Welcome to the BMW i3 Forum

[MikeS]

Hi Jazz - Good to see you found the forum, i think you will get lots of info and lots of questions! I will probably be in to see you again tomorrow. Mike

 

[TomMoloughney]

Jazz, will all bmw dealerships that sell the i3/i8 have the L3 DC fast charger?

They will not in the US, I'm not sure about the UK though.

Please enter your location into your profile. We have people here from many countries and if you ask a question it may have a different answer based on where you live.

 

[Jazz]

Jazz, will all bmw dealerships that sell the i3/i8 have the L3 DC fast charger?

Hi Carbonblackcab, apologies for the late reply. Been manic lately but I am going to try and get on here more often.

Currently, the I-Agent dealerships have had no confirmation of getting DC 'Rapid' Chargers just yet ('Fast' chargers are the AC Wallbox devices). We on the ground floor think it will be a great idea but with the increased costs of the DC infrastructure BMW UK hasn't gone down that route yet. It has been brought up in discussions though, so as and when developments happen, I will update.

MikeS- thanks, good to see you on here!

 

[SanSerif]

Jazz, will all bmw dealerships that sell the i3/i8 have the L3 DC fast charger?

Hi Carbonblackcab, apologies for the late reply. Been manic lately but I am going to try and get on here more often.

Currently, the I-Agent dealerships have had no confirmation of getting DC 'Rapid' Chargers just yet ('Fast' chargers are the AC Wallbox devices). We on the ground floor think it will be a great idea but with the increased costs of the DC infrastructure BMW UK hasn't gone down that route yet. It has been brought up in discussions though, so as and when developments happen, I will update.

MikeS- thanks, good to see you on here!

I realise these things are a bit pricey but it baffles me as to why the companies selling EVs haven't bust a gut to use their national infrastructure of dealerships to build a national charging infrastructure.

Not only does it massively increase the utility and saleability of their cars but it also will bring punters into their showrooms. Businesses bend over backwards to bring potential customers in - particularly ones who have shown they have the financial wherewithal and product interest to be purchasers of high ticket products.

And it's rapids you need to do this.

 

[Jazz]

Jazz, will all bmw dealerships that sell the i3/i8 have the L3 DC fast charger?

Hi Carbonblackcab, apologies for the late reply. Been manic lately but I am going to try and get on here more often.

Currently, the I-Agent dealerships have had no confirmation of getting DC 'Rapid' Chargers just yet ('Fast' chargers are the AC Wallbox devices). We on the ground floor think it will be a great idea but with the increased costs of the DC infrastructure BMW UK hasn't gone down that route yet. It has been brought up in discussions though, so as and when developments happen, I will update.

MikeS- thanks, good to see you on here!

I realise these things are a bit pricey but it baffles me as to why the companies selling EVs haven't bust a gut to use their national infrastructure of dealerships to build a national charging infrastructure.

Not only does it massively increase the utility and saleability of their cars but it also will bring punters into their showrooms. Businesses bend over backwards to bring potential customers in - particularly ones who have shown they have the financial wherewithal and product interest to be purchasers of high ticket products.

And it's rapids you need to do this.

I agree it isn't a bad idea, but here are a few logical reasons why BMW hasn't gone all out on DC Rapid charge stations yet.

1) As mentioned, price. Currently, the first i3s are arriving in the UK and most new customers will be happy charging their cars at home or at work. Having big pricey DC stations at our dealerships will be a tad wasteful as not many people will be using them in the early stages of the i3's release, nor will they necessarily want to travel to a dealership just to rapid-charge their cars.

2) Not every i3 is equipped to take DC Rapid. Not that many customers have actually bothered to spec this option so far, so until it becomes commonplace and the demand and number of EVs reach as such, their isn't much point getting some at dealerships just to look pretty when many cars we are supplying can't even make use of them.

3) Each I-agent dealership is fully equipped with at least 2 to 4 charging points (AC stations), so in answer to your earlier comment we are in fact providing a dealer-enhanced network of charging points, where I-car customers can readily use.

4) DC Rapid charge points are in fact massively powerful running at around 50KW, and are potentially more dangerous than the standard AC wallboxes, so we have to be weary before installing them and then opening up the doors to anyone who may or may not know how to safely handle one.

As said before, it is an idea that is being explored but currently BMW hasn't confirmed anything, which in hindsight is the right thing to do. These things are all coming along, but lets not run before we can walk

 

[cab]

DC charging is definitely a chicken and the egg thing. It isn't crazy expensive on the i3, but if you only keep it three or even five years will there be enough of them to ever actually see a use for it? For leasing...may not be worth it depending on your specific situation (including locale). For a purchase, it might ONLY be relevant for resale and I'm guessing the rEx will be much more relevant in that regard.

 

[Drift13UK]

Hi guys,

This is a great looking forum with lots of info on the car already.

I've been a petrol head for most of my 19 years but was offered a test drive in an i3 when actually looking to test an M135i and now I'm hooked on it. Just bummed that my current PCP lasts until April 2015 otherwise I'd have laid down the money for an i3 already haha.

Anyway, look forward to getting to know you and your cars over the coming years.

Tom

 

[Walshie]

Hi guys,
Just stumbled across this forum tonight after taking an i3 for a quick test drive last week. I was really impressed with the way it drove, which was town driving in Liverpool, but i am looking to do a pretty big daily commute (130 miles) and would be interested in what current users make of the skinny seats and ride quality.

Ta

Walshie

 

[littlebitinlaurel]

Hi Everyone,
My name is Diane and I'm from Glen Burnie, MD which is a suburb of Baltimore. My husband and I currently own a 2011 Nissan Leaf and we are leasing a 2013 Honda Fit EV. We also have a CRV which is our long trip car. I just recently had the chance to see the BMW I3 at the Motor Trend Show in Baltimore. I fell in love with it and I'm really anxious to test drive one. I do have one question for those in colder climates. How is the range affected by the cold weather. Our Fit EV has really lost it's range since the temperature has fallen. The Leaf isn't quite as bad. Also I saw someone else from Baltimore on here and I was wondering what part of the area you are from? It is really exciting to see folks from all over the globe on this forum.

 

[TomMoloughney]

Hi Everyone,
My name is Diane and I'm from Glen Burnie, MD which is a suburb of Baltimore. My husband and I currently own a 2011 Nissan Leaf and we are leasing a 2013 Honda Fit EV. We also have a CRV which is our long trip car. I just recently had the chance to see the BMW I3 at the Motor Trend Show in Baltimore. I fell in love with it and I'm really anxious to test drive one. I do have one question for those in colder climates. How is the range affected by the cold weather. Our Fit EV has really lost it's range since the temperature has fallen. The Leaf isn't quite as bad. Also I saw someone else from Baltimore on here and I was wondering what part of the area you are from? It is really exciting to see folks from all over the globe on this forum.

The Fit EV is notorious for being exceptionally bad in cold weather. I have friends that have them and they say they lose 50% of the range in the cold, and that's just terrible. I think you'll find the i3 to be at least as good as the LEAF in the winter. Of course the range will be diminished when it's cold as it is for every EV, but BMW has spent a lot of time cold weather testing and the thermal management system has been fine tuned for optimal cold weather performance.

 

[logorrhoea]

Hello. My name's Ken, I'm in Surrey in the UK and I'm just about to put in an order for the non-range extended i3 on a corporate lease.

Not sure what else to say. I'm going to be mainly using the car to do the school run and commute and in normal use I think I'll probably only need to charge it once a week although there might be the odd day like today when I start pushing the range by visiting clients 40 miles away.

 

[littlebitinlaurel]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your info on the i3 in the colder temperatures. I talked to a salesperson yesterday and they won't be getting one in our area until late April or early May. He offered to let me order one but I'd prefer to test drive before I purchase plus I already have the Leaf and the Fit EV. We actually bought our Leaf in May 2011 before they were available here. Ours was an orphan in Washington state and we had it shipped here sight unseen. My husband is an electric car buff and just couldn't wait until they came here. We're both really impressed with the BMW i3. One thing I'm happy to see is the variety of electric cars that are coming on the market from the auto makers.

Diane

 

[BoMW]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your info on the i3 in the colder temperatures. I talked to a salesperson yesterday and they won't be getting one in our area until late April or early May. He offered to let me order one but I'd prefer to test drive before I purchase plus I already have the Leaf and the Fit EV. We actually bought our Leaf in May 2011 before they were available here. Ours was an orphan in Washington state and we had it shipped here sight unseen. My husband is an electric car buff and just couldn't wait until they came here. We're both really impressed with the BMW i3. One thing I'm happy to see is the variety of electric cars that are coming on the market from the auto makers.

Diane

If I were in your shoes I would order one now, it will prevent you having to wait 6-7 months for delivery. You may always cancel your order after test driving the car.

 

[littlebitinlaurel]

I'm not in a really big hurry to order one. I already have a 2013 Honda Fit EV and a 2011 Nissan Leaf along with a 2006 Honda CRV (doesn't get much use but good for long trips).

We are looking into other types of electric cars as well as the i3. I want to test drive a Kia Soul, a Chevy Spark, and I'd love to get a Tesla when the Model E comes out. All that being said I really did like the looks of the BMW i3.

Diane

 

[Jwedd]

Greetings, I am in the central part of California, and not expecting a big, long term backlog on the i3. Other EV dealers have not had rapid movement of product here, despite the great incentives. Some of the EV market sales here have been poaching from Bay area/ LA area buyers. The Leaf initially was a very slow seller...but is now doing better with the price drop putting a new one at about $16-17k.

It will be very interesting watching the i3 sales evolve.

John

 

[scottlawrencelawson]

Hello! I just joined the forum today. I am in Southern California and have a deposit in on the i3. My dealer has not told me when the cars will be here. Wanted to lurk here and learn some things. This will be my first EV but I have owner several BMW 3 series cars.

 

[Robi3]

Hello, we just Joined the forum, and are located in The Netherlands.
Our BMWi3 Rex was deliverd before two days now, and we did already 245 km's with it , and i have to say driving is fantastic. :mrgreen:
We will use it mainly for the work trips between 60 and 100 km's a day. The Rex is for the private trips and i hope we can cover about 90% of our yearly km's with the i3.
With the benefits in Holland for ( business use) e-drivers i hope to save 500 € per month with respect to our former car the bmw X1. That also helps to make electric driving funny , outside of the environmental benefits.
With the PV system on my roof it should be possible to cover the yearly electricity consumption from the i3. :lol:

 

[Lecram]

Hi Rob,

I saw a similar i3 yesterday on the A12, near Bunnik around 18.30. Was that you?

 

[Robi3]

@Lecram
No. that was not me.
My wife is mainly driving with this car, I may only wash and clean it :mrgreen:

 

[Soulfulmoaner]

Hi. My name is Mark from mid Sussex in the UK.

Expecting to take delivery of an i3 non-rex early April to replace the Alfa for the day to day commute, a 40 mile round trip to Redhill Surrey using a mix of roads.

Have lurked on the forum for a while which has proved to be a great source of information so thank you all for that.

Happy motoring.

Mark