Picking up my 2020 i3S REX today

[Spamouflage]

Hello friends,

I did it. I’m going to join the EV movement with an i3. Mother Nature is thanking me with an overnight snow storm. 15 cm of snow here in the Canadian prairies. I will be driving the stock tires in deep snow for 8 KMs.
1. What posts do you recommend for a newbie?
2. Any winter tires for sale? No joke
3. Any apps you recommend for tracking data over time?
4. What are your go to websites for EV “stuff”?
5. Any questions for me?

I live in Saskatchewan, winters here are brutal, even by Canadian standards. Am I excited about the i3? Oh yeah. A bit nervous? For sure. And I can’t wait to virtually meet you all. Thanks in advance for welcoming me to this elite group of enthusiasts.

 

[SSi3]

Welcome fellow Canadian i3s owner!!

I have some answers, but not all:
1. shrug
2. if you're on FB, there's a 'BMW i3 Owners - Canada' group that sometimes has winters for sale
3. yes, but i don't use any so can't help here
4. insideevs.com / fully charged on youtube / electrek.com to name a few
5. are you crazy? don't try and drive in deep snow with the std i3s tires, you won't go anywhere

 

[Spamouflage]

I made it back home, but yeah, this is not a fun car to drive on ice with summer tires. To be fair, no car is fun when driving summers on ice.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Of the winter tires available, I think the Nokian R3s are your better choice. With the REx, the only winter tires that I've found are a square set, so you'd at least need to buy new rear wheels, if not a full set. I think Canadian i3s now come with TPMS, but if so, make sure the wheel you choose allows mounting TPMS devices, as not all do because of internal curves, clearances.

 

[SSi3]

Glad to hear you made it home ok!

I agree with jadnashuanh, the Nokians are probably your best choice for lots of snow duty. The Blizzaks are good but seem a little more geared towards ice/cold wet pavement.

 

[Spamouflage]

Glad to hear you made it home ok!

I agree with jadnashuanh, the Nokians are probably your best choice for lots of snow duty. The Blizzaks are good but seem a little more geared towards ice/cold wet pavement.

Ok, I'm going with the Finnish tires. I was unable to find them online (for Canadian customers), must I sharpen my Googling skills? What's wrong with me. Haha.

 

[spartacus68]

I cycled across Canada back in the mid 90s with my brother and remember Saskatchewan well. Mind you it was early summer, but cross winds and trucks coming too close were all we had to contend with.

Back to your i3. Consider some sort of insulation or cover for the charger if the car will be outside. When its charging and it snows it can potentially freeze to the car. Forcing it free can damage the locking solenoid, then you can't charge it. On models state-side, then they are different from European models in how the charger connects and locks, but something to consider.

I made something very simple from polystyrene that you use to cover outside taps. Very effective. More details here: https://www.bmwblog.com/2016/02/21/bmw-i3-life-hack-charge-port-snow-cover/

No idea how much salt they thrown on your roads, but if the car has diamond cut alloys, then save them for the summer months and opt for powder coated alloys and winter tyres, otherwise I suspect they will corrode under the clear lacquer in a couple of years.

Use the REx engine. It will fire up periodically which is automated, but regular use, say once a week ensures the engine gets hot (which I'm sure it will given your distances), helping drying out any moisture and just keeping it lubed and ticking over.

 

[Spamouflage]

I cycled across Canada back in the mid 90s with my brother and remember Saskatchewan well. Mind you it was early summer, but cross winds and trucks coming too close were all we had to contend with.

Back to your i3. Consider some sort of insulation or cover for the charger if the car will be outside. When its charging and it snows it can potentially freeze to the car. Forcing it free can damage the locking solenoid, then you can't charge it. On models state-side, then they are different from European models in how the charger connects and locks, but something to consider.

I made something very simple from polystyrene that you use to cover outside taps. Very effective. More details here: https://www.bmwblog.com/2016/02/21/bmw-i3-life-hack-charge-port-snow-cover/

No idea how much salt they thrown on your roads, but if the car has diamond cut alloys, then save them for the summer months and opt for powder coated alloys and winter tyres, otherwise I suspect they will corrode under the clear lacquer in a couple of years.

Use the REx engine. It will fire up periodically which is automated, but regular use, say once a week ensures the engine gets hot (which I'm sure it will given your distances), helping drying out any moisture and just keeping it lubed and ticking over.

Thank you so very much for your response. I am lucky to have a garage so all good for home. However, I am going to look into a cover for the charger anyway.

As for salt... believe it or not, it’s too cold here so we don’t use salt, only sand. Crazy cold. I’m originally from Quebec and I thought I knew what cold is... no sir. Our roads are pure ice in the winter. So, I will need to decide on the best winter tires. My local BMW dealer has the winter wheel package on sale right now, I’m tempted...

 

[SSi3]

Glad to hear you made it home ok!

I agree with jadnashuanh, the Nokians are probably your best choice for lots of snow duty. The Blizzaks are good but seem a little more geared towards ice/cold wet pavement.

Ok, I'm going with the Finnish tires. I was unable to find them online (for Canadian customers), must I sharpen my Googling skills? What's wrong with me. Haha.

I've also read good things about the Continental Vikings, also cheaper than the Nokians.
https://www.blackcircles.ca/en/tires/tires-155-70-19--winter-tire
https://www.kaltire.com/en/tires/hakkapeliitta-r3/302546.html