Second Edition of free Electric Vehicles and i3 book by David J. Bricknell

[janner]

Second edition of my book ‘Electric Vehicles and the i3’ with a Foreword by Tom Moloughney giving a great overview of where Electric Vehicles are today in the changing transportation environment.
In June of 2016, after just a year of owning my i3, I published a book about Electric Vehicles and the i3. The book was a compilation of the key things I would have liked to have known when I first bought an Electric Vehicle. I covered performance, range, temperature, key components, battery technology, charging, heating and cooling and the range extender. Reviews were positive - Autovolt magazine describing it “If you’re after a more technical understanding of electric cars, this brilliant ebook by David bricknell is a fascinating in-depth look at the inner workings of an electrified car.” To date the book has ‘sold’ over 2000 copies.
Six months on I’ve now updated the book to the second edition with, in particular, more performance information on the behaviour of EVs in test driving cycles, during charging, and when ‘range extending’.

The book remains available on iTunes and will be available on Issuu soon.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1125422107

For those who have read the first edition and for those new to the book, I hope you enjoy the update.

 

[janner]

Now also available on Issuu

https://issuu.com/brycheinsltd/docs/evs_and_i3

 

[bwilson4web]

Kudos for an excellent update. Other than the usual 'two English speaking peoples separated by a common language,' I throughly enjoyed the read. But I'd like to suggest something for the future:

"mph vs MPG"

Many of the elements are in your book: pp. 88 "Breakeven Speed"; pp. 79-80 "Fuel consumption is shown as kWhs/tank of fuel", and; "BMW i3 Power-Speed Curve." I have experimentally verified:

• 44 MPG @55 mph - standard day
• 40 MPG @65 mph - standard day
• 36-38 MPG @70 mph - standard day
• ~32 MPG @75 mph with 20% loss of SOC - standard day

I would recommend two, useful charts: "mph vs MPG" and "block-to-block mph vs range".

The simple, "mph vs MPG" uses x-axis for speed and the Y-axis for MPG. For good measure, the expected range for one tank of all REx operation maintaining the 6.5-75% SOC. Above 70 mph, show the battery depletion. My experience is the 3d tank at 75 mph has brought the battery too low to maintain 75 mph. As you pointed out, it gets grim above 75 mph due to a combination of thermal and energy issues.

The more complex is a "block-to-block mph" model that incorporates a fixed refueling time. For this one, assume a linear acceleration and decrease to the gas station and ~ 1km (~.8 mi) at urban speed to the gas pump. Then use a fixed time to refuel. Reference but do not include 'biology break' delay.

The reason for these two charts is the maximum range depends upon a speed that does not 'eat the battery.' At a sustainable speed, the car makes great speed BUT the more frequent fuel stops at higher speeds eats into the block-to-block speed. A little slower and the car can achieve the longest distance over any given time period.

These effects can be modeled and provide useful information to someone who wants to do cross-country drives. Knowing them, the informed driver can make a 1,000 mile (1600 km) vacation and plan the road time, sleep-over motel, and fuel costs.

For those reading this note, I truly like this version and my suggestions are 'nits', the type of technical banter between engineers might share over pints at a bar. <grins> I have my own performance charts needed for my purposes. But I have interest in the work needed for the through and complete book David has written.

Well done!

Bob Wilson
Huntsville, AL

 

[janner]

Thanks Bob. Appreciate you comments and support. Something to think about for the third edition.

Have you looked at https://bmwi3owner.com/tag/sweden/. He does a speed vs charging test that might be of interest for you.

D

 

[bwilson4web]

. . .
Have you looked at https://bmwi3owner.com/tag/sweden/. He does a speed vs charging test that might be of interest for you.

Thank you! I had not seen his work before and it looks interesting.

Bob Wilson

 

[Markeu]

Second edition of my book ‘Electric Vehicles and the i3’ with a Foreword by Tom Moloughney giving a great overview of where Electric Vehicles are today in the changing transportation environment.
In June of 2016, after just a year of owning my i3, I published a book about Electric Vehicles and the i3. The book was a compilation of the key things I would have liked to have known when I first bought an Electric Vehicle. I covered performance, range, temperature, key components, battery technology, charging, heating and cooling and the range extender. Reviews were positive - Autovolt magazine describing it “If you’re after a more technical understanding of electric cars, this brilliant ebook by David bricknell is a fascinating in-depth look at the inner workings of an electrified car.” To date the book has ‘sold’ over 2000 copies.
Six months on I’ve now updated the book to the second edition with, in particular, more performance information on the behaviour of EVs in test driving cycles, during charging, and when ‘range extending’.

The book remains available on iTunes and will be available on Issuu soon.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1125422107

For those who have read the first edition and for those new to the book, I hope you enjoy the update.

Hi David

Congratulations for this impressive book

I have a question regarding the preconditioning of battery: I well understand your summary on this topic, but in France (EU) some said that preconditioning of battery is available only if the i3 has the heated seat option.
Are you able to confirm or refute that I think to be hoax?

Best

 

[alohart]

I have a question regarding the preconditioning of battery: I well understand your summary on this topic, but in France (EU) some said that preconditioning of battery is available only if the i3 has the heated seat option.
Are you able to confirm or refute that I think to be hoax?

Our 2014 BEV without the heated seat option (Hawaii ) does not have the heating element in its battery pack compartment used for preconditioning the pack. However, the pack could be preconditioned in very hot weather using the heat pump air conditioner with cold refrigerant directed through the battery pack compartment's cooling coils.

How do I know that? I'm not sure. I believe I read this in BMW's training materials that I downloaded. Hopefully, someone will confirm.

 

[jadnashuanh]

FWIW, heating up the battery pack can only occur while it is connected to an EVSE. I've not seen anything that says that is an option, but it appears to be 'standard' on the US spec cars...BMW makes various things 'standard' in different markets.

Does departure time show up in your I-drive menu? Pretty much the only reason to do that is to precondition the battery pack...conditioning the cabin is an option while doing it.

 

[alohart]

FWIW, heating up the battery pack can only occur while it is connected to an EVSE. I've not seen anything that says that is an option, but it appears to be 'standard' on the US spec cars...BMW makes various things 'standard' in different markets.

This on p. 83 of David's book alludes to battery pack heating being an option on 2014 i3's:

“Initially as part of the winter pack option, and now standard for the i3, is a 1kW resistive heating system for the (slow) warming up of the main battery pack.”

Does departure time show up in your I-drive menu? Pretty much the only reason to do that is to precondition the battery pack...conditioning the cabin is an option while doing it.

I can precondition our battery pack, but I'm pretty certain only to cool it in very hot weather.

My sense is that almost all 2014 U.S. i3's were equipped with heated seats and thus battery pack heating. I significantly limited my choices by refusing to buy a 2014 i3 with heated seats.

 

[Boxbrownie]

Unless I read this wrong, is the book "free" or does it indeed cost £9.99p ?

 

[ecoangel]

https://issuu.com/brycheinsltd/docs/evs_and_i3 link seems to be broken and iTunes book version is 9.99USD

 

[janner]

I now have a paperback version of my book available - Electric Vehicles and the BMW i3 - David Bricknell.

UK Amazon and is a 160 page colour book that is printed on demand.

The book is still available on iTunes and Amazon Kindle

ITunes edition
UK https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id1125422107
USA http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1125422107
France http://itunes.apple.com/fr/book/id1125422107
Germany http://itunes.apple.com/de/book/id1125422107

 

[Boxbrownie]

Can somebody PLEASE confirm that this book is no longer available as a free edition?

 

[chris_b]

Second edition of my book ‘Electric Vehicles and the i3’ with a Foreword by Tom Moloughney giving a great overview of where Electric Vehicles are today in the changing transportation environment.
In June of 2016, after just a year of owning my i3, I published a book about Electric Vehicles and the i3. The book was a compilation of the key things I would have liked to have known when I first bought an Electric Vehicle. I covered performance, range, temperature, key components, battery technology, charging, heating and cooling and the range extender. Reviews were positive - Autovolt magazine describing it “If you’re after a more technical understanding of electric cars, this brilliant ebook by David bricknell is a fascinating in-depth look at the inner workings of an electrified car.” To date the book has ‘sold’ over 2000 copies.
Six months on I’ve now updated the book to the second edition with, in particular, more performance information on the behaviour of EVs in test driving cycles, during charging, and when ‘range extending’.

The book remains available on iTunes and will be available on Issuu soon.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1125422107

For those who have read the first edition and for those new to the book, I hope you enjoy the update.

Did you cover "drive cycle" from an emissions perspective in your book? I am looking for someone who can advise on how I can get my 2017 Rex to pass the drive cycle test in CA so I can register the car. I have driven the car all over hell and back with the Rex running, several hundred miles in disparate driving conditions, but the Catalyst, oxygen sensor, and oxygen sensor heater readiness sensors,

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

Shrug. I was glad to spend the $9.99, even though it might not cover some of the last years of production.
Perhaps if enough of us fork over this paltry amount (That today would not even cover a fancy coffee and a bun at a well-known worldwide vendor that wants your name when all you want is your caffeine vector of choice.), it might be an incentive to him to do a grand comprehensive 3re edition covering all the years of production of the i3 and i3s with all of the different special editions that were available in the various markets where it was sold.
It should, perhaps, include links to things such as the series of YouTube videos that Wisely has produced, as well as links of lasting use to owners of our cars in the future when they are likely to be regarded as pioneering classics in the era of the rebirth of electric cars.
https://www.youtube.com/@wiselyauto
These videos helped convince me that the i3 would be the ideal "last car I am likely to need or own."
A selection of such web links would be a plus, but such things need to be curated as some internet links die ( the link the author gave to https://bmwi3owner.com/tag/sweden/ is a dead link to me, for example).

 

[alohart]

Shrug. I was glad to spend the $9.99, even though it might not cover some of the last years of production.
Perhaps if enough of us fork over this paltry amount (That today would not even cover a fancy coffee and a bun at a well-known worldwide vendor that wants your name when all you want is your caffeine vector of choice.), it might be an incentive to him to do a grand comprehensive 3re edition covering all the years of production of the i3 and i3s with all of the different special editions that were available in the various markets where it was sold.

I have the 4th edition covering all i3 models in Apple Books format. It still seems to be available on the Apple Books Store for those with Apple devices.

Amazon is selling an edition updated in 2021 in paperback for $29.95 and a Kindle version for $9.99.

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

Thanks, Art. I ordered it without taking the time to read it, and the comments here seemed to be all about the 2nd edition.

 

[kd7iwp]

I just bought my copy and look forward to reading it tonight. Thank you for the multiple edition updates.

 

[Mustrum Ridcully]

Since the author in his Avitar, Janner, has not been seen on the forum for seven years, perhaps one of the sysops here might edit the first post to reflect the fact that the book is updated via a 4th edition through 2021 and the 120 AH i3 and i3S versions sold in North America and perhaps other markets.
I don’t know the details of the 2022 “special editions” that BMW used to shut down the production lines, nor where in the world they were marketed.

Any volunteer editors here with such information are encouraged to add it to this thread.

 

[mojo]

As I recall, the "runout" special edition was the Unique Forever edition, which was planned to be made in total numbers of 2000 units, but for reasons I can't recall didn't quite get to 2000. Production started in Nov 2021 and it was available in Europe only, I think - but was available in RHD so there are some in the UK. As far as I know, the only "unique" thing was the colour range (only two colour combinations, not used in any other variant) and the decals.

I personally don't like the name, because you can't call anything that you make in quantities of thousands unique! But that's just nitpicking. They are quite sought after here in the UK.