Lease v buy and obsolescence

[RJSATLBA]

Just dwelling on a number of commentators saying they favour leasing because of the likelihood of rapid technological advances, together with other threads referring to battery life and warranty.

Significant advances are most likely to be in battery technology rather than anything else. If BMW are to be true to the sustainability ethos that underpins the i brand they will have to provide an upgrade path in the way that is taken for granted in much of the IT industry (with the exception of relatively low value electronic consumer goods that have become consumables), in order to avoid otherwise perfectly good i vehicles being scrapped because newer vehicles have much 'better' batteries. if so in the future one would expect to be able to trade in 'old tech' batteries for recycling and replacement with new tech units together with the associated software upgrades, at a price which should make this more attractive than scrapping the car.

Perhaps one day we'll be able to do a battery swap that is such a leap forward that it includes an option to remove the REx (for recycling of course)!

 

[elptex]

Agree 100%. One of the long list of reasons that we chose the i3 is due to BMW's commitment to sustainability in building the vehicle. The reality of manufacturing is that it inherently lacks sustainability with how we as humanity have approached it since the industrial revolution. There has to be a shift in approach by humanity as a whole over the next 100 years so we don't run our resources dry. To that end, 95% of the i3 is recyclable, something that is not common for a vehicle. For reference, the Nissan Leaf is 99% recyclable.

We went for a lease option. After 3 years if there is a better battery/range option that can be retrofitted into the i3, we will seriously consider retaining it. I've always kept vehicles for a long time (5+ years) so having an aging shell doesn't bother me; this comes entirely down to range advances.

 

[Gonville]

10th November in your signature! Gasp. I have a feeling my Christmas delivery might just be accurate.

As I filled up my ICE at a Shell station I started to wonder on the control that the petro chemical industry has on us.

Fanciful thinking but extending that a bit.....the i3 doesn't use steel, or coal based power in its manufacture? Hydro and Wind power for the carbon fibre and the plant...so all those companies and nations, for example Australia, whose economies depend on digging ore out if the ground. If all that is replaced by carbon fibre with hydro that makes a big shift. As each vehicle drove past me on the forecourt I couldn't help but think we are at the start of some big changes. I guess the aluminium is recyclable with renewable energy. The Rex engine. Guess that us the problem child?

Petroleum,Coal and steel were the economic mainstay of nations. Now we have moved to a new era and wonder just how much vested interests are holding back progress. :?:

 

[elptex]

As I filled up my ICE at a Shell station I started to wonder on the control that the petro chemical industry has on us.

Fanciful thinking but extending that a bit.....the i3 doesn't use steel, or coal based power in its manufacture? Hydro and Wind power for the carbon fibre and the plant...so all those companies and nations, for example Australia, whose economies depend on digging ore out if the ground. If all that is replaced by carbon fibre with hydro that makes a big shift. As each vehicle drove past me on the forecourt I couldn't help but think we are at the start of some big changes. I guess the aluminium is recyclable with renewable energy. The Rex engine. Guess that us the problem child?

Petroleum,Coal and steel were the economic mainstay of nations. Now we have moved to a new era and wonder just how much vested interests are holding back progress. :?:

Exactly my thoughts. The world is shifting, slowly.

 

[roperld]

Check out this web page for these and other issues: http://www.roperld.com/science/ElectricCarsMusings.pdf .