http://www.autoblog.com/2015/09/24/electric-living-with-a-bmw-i3/ Electric living with a BMW i3 Sep 24th 2015 Gary Witzenburg
[images http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2014-bmw-i3-live/ Gallery ] Double Wow! Rarely in the 27-plus years I've been testing and writing about cars has any vehicle changed this much from my initial impression until I was later able to spend more time in one. Nearly two years ago, I got a brief test drive of the then-new BMW i3 EV on a selection of both flat and hilly, curvy roads west of Los Angeles the day before LA Auto Show press days. My impressions at the time were mixed: polarizing exterior and interior designs but roomy, easily accessible rear cabin; great twisty road handling but somewhat brittle rough-road ride; good performance but annoyingly strong (always on) regenerative braking. And there was no opportunity to test one with the optional range-extender (which BMW calls a "REx") engine. So I wanted an extended experience in a REx-equipped i3, and recently got one. And, I'm here to report that, driving it for a week like I owned it, the quirky i3 soon won me over. The quirky i3 soon won me over. The $42,400 BMW EV's unique, lightweight "LifeDrive" architecture features a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) passenger cell on an all-aluminum chassis. Powered by a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, its 170-hp AC synchronous motor spins out a healthy 184-pound-feet of torque through a single-speed transmission and offers three drive modes: Comfort, Eco Pro (which BMW says adds roughly 12 percent of range) and Eco Pro+ (another 12 percent). Go Ultra Low Electric Vehicle Chargepoint The optional rear-mounted 647 cc (0.65-liter) in-line 2-cylinder REx engine drives an electric generator, never the wheels. It increases the sticker price to $46,250 and curb weight from 2,860 pounds to 3,130 lb., and that 270-lb. weight penalty reduces its electric-only range from 81 to 72 miles and EPA-rated combined (gas-equivalent) fuel economy from 124 to 117 MPGe, and slows its 0-60-mph acceleration from 7.0 to 7.8 sec. But it nearly doubles the i3's official EPA-rated total range from an EV-only 81 miles to an EV-plus-gasoline 150 miles. The i3 arrived (from roughly 90 miles away) with its battery depleted but an indicated 75 miles of gas-powered range remaining. Wanting to experience it REx-only at first, I drove it on a 9.6-mile local trip and found little difference in sound or performance from what I recalled from that California battery-only test drive. When I returned home, however, the indicated gas range was just 55 miles, so I had used 20 miles of projected range in less than 10 local miles. My initial impressions were good, with a few quibbles. My initial impressions were mostly good, but with a few quibbles. Its performance felt strong, and its little REx engine was surprisingly quiet. You could hear it humming away back there, but it was hardly obtrusive. As with past BMW EVs, its regenerative braking was very strong whenever I lifted off the go pedal. This is good for range, and owners say they love "one-pedal" driving (rarely using friction brakes), but I found it a bit much at times. The handling was BMW crisp and responsive, but the steering felt artificial (too quick and heavy) and the ride on lumpy local roads was too stiff for comfort. Biggest complaint: the radio offers FM and Sirius/XM but no AM. (Note to BMW: some of us still want AM for local news, sports and other things, without a hack!) BMW i3 - First Drive I plugged the car into 120-volt garage power overnight (the charge port is on the right-rear fender, not the usual left-front) and next morning found its fully charged battery offering an indicated 82 miles of EV range, plus 57 gas. After 12.3 miles of local errands (driving normally in "Eco Pro" mode), it showed 64 miles EV and 50 miles REx range. Apparently operating 50-percent less efficiently than projected, I had used 18 miles of predicted electric range and (without burning any more gas) seven miles of REx range. If I owned it, I'd probably learn to do better. When I gave the i3 an aggressive run (13.8 miles in "comfort" mode) on nearby two-lane roads to test its acceleration and handling, its BMW character began to shine. It was surprisingly sluggish (for an EV) at first in full-boot launches from rest, but the motor's torque soon kicked in to power through 60 miles per hour in a tick under eight seconds. And I appreciated its quick steering and strong regen braking more than I had in normal driving. That sort of testing sucks up range, of course, and I brought it home with just 37 electric and 45 gas miles remaining. Nicely done, BMW! I wanted to experience the transition from battery to gas-generated power, so I didn't recharge before parking it at my local airport for three days with 28 electric miles and 45 REx range remaining. For some reason, those numbers adjusted slightly to 27 electric and 47 gas while parked. Then I took it on a freeway and watched EV range drop to zero after about 20 miles at 70-80 mph (normal mode). At that point, the little REx engine fired up and kept me going almost transparently with little, if any, change in perceived performance. Nicely done, BMW! I backed into my garage 8.6 miles later with 43 miles Rex range showing and plugged it in at about 7 pm. When the i3 was picked up 15 hours later, its battery was not quite full and offered just 60 miles EV range. A good reminder that its 22-kWh battery is big and and a Level I charger are slow, so owners will want to invest in 240-volt, Level II charging. The good news was that those 60 battery miles plus the remaining 43 gas miles would get the i3 back to its home base. And the beauty of the optional Rex is that you can stop and fill its tiny gas tank if needed. Bottom line: While I'm still not sold on its quirky styling - though my car-loving wife thought it was "cute" - and prefer adjustable regen braking that lets me choose its strength depending on how I'm driving, I truly appreciate the i3's leading-edge technology and found it much more fun and appealing than expected based on that California test-drive two years ago. [© 2015 AOL] http://www.post-gazette.com/business/money/2015/09/24/Scott-Sturgis-Driver-s-Seat-Some-bugs-remain-in-BMW-i3/stories/201509240041 Scott Sturgis' Driver's Seat: Some bugs remain in BMW i3 September 24, 2015 By Scott Sturgis [images / Chris Tedesco/BMW North America http://www.post-gazette.com/image/2015/09/23/ca21,21,2600,1733/car-1.jpg The 2015 BMW i3 Extended Range is an four-passenger electric vehicle with a two-gallon reserve gasoline tank that runs a generator for added range http://www.post-gazette.com/image/2015/09/23/ca0,0,2600,1733/car2-1.jpg The 2015 BMW i3 is a clever design with suicide doors, that open like French doors on either side of the car ] 2015 BMW i3 with Range Extender: Plugging in to a little less worry. Price: $52,750 as tested, including $1,500 for the Giga World package (19-inch wheels, universal garage door opener), $2,500 for the Tech and Driving Assist Package (navigation and BMW Online apps), and $1,000 for the Parking Assist Package. Marketer’s pitch: “Every great revolution begins with a charge.” Conventional wisdom: “I’m going to get stuck somewhere; I just know it.” Reality: Fairly convenient family car, but some iBugs remain. A charge: BMW has made going green a little more electric than a hybrid and a little less frightening than plug-in only. The i3 is an electric car with a 75-mile range like the Nissan Leaf — twice that of the electric-only range of the plug-in electric + gasoline-engined Chevrolet Volt. The range extender offers a two-gallon reserve tank of gasoline that runs a generator, enough to keep you going for a total of an advertised 150 miles. So while it doesn’t have the range of the Volt, it takes out the fear of running out of charge in all-electric vehicles. Greener than green: Easily renewable eucalyptus wood dresses up the dash; in front of that is a carbon fiber composite, which is the same material that makes up most of the soft-bodied i3. Attractive package: The i3 is an iCatcher; Mrs. Passenger Seat loved the ($550) orange paint and the cool-looking interior. Power usage: The range extender promises 60 miles from the fuel tank, so that’s about 30 mpg. The electric charge lasted about as long as advertised, but with a few disappointments. One time, I moved the i3 out of the garage to do some work in there. When I left the car, it had 75 miles on the batteries. When I got in next time, it was down to 67 miles. Where did the eight miles go? I was also disappointed that the regular 120-volt outlet takes about 24 hours to fully charge; a Level 2/240-volt charging station cuts that to 3.5 hours, according to BMW. Up to speed: Like all electric vehicles, the i3’s ability to provide momentum across its power curve means you’ll get moving in a hurry. Unlike the others I’ve tried thus far, though, letting off the gas sends the power system quickly into braking mode. This saves on the brakes and recaptures all the potential energy, but also requires some adjustment to your driving pattern. (I could fully stop on a slightly downgraded exit ramp without ever touching the brake.) Shiftless: Without the need for a gear selector, automakers have gotten creative with the wheel engagement systems on electrics. The i3 wins this contest as well. For some reason the joystick selectors in Priuses feel wrong to me, because we tap it backward to go forward and forward to go backward. BMW has put a dial on the steering column; twist it forward for Drive and rearward for Reverse. On the road: Steering the i3 is also an unusual phenomenon. Most of the weight sits in the battery pack, so the car picks up your steering input in a hurry. Just brace the steering wheel a little harder than usual to offset this. Driver’s Seat: The Giga cloth-and-leather seats keep occupants comfy. The manual seats offered plenty of support without being harsh. Staying informed: The “gauges” are kept in a display pad that sits angled in front of the driver. Friends and stuff: Open the neat-o suicide doors — doors hinged toward the rear of the vehicle also known as coach doors — and a pair of rear-seat passengers can come along for the excursion. The space back there made Sturgis Kid 4.0 uncomfortable; the mislocated rear window made looking out a challenge, and legroom was tight. The doors were a pain because the youngster couldn’t make his escape until the Old Man got his door open, and then tight parking lots were an additional headache. Play some tunes: The infotainment center sits in a larger pad in the center of the dash. It’s controlled by BMW’s intuitive joystick/button combo, which I find perfect for operating by feel. Speeding through the XM dial from, say, 21 to 132 was a quick, precise trip. Where it’s built: Leipzig, Germany How it’s built: Consumer Reports has no reliability data for the I3. But the X1 crossover is also assembled in the same factory and gets an average rating. In the end: I know as an exurban almost-supercommuter my lifestyle — zipping around the rolling hills of Chester County — is not at all designed for an electric car. The i3 with Range Extender seems to offer a fairly good mix for a variety of scenarios. Still, until technology advances such that the power promised equals the power delivered, or recharging is a far simpler and quicker issue, electrics will remain something for city or near-suburb dwellers, or people who don’t ever need a $50,000 car that can conveniently venture out of a predefined radius. [© post-gazette.com] http://www.startsatsixty.com.au/living/whats-silent-and-green-and-emits-a-warm-fuzzy-glow What’s silent and green and emits a warm, fuzzy glow? Mike O'Connor [20150924] It’s the electric car, the vehicle of the future we are told, and BMW now offers one that I might even consider owning. There are other options for those who want to save both fuel and the planet, but first the BMW. It comes in two models, the i3 [EV] and the i3REX [pih], the former running purely on battery power, the latter with a small petrol engine as back-up for those who don’t fancy the ignominy of rolling to a halt halfway between destinations with a flat battery. Why wouldn’t I own one? Because it’s expensive at [AUD]$63,900 and $69,900 respectively and remember, it’s strictly a four seater. Why would I own one? Because it’s remarkably fast off the mark, stylish in a nerdy sort of way, fun to drive and in terms of what is available at the moment, the ultimate city car. How far can you drive? I drove the i3REX with a 650cc engine borrowed from a motor scooter as battery power back-up. When the battery power falls to a certain level, the petrol engine automatically kicks in with the combined energy sources giving a range of about 300km. The pure battery i3 is good for around 150km and will recharge over about 11 hours from the socket in your garage. Pop the bonnet, take out the power lead, plug one end in the wall socket and the other end in a socket where the fuel filler cap would normally be, flick the switch to On and walk away. There are plenty of quirks such as the rear doors which are of the “suicide” type, meaning they are hinged from the rear and require you to open the front doors to gain entry to the rear seat. (These doors were popular in pre-war vehicles and earned the “suicide” tag due to their tendency to fly open in a collision with unfortunate consequences for unrestrained rear seat passengers. Please be assured this cannot happen now). The i3 cabin is a big, airy glasshouse with good all around visibility and contains plenty of pointers to the car’s green pretensions with a raw wood dashboard and door trims made from recycled plastic. Press the accelerator and you move swiftly and all but silently away with only a slight hum audible from the electric motor. Press harder in moving traffic and you will accelerate strongly, so have no fears about being left behind in any traffic light grand prix. It takes a while to become accustomed to the eerie quietness but within a few kilometres you find yourself enjoying the sensation of gliding silently through the traffic. You also become accustomed to attracting plenty of attention as other drivers see the BMW badges and try and work out just what it is you’re driving. On the highway it rolls along at 100km with some road noise from the tyres evident but its preferred environment is the city and suburbs. In reality there’s no chance of ending up with a flat battery as there are plenty of displays and warnings of the level of battery charge. The i3 makes perfect sense as a commuter vehicle if cost is not a deal breaker ... Battery technology is moving forward rapidly and electric cars may well hold the key to our motoring future but for the moment the only case you can make for them is with the heart, not the head. The BMW i3 is fun, frugal and green and a significant step forward in automotive technology ... [© startsatsixty.com.au] For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Some-ignorant-writers-still-not-sold-on-2015-BMW-i3-rex-pih-tp4677773.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
