - to get your battery State of Health. The figure can vary with different circumstances.

Yes i watched most of their Video's when i was contemplating an I3 a couple of years ago. Very useful!

After a week of living with it im very impressed, there is more room in the back than was in my A1, its less crashy over the bumps and potholes that are everywhere, it is so much fun to drive and the batteries are lasting ages!
I reckon going on the last week of use ill be using around 25kwh a month in the warmer times of the year!