Will a 2019 non-REX reliably do 120-140 miles round trip?

[farfegnougat]

I'm on the verge of buying a lightly used 2019. One option is non-REX, one is REX (and obviously more money). I'm really tempted to save the money but don't want that choice to bite me in the butt. I'm in the Northeast US and 2 days each week my work commute is 60 miles each way. About 40 of that is highway, and the rest is surface roads. Some days I might add up to 20 miles worth of errands. The rest of the time, my commute is short, so it's a matter of figuring out whether I can make the long days work.

On paper, given the official 153 mile range, that should be fine, but paper != real world. Will I realistically be able to make the round trip without a range extender, do you think? If it helps, my long commute is to a college campus which has about a dozen chargepoints, so the option to "top up" is there, although I'd rather not have to do that routinely.

ETA: If it helps, my typical highway speed is 70-75. After a lot of tickets I've learned to just stick to that - not worth the fines to get to where I'm going maaaaaybe five minutes sooner. I'll occasionally accelerate to pass a truck or extreme slowpoke in the right lane but otherwise will pin it in that range.

 

[Anonymous]

Would help if you posted your location. Published ranges are at an optimum temperature - about 70 F. The farther off the seasonal ambient temperature is from that 70 F, colder or hotter, the more impact it has on range. Driving style will also have an impact - but that, at least is somewhat adjustable.

https://www.geotab.com/blog/ev-range/

 

[farfegnougat]

Thanks for the link - it was super helpful. I'm in NJ, so in the dead of winter it can get down to the 30s during the day, and the worst summer heat will be in the 90s, but generally doesn't go beyond those extremes. Looking at the graph you linked, it seems I'll be ok in all conditions except midwinter. Fortunately, we're past that, and I'll only have the long commute until this November, so it looks like it can work

 

[websterize]

With that many (L2?) chargers on campus, the answer seems obvious. You’ll have to routinely plug in to one of them during winter, but if you keep highway speed under 70mph, probably not. As a backup, find a DC fast charger along your route.

Going the distance without a REx isn’t scary, if you’re prepared. Get the BEV, and celebrate your savings with a steak dinner! Less is more.

 

[farfegnougat]

Thanks all! You're a treasure trove of info. I do have a couple of DC chargers along the route, plus multiple L2s all within a couple miles, so I do have options there. This car also has the heat pump option, which together with preconditioning should give me a bit of an edge during winter. How much of one, I don't really know.

 

[eNate]

I suggest plugging the drive in to ABRP and getting a feel for it. I settled on 4.5 miles/kWh as my highway efficiency for my BEV. ABRP had a place to enter in ambient temperature and should adjust range accordingly.

 

[stumbledotcom]

If you’re talking about the base model, the BEV should easily handle it. I’ve got a 2021 BEV base which has the same 120Ah battery pack. I routinely see 150+ miles total range on trips out of the city where I can let the ACC handle things in Eco Pro without a lot of stopping. Even in SF with the extreme hills and four-way stops that kill mileage, I always see 130+ using Comfort.

 

[OLDBMWGUY]

I would choose the BEV. My 2019 BEV (5800 miles) routinely will do 140 miles in 85/90 deg heat in COMFORT mode with A/C on.

Anecdotally the I3 FORUM listed I3 problems are overwhelmingly REX problems rather than BEV.
Not having to drag an extra 300 lbs around is an advantage if you can reliably charge at home and in route in an emergency.

If "range anxiety" is a deciding factor, maybe a TOYOTA Prius would be a better alternative?

Good luck

 

[gt1]

BEV! BMW range ratings are rather conservative. Although you might run into a problem if the weather is very cold and your speed is high.