Lure of the I-Pace, Tesla, Volt, Bolt, Ioniq, Prime

[bwilson4web]

Hi,

We were late to the BMW i3 party with a May 2016 purchase of end-of-lease, 2014 BMW i3-REx. Other than first model year, infantile problems, it has and remains our primary car. But due to multi-day and three weeks of BMW service visits, it is backed up by our Prius Prime. We're set but I've noticed in other forums a lot of postings advocating different cars:

• I-Pace - the latest, a lot of buzz because it is a credible competitor to the Tesla. It has yet to come up against the Model 3 dual-motor, performance tuned car. The Jaguar-Tata press days resulted in a lot of positive, "we're not Tesla", videos. Yet the absence of a range-extender and access to SuperChargers means it has no attraction to us.
• Tesla - the absence of a SuperCharger at Fort Smith AR or Rogers AR makes an important cross country route impractical except for the 310 mile, long range Model 3. We are likely 18-24 months away from being able to order one.
• Bolt, Leaf, or Ioniq EV - see I-Pace, no interest.
• Volt, Ioniq, Prime plug-in - all have gas engine range extenders allowing sustained highway speeds 24x7 like our BMW i3-REx.

I suspect former owners have silently switched after end of their lease. Readers here are confident our requirements have been met by our BMW i3. But a nagging question, did I overlook something?

Bob Wilson

 

[theothertom]

did I overlook something?

You didn't mention the Leaf. But, IMO, it's similar to the Bolt so probably no interest for you.
Personally, I don't know what I'm going to do a year from now when my lease is up. I want a long range (~400 mile) car and a plethora of charging stations. I just don't see that happening in a year. VW has announced a 400 mile car with multiple charging stations, but it will be 2-3 years before that becomes a reality.

 

[theothertom]

did I overlook something?

You didn't mention the Leaf. But, IMO, it's similar to the Bolt so probably no interest for you.
Personally, I don't know what I'm going to do a year from now when my lease is up. I want a long range (~400 mile) car and a plethora of charging stations. I just don't see that happening in a year. VW has announced a 400 mile car with multiple charging stations, but it will be 2-3 years before that becomes a reality.

Edit: A Tesla would be nice but it's out of my price range.

 

[SSi3]

I love the I-PACE, but a little too pricey for me atm. Our i3 REx does it job and gives us the flexibility we need considering the lack of reliable public charging infrastructure around us. Just fingers crossed it remains reliable, the random drivetrain errors and fuel flap failures are always lurking.