Questions Questions!

[user 3172]

Newbie alert first, I've just registered so be gentle if I'm posting in the wrong place etc, I know what forums are like.

As you may guess after reading the title, I'm currently considering buying an i3. Thus far I have got as far as reading everything I can find online in terms of BMW literature and third party reviews of the car, trawling through the bewildering information on charging (both home and away), considering the rights and wrongs of the car for my needs etc etc. All this has led me to a number of hopefully salient questions that led me here to people who hopefully can shed some light.

For the record, I am in the UK and familiar with more traditional cars but also a BMW nut hence the obvious if slightly biased choice.

The questions!

1. Looking at UK specs on BMW approved used cars, the BEV says "electric range - up to 62 miles" but the REX says "electric range - up to 93 miles". Thought they were exactly the same car and the REX should therefore have a lower electric range having to carry the extra weight around. Where does that 62 versus 93 miles come from?

2. I know the higher capacity battery is due out soon but I have seen comments about possible upgrades for existing users in the UK. Does anyone have any facts or authoritative information about this as I don't think I can justify shelling out for the new priced new model?

3. My natural inclination is to go for the security of REX but reading the pages on here, the REX models seem to have a greater share of the problems. Is this right or just a misguided perception I've picked up?

4 Anyone any experience of installing a home charger in UK and if so who did you use and what was the process like? I've been staring at my fuse box etc wondering if there are any problems I will encounter.

5. Several of the installers refer to the charging point grant being dependent on owning an EV. Why would I buy an EV before I knew if there were any problems in installing the charger on my supply?

6 Would love to hear from any UK users with BEV as to what real world range they get in our climate. I don't commute every day but it's about 50 miles when I do, no charger at work and it's motorway for most of it albeit in stop / start traffic at either end.

Thanks all and HELLO btw

 

[epirali]

Greetings. I will only try to answer 1,3, and 6.

1) I own a Rex version, the range is obviously HIGHLY dependent on external temperature, speed of travel and use of pre-conditioning. In warm temperatures (say above 60F), driving a mix of highway and roads averaging an easy 55 MPH I get around 75 miles of electric range. In the cold of winter (30F) WITH precondition (both battery and heat) I can get 60. So if you were traveling at say 40-45 in warm weather you should be able to hit 93 in the BEV, but I can see 80+ is possible in Rex.

3) I have not a single Rex related issue on mine, but I tend to use the Rex as back up. I have ended up driving almost 100 miles once on the Rex alone in an emergency with no issues. So I'd say the insurance is well worth the extra weight.

6) Even in the most optimistic conditions of weather and driving this is not possible without charging at work. But if you can charge at work then it should be no issue at any temperature and speed.

 

[user 3172]

Ah, sorry I should have clarified, it's 50 mile for the full trip, not there and back but from your answer regarding range, I'm guessing it wouldn't be an issue most days as long as there is a full charge overnight.

 

[epirali]

Ah, sorry I should have clarified, it's 50 mile for the full trip, not there and back but from your answer regarding range, I'm guessing it wouldn't be an issue most days as long as there is a full charge overnight.

Absolutely not. If you have the Rex its not an issue even for longer trips and backup, and without and the weight savings 50 miles should be very easy to achieve. Add in pre-conditioning at home if that's an option (remember scheduled at least three hours before departure time) and you have margin to spare even in the coldest days.

 

[busaman]

ive had mine for 2 years only problem has been 1 wiper motor nothing rex related and 11000 miles

if you have a fast charger en route no need to worry at all i often do a 300 mile trip which goes, 60 miles on battery maybe a little on the rex just to keep a little in reseve then plug in to a fast charger then another 60 miles last few miles on rex plug in to wall socket for the day while i work then return to the fast charge with a little rex then almost enough electric to get home and the only real wait was maybe 20 mins combined on charges after a coffee and a pee.. those ecotricity points are fast 380v@125 amps..

all in all happy

 

[psquare]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

1. Looking at UK specs on BMW approved used cars, the BEV says "electric range - up to 62 miles" but the REX says "electric range - up to 93 miles". Thought they were exactly the same car and the REX should therefore have a lower electric range having to carry the extra weight around. Where does that 62 versus 93 miles come from?

I don't own a BEV, but know for sure that the BEV range is higher. 75-100mi if I remember correctly. Obviously restricted by what Epirali pointed out. The max electric mileage -before the REx kicks in at 6.5% SOC- I achieved is 75.5mi. During a UK summer, combined REx mileage for me is about 160mi rural, ca 130mi at motorway speed (that's 65-75mph for me). I have now taken my i3 to Germany, NL and Belgium 3 times. We've just crossed the 20k mile mark after 15 months.

2. I know the higher capacity battery is due out soon but I have seen comments about possible upgrades for existing users in the UK. Does anyone have any facts or authoritative information about this as I don't think I can justify shelling out for the new priced new model?

It has been confirmed (there was a post by Tom Moloughney on this) that there will be no i3 battery replacement programmes offered by US and UK dealerships. Whether there will be an aftermarket at some point remains to be seen. Given the capital and knowledge investment to provide such a swap at this point, I have doubts we will see something like this anytime soon.

3. My natural inclination is to go for the security of REX but reading the pages on here, the REX models seem to have a greater share of the problems. Is this right or just a misguided perception I've picked up?

I think this is your perception. There are purists in the EV arena who look down on REx drivers, as they're not pure enough, or "use a dinky little engine" or have "a poor solution from an engineering perspective" or "have a car that defeats the object". Fact is: a) REx drivers do more electric miles, because they can go where BEV owners leave their 2nd car i3 at home. b) REx have better residuals, because of battery upgrades and degrading SOC in older models. At the end of the day, it is all about one's usage pattern. Most of our journeys are local (35-50mi per day), but occasionally I go on long journeys to Germany or the north of the UK. 92.3% of our journeys are electric.

4 Anyone any experience of installing a home charger in UK and if so who did you use and what was the process like? I've been staring at my fuse box etc wondering if there are any problems I will encounter.

I went for a Type 2 Polar charger in Dec 2014. The process was nice and easy. Many electricians are now focussing on EV charge point installations.

5. Several of the installers refer to the charging point grant being dependent on owning an EV. Why would I buy an EV before I knew if there were any problems in installing the charger on my supply?

That's right. I ordered my charge point before I had the car and Polar wanted to see the order confirmation from the BMW dealer when I ordered mine.

6 Would love to hear from any UK users with BEV as to what real world range they get in our climate. I don't commute every day but it's about 50 miles when I do, no charger at work and it's motorway for most of it albeit in stop / start traffic at either end.

Winter pure electric: 65mi (battery and cabin preconditioned, with heating and seats on)
Summer pure electric: 82mi (no battery or cabin precon)
REx normally doubles the range. As mentioned above, after 20k miles, 92.3% of our journeys are electric.

Tips from me:
Thinking of fancy wheels or the HK upgrade? I would spend the money on a REx instead.
Have some money left and thinking of fancy wheels or HK upgrade? Put the money towards solar panels if your situation allows it.

 

[TOEd]

Welcome!

i3 is an excellent vehicle overall.

In 3 months we have driven 3600 km on electric and 3800 km on the REX. Filled the gasoline tank about 28 times. No mechanical problems with the REX so far. You can read about issues around small gas tank and loss of power while driving up long grades elsewhere on this site. Probably not an issue for you unless you drive into the Alps.

Charging infrastructure where we travel (northern USA and Ontario Canada) is poor but improving. So REX is essential. Next time we drive on a longer trip to USA we will probably drive our ICE car because finding chargers is just too much of a hassle. Few hotels have chargers. Even the hotels that have an outside electrical outlet won't usually let you use it due to "liability" concerns.

This is our second EV. We had a smart ED for two years and loved it.

 

[epirali]

I would like to second a great point psquare made. With my Leaf I used to decided NOT to take electric if I had concerns about range, or if there may be a change of plans. That reduced my electric driving. But with the Rex, as he correctly pointed out, I don't have that issue. I'll always choose electric knowing I can go all the way to zero and still get home (say 5 miles) or in a pinch I can still run emergency errands.

 

[user 3172]

Thanks to everyone for that input, very useful. I dropped in Sytner Cardiff yesterday as they are noted on the BMW site as one of the i centres. They had a lovely little corner of the showroom put over to the i3 with some wall chargers and info and pictures and lots of expensive looking computer screens around snazzy desks. I got in the car and looked in the boot and kicked the tyres etc as one does when looking at a car.

Now normally, by this point I would have three sales people fighting for my business. In this case, not one. Maybe the i3 man was the guy I saw waving someone off on what looked like a test drive outside. Anyway, nobody else troubled me and I left, which in one way was good as I can't stand pushy sales people but in another it left me wondering about the comments I've read regarding knowledge and / or willingness to try to sell these cars.

First impressions - it felt really comfortable to sit in and suited my driving position. It felt like a nice space to be in. It is a bit quirky and I can imagine some of my petrol head friends having apoplexy when they saw it. Boot looks a tad small with that high floor but since I'm gonna have a 4x4 backup (used and already owned) parked on maintenance charge in the garage for very long trips, large loads and adverse weather, I don't suppose that's an issue. :? Pause for howls of dissent from green lobby :?

I'm kinda 75% down the road to being a full member of the club I think, we'll see what happens next few days.

PS the DVLA form to remove my cherished plate was posted today

 

[terminus]

I am in the UK and ordered an i3 REx on "Day One" - May 9th. I was given an "estimated" delivery date of end July, though I doubt that, really.
I have a bit of experience of hybrids as I have owned a Vauxhall Ampera for 18 months. Having always had Golf-sized hatchbacks previously I have found it a bit of a battleship to park, especially reversing - even with the rear camera.
It has a summer time E range of >40 miles and >30 miles in winter, which is fine for most of my drives, which are just potterings around locally. There is another 330 miles or so on a full tank of petrol and with a 1.4 litre engine it feels very quiet and unstressed in this mode, which I have to exploit every couple of months when I need to do a longish journey (320 miles round trip).
I am expecting the 94Ah i3 should give over 100 miles easily on battery (I hope); and it just had too tempting a spec. to resist - especially being more compact. I am ordering all the extras (except music subscription and ciggie lighter!) and am looking forward to the sunroof (much missed on the Ampera) and driving assistance, etc.
No doubt the little petrol engine in the i3 will be a bit screamy by comparison with the Ampera, and it is annoying that the fuel tank is so small (restricted because of US-Californian regulations, apparently).
I am still looking into getting the charge point installed. I don't need one for the Ampera, as max charging current is 10A and a full charge is OK overnight on Economy 7 (or daytime totally free on a sunny day from our solar panels!) The BMW chargepoint is a total rip-off. I would avoid. Even the more common ones are outrageously expensive, and the Govt. is getting ripped off with their £500 quid subsidy. After 1st July the requirement for metering and GPRS reporting of electricity usage is being dropped. That will mean that a chargepoint will simply consist of a circuit breaker, connector/lead and casing. That can't possibly cost more than £50 to manufacture, but I bet that even with the 75% Govt. subsidy we will be paying over 100 quid. It's the metaphorical "licence to print money"!
Nonetheless I am eagerly anticipating my new car (- just steeling myself for the "depreciation shock" on my relatively new Ampera).
On the general point of BEV vs. REx: I would never get a pure BEV until there are as many available charge points as there are vacant petrol pumps! Short of towing a trailer with a petrol-driven electric generator, when you run out of battery you really are "up the creek without a paddle". (Your 20000 mAh power bank for your iphone won't be a lot of use!) In extremis, at least if you finally run out of petrol you can call for a rescue for a jerry-can of fuel!

 

[user 3172]

I went for a Type 2 Polar charger in Dec 2014. The process was nice and easy. Many electricians are now focussing on EV charge point installations.

Just been getting my head around home charger information now so excuse the following if naive!

Everything I've read seems to imply the best option is a 7kw Fast Charger (is that how they're properly referred to?) as a 13/16 amp is too slow. The other consideration seems to be whether the cable comes tethered or not and the only thing I can see that would bear on this is whether you are better using a plug in cable as this would allow you to swap cables for different cars / connections in future?

Does the choice of charger / cable influence the functionality of the i3 at all in terms of scheduling the charge time or pre-conditioning?

 

[joey003]

I went for a Type 2 Polar charger in Dec 2014. The process was nice and easy. Many electricians are now focussing on EV charge point installations.

Just been getting my head around home charger information now so excuse the following if naive!

Everything I've read seems to imply the best option is a 7kw Fast Charger (is that how they're properly referred to?) as a 13/16 amp is too slow. The other consideration seems to be whether the cable comes tethered or not and the only thing I can see that would bear on this is whether you are better using a plug in cable as this would allow you to swap cables for different cars / connections in future?

Does the choice of charger / cable influence the functionality of the i3 at all in terms of scheduling the charge time or pre-conditioning?

I've been reading about this a lot recently too. You'll generally find different options for charging output, cord length and whether you want it hardwired or plug-in. Almost always I notice a 'P' is added to the model of the charger when it's going to be a plug-in variant. And usually a $50 or more premium for it.

7kW would definitely be ideal since the i3 can charge at 7.4kW. There seems to be several options for 40A chargers (which will charge at a max output of 32A on a 40A circuit). These end up at roughly 7.7kW based on 240V and 32A output.

Hard-wired or plug-in are really up to what you prefer. I'm going to be doing hardwired myself (I'm somewhat familiar with the electrical needed and have done some wiring in the past when renovating). The connector to the car is quite standard (J1772 I think?), so it could charge different cars. Even with it being hardwired, it wouldn't be difficult or costly to change the setup in the future for a different charger.

I don't think the choice of charger/cable would influence the i3 scheduling or pre-conditioning, unless I guess it's a charger that is wifi-connected so you can control it and schedule the charger itself over the internet or through an app?

 

[user 3172]

Okay, I went to talk to Sytner Cardiff yesterday and their very enthusiastic and knowledgable iMan (Ben) spent ages talking through the car and gave me a test drive and I have to say it performed exactly as I had read on here and elsewhere.

So I'm now faced with the decision about what to do. New ReX or used ReX. If new what spec? Good to hear that DC Rapid Charging is now standard.

Do I need Sport Pack?
-HK
-LED
-Sun protection
-Alloys
Do I need Park Assist?
Do I need Pro Media?
Do I need a sunroof?
Do I need anything else that's useful?

Any informative comments most welcome while I ponder

 

[jadnashuanh]

Whether an option is 'required' totally depends on the user. I find that the adaptive cruise control is handy, and because of health issues, the rear-view camera is almost mandatory, but other than that, since the DC charge port is now standard in most markets (I have it, but have never used it because of the dearth of spots I could reach!), functionally, it's a personal thing. I don't really like sunroofs, so prefer not to have one. SOme people feel down-right deprived if they can't have one! Again, a personal thing.

If you're talking newest, the 2017 models coming out soon, will have the larger capacity battery, and depending on your use and available charging points, may mean you don't need the REx at all. That saves some money, if your use pattern would allow it, and probably affects the tire wear and does affect the acceleration of the vehicle because of the added weight that you're always carrying around, and may never use. WHile not huge, adding the REx does mean oil changes, spark plugs, antifreeze, muffler, etc. that are all missing on the BEV version. In my case, with my use pattern, the BEV is perfect. Plus, add in that where I live, there are essentially no usefully located CCS units, and even the DC fast charge option may have been a waste. I bought that option for future use, should they actually expand the network and expand my options. Luckily, I have a second car that I use for longer trips which I find more comfortable and I can go nearly 500-miles before I have to stop to refuel If I can personally last that long! It's nice to have options.

 

[user 3172]

Thanks for those thoughts. Yes, "need" and "want" are different I know, that's why I posed the question as need :lol:

I'm in Wales and need to travel into the wilds on a fairly regular basis and my wife's health is not great so sometimes get called in an emergency so ReX is kind of a necessity (I can't be waiting for a charge). I have a second work horse too but don't really want to rely on that other vehicle. Doing a 110 mile trip to central Wales with only a couple of known chargers on route is not really sensible in a BEV in my opinion. Especially in temperature extremes when range is limited!

Don't get me wrong, most of my journeys are normal commute and short stuff so BEV would be fine for that but I do have those fairly regular longer jaunts into EV dark territory and I want to make as much use of the car as I can if I am going to justify buying it

 

[Brice]

Okay, I went to talk to Sytner Cardiff yesterday and their very enthusiastic and knowledgable iMan (Ben) spent ages talking through the car and gave me a test drive and I have to say it performed exactly as I had read on here and elsewhere.

So I'm now faced with the decision about what to do. New ReX or used ReX. If new what spec? Good to hear that DC Rapid Charging is now standard.

Do I need Sport Pack?
-HK
-LED
-Sun protection
-Alloys
Do I need Park Assist?
Do I need Pro Media?
Do I need a sunroof?
Do I need anything else that's useful?

Any informative comments most welcome while I ponder

Trying one is buying one. Welcome to the club of those who went addict at first contact. I should receive mine next Wednesday.

Here is the model:
- REx (no quick charge because optional and don't need it)
- Color Shadow Black (it comes with 19" trims upgrade comparing to the base ugly ones)
- Nav Pro (the basic one looks like a rip off in term of design...)
- HK sound because love listening to music with Deezer (Jazz, Rock, Classic, anything in fact) and I can't wait to enjoy this in a quiet electric car)
- Sunroof : wanted one until I tried an i3 equiped with it. Decided finally that it was just an annoyance to me (my wife agreed)
- Full LED for the style
- Lodge inside (wool / leather) : a must have to me
- Tinted windows because it looks cool and if it can protect a bit against the warmth, why not.

Hope it will help a tiny bit. If you want more detail per decision/option, I'll be glad to answer.

Edit:
Park Assist: Honestly, if you don't live / work in the city, that is a useless option. Just too bad we can't only pick the back camera because it looks great and can be handy at times.
Security stuff with lane assist, anti collision at low speed etc... Here to, I think it depends on your habits. Personally, it was not that useful to have so... no.
The only thing that annoys me a bit is that I wanted warming seat and especially the Confort Access... but I had to make a choice.. Budget matters.

 

[I33t]

Agree Park Assist is not required for two reasons. Firstly, parking the i3 is a total breeze. It has to be the easiest car to park I have ever tried. The short wheelbase and extremely tight turning circle gives the car manoeuvrability few others have. Secondly, there have been reports here that there is a risk of scratching the alloys using park assist. I've never tried.

The reverse cam is more important. If you have to get Park Assist to get the cam, so be it. Be nice if they split them up.

 

[jadnashuanh]

This may help people outside of the USA, but federal laws will require all new vehicles after, I think, 2018 to have a backup camera. Manufacturers are supposed to be phasing them in as standard up until that point. How that might change the 'standard' features other places, depends on the contract that market makes with the factory and local laws or regulations. I used to be able to twist and look back easily...can't do that any more, so the camera is almost a requirement for safety. You can see the ground close up, whereas, a lot of that area is blocked from the mirrors.

 

[user 3172]

Park Assist: Honestly, if you don't live / work in the city, that is a useless option. Just too bad we can't only pick the back camera because it looks great and can be handy at times.

It worked okay on the test car except it uses adjacent cars as lineup and as the one car behind was slightly on the kerb, the i3 put itself there as well. Maybe that is the alloy concern!

Security stuff with lane assist, anti collision at low speed etc... Here to, I think it depends on your habits. Personally, it was not that useful to have so... no.

My son's Nissan has all that stuff. It often gives false positives and I don't trust it anyway. Sudden beeps at 70mph are not good for your heart especially when there is nothing near you. I'd rather ensure I am awake and alert to that sort of danger.

The only thing that annoys me a bit is that I wanted warming seat

Do you mean heated seats? Isn't that standard?

 

[Brice]

The only thing that annoys me a bit is that I wanted warming seat

Do you mean heated seats? Isn't that standard?

Sorry. I'm french and do my best for the english part, but I sometimes make mistakes. So yes, concerning the heated seats, it is an option, in France at least, but we clearly have the worst deal around here. No way to negotiate pricing, no quick charge as standard but optional apparently (to be confirmed for the 94Ah), no big packages as Mega / Deca / Tera etc... We only had the Urban Life (that gives us LED - the daylight ones, not "FULL" LED) and auto AC, multi function steering wheel etc... Apart from this, every thing is an option or a small package (safety, parking, ...) and Heated Seats is not part of a package.

EDIT: And that's why they had problem to sell it at some point. To boost the sales, the created in January 2016 the "Black Edition" which provided as standard: full black painting (now called "Black Shadow" and optional), better trims included, and included that "Urban Life" package. In total, for an extra 500 bucks, you had close to 4000 bucks of options included. And this is how I managed to buy one (I'll get it tonight at the dealer :mrgreen: )