user 10055
Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2023
- Messages
- 5
Hi to everyone in the forum. I have just bought my first electric car, a 2019 BMW i3. I am going along a learning curve familiar to many here, I am sure - mainly about charging.
My thoughts so far are 1) if anything the i3 is an even better car than I realised 2) I need to learn about the various charging services and payment methods so that public charging becomes routine, as I cannot charge at home.
The first re-charge was much simpler than I had feared; the second time, full of confidence, I breezed through the routine then found I could not remove the rapid-charge cable from the car. I phoned Gridserve and they released the car remotely. I am hoping this is not going to be a regular occurrence. Someone in the next bay (a Volvo EV) had exactly the same problem, so at least it is not the car.
My car is the standard 42kWh model. It has front and rear sensors, and a doorbell. The latter is because this model does not come with the audible low-speed warning for pedestrians as it pre-dates the UK legislation which made that compulsory. It needs something, as it is absolutely silent when moving off - hence, I've installed a pair of radio doorbells, front and back; a press of the button in the cabin and people know there's a car behind them. The ding-dong sound makes people smile, but I think they are safer for it, and after all, the speakers can also play "The Ride of the Valkyries" so they're getting off lightly.
Anyway, hi again and Season's Greetings if you read this in December '23.
Peter
My thoughts so far are 1) if anything the i3 is an even better car than I realised 2) I need to learn about the various charging services and payment methods so that public charging becomes routine, as I cannot charge at home.
The first re-charge was much simpler than I had feared; the second time, full of confidence, I breezed through the routine then found I could not remove the rapid-charge cable from the car. I phoned Gridserve and they released the car remotely. I am hoping this is not going to be a regular occurrence. Someone in the next bay (a Volvo EV) had exactly the same problem, so at least it is not the car.
My car is the standard 42kWh model. It has front and rear sensors, and a doorbell. The latter is because this model does not come with the audible low-speed warning for pedestrians as it pre-dates the UK legislation which made that compulsory. It needs something, as it is absolutely silent when moving off - hence, I've installed a pair of radio doorbells, front and back; a press of the button in the cabin and people know there's a car behind them. The ding-dong sound makes people smile, but I think they are safer for it, and after all, the speakers can also play "The Ride of the Valkyries" so they're getting off lightly.
Anyway, hi again and Season's Greetings if you read this in December '23.
Peter
