Why would anyone get the REx in the US?

[tiburonh]

The REx in the US now seems to me to be pretty much a waste of money. A waste of $3,850 (plus tax) to be exact.

Things going against it:

1. Despite all of BMW's efforts to engineer it so it could qualify for the white HOV sticker and the full state rebate in California (and hopefully, by extension, similar treatment in other states), it ended up not qualifying for either of those.

2. It did qualify for CA's green HOV sticker, but those are all gone -- and the recent effort to get the CA legislature to allow for more to be issued failed miserably.

3. Although in the European version the driver can turn it on at will, BMW has tuned it in the US so it only goes on when the battery is nearly dead (5 or 6% of charge left) , at which point it seems (from the experience of reporters and owners in Europe) to provide a really limited level of performance -- reports are that you can't maintain typical US freeway speeds, that you will face struggles going up big hills, and that you'll likely have to turn off big electric draws like your heated seats and your AC.

4. Even with the limited performance it seems to yield when running, BMW has yet to offer evidence of exactly how much additional range you can reliably expect to get with it in the US. In any event, that extended range will be less in the US than in Europe, because the gas tank in the US holds only 1.9 gallons vs the 2.4 in the European version.

5. The additional weight of the REx decreases the 0-60 time significantly (from 7.0 to 7.8 seconds)

6. When the REx is running, it apparently sounds like a cheap (and not very sound-proofed) lawn mower.

i'm sure others will disagree with me. Let's hear what people have to say.

Cheers.

 

[Surge]

And isn't the fuel capacity reduced vs the European REx?

I would like to know what the additional range is, in the US version.

And I assume the Canadian version will be the same as the US?

 

[tiburonh]

And isn't the fuel capacity reduced vs the European REx?

I would like to know what the additional range is, in the US version.

And I assume the Canadian version will be the same as the US?

Thanks Surge - I forgot about that one. I've revised my initial post to also reflect this (1.9 gallon tank in US vs 2.4 gallon tank in Europe).

 

[BrianStanier]

I think this is translation mistake. AFAIK the tank is the same 9 litres in all versions. 9 litres = 1.9 imperial gallons and = 2.4 US gallons (rounded).

 

[Surge]

Tom's blog says otherwise:
http://bmwi3.blogspot.ca/2014/04/more-range-extender-details-uncovered.html

 

[Stevei3]

Hi Tiburonh,

if I may speak for myself (as EU customer I admit): because it is a very good electric car with the added bonus to take you the extra mile. This enables maximum (electric) use of the car, also on trips where it would be tempting to go with an ICE equipped car.

Regards, Steven

 

[drb]

The decision to get the REx was easy and I would do it again even after knowing that BMW changed the rules on the fuel tank in mid game (disgraceful behavior from a company such as BMW and then never telling the public or their dealers but letting us find out through the blogs). But let's get our facts straight. BMW neither expected nor did they mislead the public with regard to the white sticker in California. I did not expect to get the white sticker (hoped to get it but didn't expect it); I always knew it would be a green sticker. While California is out of the greens for the moment, the legislature will approve them--its in the Governor's budgtet. The failure of the State Assembly to act within the last few days had to do with other measures in the same bill. The green sticker will give me just about everything I need for traveling the HOV lanes of Southern California. Furthermore, the REx was never conceived as much more than an emergency tank and on those grounds I purchased it. I didn't want to be wrestling with range anxiety, and knowing that I have just that extra amount of fuel to get me home or to a charging station was a comfort for which I was prepared to pay extra. The driving I do in Southern California and that of most Californians (a combination of street and freeway driving) fit just within or just beyond the range of the battery--thus the REx. Great car and the REx is a great choice.

 

[Surge]

I think the value of the REx is just that - as an emergency backup for the odd time that you need extra range.
And that's how BMW describes it (as I recall);

OR - if your commute is longer than 100 miles but shorter than ~150 miles, the REx would be a good fit.

I drive from Toronto to Manhattan about once a month, that's a 500 mile trip. For me, the REx would save about 2 recharges on the round-trip. That's good, but not enough to make it really worthwhile.

 

[mindmachine]

I could not buy the car at all without the Rex, I live in a rural area and while 90% of my driving will be shorter than the 80 mile EV range, traveling to any major city in Ohio would be high risk for me with the BEV. The Rex should still get me home from say a 50 mile one way trip that I make regularly. The problem here in Ohio is a very limited(sparse) charging infrastructure. The Rex, 1.9 us gal or 2.4 us gal either way is still 70 miles to 100 miles range on gas. That's huge for my use and it will do the job for me.

Plus if you read the reviews from some of the UK members on here, they are saying that the the Rex power supply is robust enough that if you drive normally and not like a hot rod, you should not have any power issues unless yo live in the mountains. Additionally the Brits are claiming 40 miles/US gallon, I sure can live with that.

Another item, here in Ohio, you have to watch the cost of using charging stations carefully. Due to a lack of them, while some are free, some understand the concept of rape in their fee structure. For example I have seen fees of $0.49 per kwh, so a full charge would be $ 10.50 for a full charge, while I can charge at home for $0.125 per kwh or $ 2.63 for a full charge. Meanwhile 80 miles on gasoline would be $ 7.20.

Plus to be honest, I am hoping BMW may find enough complaints that they may be decide to revise the software and let non CARB state owners use the Rex the way the UK version works and start the Rex anywhere below 70% SOC.

Without the Rex, it would be a show stopper for me. :mrgreen:

 

[Surge]

Unless your highway driving is short <50 miles, and you have a charge point at each 50 mile interval, it seems like you will need the REx.

The highway range at 75 mph (120 kph) is only about 62 miles (100 km)… and I'm sure that will be less in colder weather.

 

[bxb40]

Not an easy question as some key details are still to emerge. While the actual range will be lower in US vs EU, the electric range has to match the gasoline range so the car is not a hybrid. So most likely EPA got an electric range of 80 miles and the Rex having about 42 mpg, its range was too long - something BMW cannot control because the US and EU tests are different. We'll soon know the numbers. But the REX should be tax free in NJ, so the smaller tank translates into $3780 savings while a hybrid car (such as the Volt) is taxed. The main benefit of the REX is battery life, because the SOC does not drop below 20% (the car keeps 3.2kWh as a reserve, and the Rex kicks in at 1.2kWh, so it stays at 4.4kWh on a 22kWh battery). In CARB states the battery is warranted @70% min for 10 years or 150000 miles. So it kind of works but it could have been better... But it is depending on future info, such as mpg and retrofitting a larger tank later...

 

[ultraturtle]

1. Despite all of BMW's efforts to engineer it so it could qualify for the white HOV sticker and the full state rebate in California (and hopefully, by extension, similar treatment in other states), it ended up not qualifying for either of those.

A common misconception. BMW's efforts to gain BEVx status for the REx never had anything to do with qualifying for White Stickers. There are numerous posts that clarify, to include Tom's latest: http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2014/01/green-or-white-which-hov-sticker-will.html

 

[ultraturtle]

Why would anyone not get the REx in the US?

1. It is incredibly inexpensive. You cannot find a liquid cooled, highly efficient, staggeringly low emission 34 hp gen-set anywhere for $3,850, much less one that imposes no volume penalty, and integrates seamlessly with the i3's electrical system.

2. It imposes a negligible weight penalty, slowing the zero to sixty time by only 0.8 seconds (still quicker than any other EV except the Teslas), and increasing the fuel consumption to carry the additional weight by only 4.65% (seehttp://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/i/i3/2013/showroom/technical_data.html#m=i3_range_extender) or roughly $129 (assuming $0.11/kWh) over the course of 100,000 miles

3. It eliminates the cost to rent or own and maintain a gasoline fueled vehicle for trips beyond a BEVs electric range.

4. It eliminates both the embedded and produced pollution caused by renting or owning a gasoline fueled vehicle for trips beyond a BEVs electric range.

5. It allows for a greater ratio of EV to gasoline powered driving for any given size battery bank:

• - For EV only trips, it allows for full use of the battery's capacity, as the driver need not hold any EV range in reserve
  - For trips beyond the range of a BEV, it allows for not only EV use, but use of the the battery pack's full capacity. Consider a trip of 110 miles, only 100 of which could be reached by a BEV in its most economical mode. The BEV would stay in the garage, and the gasoline powered vehicle would travel the full 110 miles on gasoline only. A REx would be able to travel approximately 90 miles on electrical power, and need to travel only 20 miles using gasoline.

6. A BEV is limited to travel only between charging opportunities, making most trips outside of a roughly 30 mile radius inconvenient (3.5 hour wait to charge), and many trips impossible (no realistic charging opportunity). A REx can travel pretty much from any point on a map to any other point on the map conveniently with only a few minute stop for fuel every hour.

7. The REx offers the flexibility to change plans as situations change. An unexpected errand that would be impossible for a BEV to include in its planned range for the day would not even be a second thought for a REx

8. Certified morons like myself occasionally forget to plug the car in at night. A REx would get me to work the next day with no issues, whereas doing the same with a BEV would cost me over $150 in cab fare.

I actually count myself amongst the lucky few that actually might be able to get by with a BEV under favorable weather and battery health conditions (58 mile round trip, 60% highway), but would not consider owning one, because the REx is far and away the more environmentally responsible choice in my situation, and I suspect many others' as well.

Edited May 1 to add point #8

 

[Surge]

ultraturtle, well written points, and I agree with most of them…
It's important to highlight though, that there are downsides to the REx, namely:

1. You cannot use the full range of the battery - the REx will kick in automatically when you have ~7% of charge left, in the US. So that effectively reduces your usable range on EV only by 7%. Not good, especially when combined with points 2 and 3, below.

2. Extra weight penalizes EV range. 265 Lbs is not trivial. The REx adds 10% to the weight of a non-REx i3. Not trivial, and you can see the impact on 0-60 time for example.

3. No cabin pre-heat, which will improve range and make the ride more comfortable

4. MPG on REx is not great. I read mid-30mpg… some say higher… but still, my Lexus CT gets almost 50 mpg on the highway. As a gas burner, the REx is just NOT that efficient.

It only really makes sense as an emergency backup. If you're using it more than say, once a month, I think you have to do the math on whether a hybrid or diesel makes more sense. Of course, you may just love the i3 and not want anything else. In that case, you'll get the REx, even though it is not the most efficient option if you drive more than ~100 miles a day.

I love the i3 and plan to buy one… I'd love to use it for long-distance trips, but it's just not quite there yet, even with the REx… filling up once an hour is highly inconvenient… and no one knows if the REx will sustain the battery charge in freezing conditions at 75 mph…

 

[Stevei3]

3. No cabin pre-heat, which will improve range and make the ride more comfortable

Hi Surge, slight correction: no heat pump, so less economic heater.

Cabin and battery pre-heat is not dependent on the heat pump and works with REx as well.

Regards, Steven

 

[ultraturtle]

1. You cannot use the full range of the battery - the REx will kick in automatically when you have ~7% of charge left, in the US. So that effectively reduces your usable range on EV only by 7%. Not good, especially when combined with points 2 and 3, below.

I should have stated full "useable range" of the battery. Neither the REx or the BEV can use the full range of the battery, and for good reason. While it is true that the useable capacity of the REx battery is approximately 94% of the BEV's useable capacity, it is also true that it is highly unlikely that a BEV owner will use that last 6%

2. Extra weight penalizes EV range. 265 Lbs is not trivial. The REx adds 10% to the weight of a non-REx i3. Not trivial, and you can see the impact on 0-60 time for example.

We can respectfully disagree upon what constitutes trivial. 8/10ths of a second of acceleration potential is trivial to me, as I will probably never have a need to floor it, and will still out-accelerate every EV out there, short of the Teslas if I do. Spending $129 for the extra kWh necessary to have all of the capabilities of the REx immediately available to me for every mile of 100,000 miles of use is trivial to me as well.

3. No cabin pre-heat, which will improve range and make the ride more comfortable

It has cabin pre-heat. You meant to say no heat-pump. Point taken. Not a factor for me where I live. Seat heat is adequate for winter driving.

4. MPG on REx is not great. I read mid-30mpg… some say higher… but still, my Lexus CT gets almost 50 mpg on the highway. As a gas burner, the REx is just NOT that efficient.

You missed my point. For the theoretical 110 mile trip I outlined, assuming 35mpg consumption, the REx only burned 0.57 gallons of fuel, yielding 192.5 mpg, nearly 4 times the fuel mileage of your Lexus CT. It also burned approximately 1.6 fewer gallons.

 

[Surge]

Ok, I see now that you meant for a 110 mile trip. Thanks ultraturtle.

It all depends on your driving distances and how often you drive those distances.

For my needs, I am well within 100 miles per day… but then every 4 weeks or so, I drive 500 miles in one day. That's where the REx would definitely be better than the BEV, but still far from ideal… and that's where I'd be filling up every hour and getting mid to high 30-mpg. It would not make sense to fill the gas tank and charge the battery every 1.5 hours on a long trip… so this is my dilemma.

As a 2nd car for trips <100 miles, it's the BEV and that's perfect.

As your only car for trips <150(?) miles, it's the i3 and it's as close to perfect as you'll get right now!

 

[Surge]

3. No cabin pre-heat, which will improve range and make the ride more comfortable

Hi Surge, slight correction: no heat pump, so less economic heater.

Cabin and battery pre-heat is not dependent on the heat pump and works with REx as well.

Regards, Steven

Thanks for clarifying, but it's actually confusing because BMW describes the heat pump specifically as a way to preheat the cabin:

4T9 - Cold Weather Cabin Preparation [only available without REx]
- heat pump for pre-heating the cabin temperature for improved comfort when entering the cabin in cold conditions. This ensures that less battery energy is required to achieve desired cabin temperature as this can be activated while the vehicle is on charge. This results in improved range performance as well as the optimum cabin temperature before you enter the vehicle.

 

[Surge]

Steve, maybe this is what you meant. It's a battery pre-heat but not a cabin pre-heat:

Feature ZWT - Winter Package
[available with and without REx]
- 494 heated front seats
- ZHV Pre-heating of HV battery with active air flap control: pre-heating the the HV battery ensures that the battery is operating at the optimal temperature which further improves the range and performance of the battery. Additional active control of air flaps to assist in achieving optimum operating temperature.

 

[Gonville]

Tom's blog says otherwise:
http://bmwi3.blogspot.ca/2014/04/more-range-extender-details-uncovered.html

The title of Tom's blog does say that but it is not correct. The part numbers for the NA and European tanks are the same. 9 litres 1.9 Imp 2.4 US. It's true believe it. I asked Tom if he could get that verified and change the blog entry if indeed the part numbers are the same. Check www.realoem.com for part numbers.