So who's getting an i3?

[JonV8V]

snorkel sucker said:

BigBen said:

snorkel sucker said:

Out of interest, has anybody run an i3 funded by a car allowance (not a company car) and with the ability to claim back business miles at HMRC rates?

We have a lease car going back in October and need something to replace it. I'm wondering whether I should give my wife my car (3 series estate) for baby and dog duties and I go for an i3.

Current work situation is an 80 mile round trip to the office on an average day but I do about 10k business miles a year (construction industry so trips to site etc are claimable as business miles). Annual miles circa 20k.

Madness to even consider this or potentially very cheap transport?!

A friend of mine also in the construction industry does exactly what you describe, working out well for him so far.

My understanding is for a REX you claim for the size of the engine (smallest category), for a BEV the AMR is zero and you can claim nothing.

Thanks, that's useful to know. I've not done a thorough level of research yet (just starting to) but from what I can see, the HMRC mileage rates are the same as for a petrol/diesel car so very crudely, doing 10k business miles at 45ppm = £4500. Using little or no fuel means that is £4500 to maintain the car. That's not even accounting for car allowance either.

No charge point at work but working for a very large company I don't expect it would take very much persuading to get one installed.

[BigBen]

JonV8V said:

My understanding is for a REX you claim for the size of the engine (smallest category), for a BEV the AMR is zero and you can claim nothing.

Mileage claims have not been based on engine size for many years now. Furthermore given you can claim 5p a mile for journeys by bicycle (or something like that) I struggle to believe a BEV driver could claim zero.

[JonV8V]

BigBen said:

JonV8V said:

My understanding is for a REX you claim for the size of the engine (smallest category), for a BEV the AMR is zero and you can claim nothing.

Mileage claims have not been based on engine size for many years now. Furthermore given you can claim 5p a mile for journeys by bicycle (or something like that) I struggle to believe a BEV driver could claim zero.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advisory-fuel-rates/advisory-fuel-rates-from-1-march-2016

and

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

see 8.6


Although that applies to company car drivers many company car schemes who provide an allowance will only pay the AFR rates for drivers taking the cash in lieu in which case you need to claim through your tax code.

Edited by JonV8V on Wednesday 3rd August 18:51

Edited by JonV8V on Wednesday 3rd August 18:52

[BigBen]

JonV8V said:

BigBen said:

JonV8V said:

My understanding is for a REX you claim for the size of the engine (smallest category), for a BEV the AMR is zero and you can claim nothing.

Mileage claims have not been based on engine size for many years now. Furthermore given you can claim 5p a mile for journeys by bicycle (or something like that) I struggle to believe a BEV driver could claim zero.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advisory-fuel-rates/advisory-fuel-rates-from-1-march-2016

and

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

see 8.6


Although that applies to company car drivers many company car schemes who provide an allowance will only pay the AFR rates for drivers taking the cash in lieu in which case you need to claim through your tax code.

Edited by JonV8V on Wednesday 3rd August 18:51

Edited by JonV8V on Wednesday 3rd August 18:52

Interesting I was not aware of that, however not applicable in this case.

[snorkel sucker]

BigBen said:

JonV8V said:

BigBen said:

JonV8V said:

My understanding is for a REX you claim for the size of the engine (smallest category), for a BEV the AMR is zero and you can claim nothing.

Mileage claims have not been based on engine size for many years now. Furthermore given you can claim 5p a mile for journeys by bicycle (or something like that) I struggle to believe a BEV driver could claim zero.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advisory-fuel-rates/advisory-fuel-rates-from-1-march-2016

and

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

see 8.6


Although that applies to company car drivers many company car schemes who provide an allowance will only pay the AFR rates for drivers taking the cash in lieu in which case you need to claim through your tax code.

Edited by JonV8V on Wednesday 3rd August 18:51

Edited by JonV8V on Wednesday 3rd August 18:52

Interesting I was not aware of that, however not applicable in this case.

Thanks JonV8V, a useful guide you posted. In my case it wouldn't be a company car but I would be able to claim business miles so note 10.2 of the document in the second link you posted would apply. I think!

More research needed I think!

[RossP]

There is an i3 meet at BMW HQ in Farnborough on September 4th for i3 owners and potential owners. Details are on the i3 Facebook group which you can access at http://bmwi3owners.uk

PM me for details if you're not on Facebook

[anonymous-user]

I3 - EV vs Rex?

Can owners comment on how much they actually end up using the Rex? I think that as the overall efficiency in Rex mode is (relatively) poor and the overall range (relatively) short, and i'd have to have a second car anyway for long journeys (and towing my rally car / getting my bike in etc), getting the pure EV version is a better idea and means i don't have to cart around the Rex for most of the time (it also means there's a nice spare bit of space to slide in a second motor at some point in the future......... ;-)

[nbetts]

Max_Torque said:

I3 - EV vs Rex?

Can owners comment on how much they actually end up using the Rex? I think that as the overall efficiency in Rex mode is (relatively) poor and the overall range (relatively) short, and i'd have to have a second car anyway for long journeys (and towing my rally car / getting my bike in etc), getting the pure EV version is a better idea and means i don't have to cart around the Rex for most of the time (it also means there's a nice spare bit of space to slide in a second motor at some point in the future......... ;-)

I have had a i3 Rex since early 2014 - I selected REX just to eliminate any range anxiety issues I may have had. In my use, which is just around town and journeys typically up to 60 miles round trip, the REX has been largely redundant and superfluous - I often have to go through the 'maintenance cycle' with the REX as opposed to it being actually used.

The maintenance cycle is something BMW has built-in to the car so that the REX engine does actually get used from time to time and keep it oiled and moving.

There have been a couple of occasions that I have made journeys of around ~145 miles without charging (I did not select DC Rapid charge on my car) and for that the REX has proved absolutely top notch.

I have just ordered a new model i3 with the ~50% uplift in possible range - I also went REX on this model too - just so that it will make the car even more capable.

I hope that helps?

[RossP]

I bought a BEV in March 2014. I found that I shied away from using it for longer trips as charging can be hit and miss. Chargers not working or already in use. Last week I took delivery of a new 94Ah i3 this to,e with REx. I fully intend to use this for long journeys now as have the option for rapid charging and/or petrol fill ups..

[Welshbeef]

RossP said:

I bought a BEV in March 2014. I found that I shied away from using it for longer trips as charging can be hit and miss. Chargers not working or already in use. Last week I took delivery of a new 94Ah i3 this to,e with REx. I fully intend to use this for long journeys now as have the option for rapid charging and/or petrol fill ups..

How many miles do you do a year?

Is the new 94 version any quicker?

What is the 0-100mph on the i3?

[mids]

Max_Torque said:

I3 - EV vs Rex?

The topic has been done to death really if you can be bothered to trawl back through the posts but the fact that we have long term BEV owners like Ross swapping to REx tells you more than the majority of speculation in this thread (which is often by people who don't own EV's).

My March 2014 REx has done 27k miles of which 4k has been with the REx turned on so I use it a fair bit but I don't bother with public charging (last time was over 2 years ago). I just top up every night at home and then just drive it like a normal car. If I need to go outside of battery range then just find a garage and fill up like a normal car. No planning, no anxiety, no waiting in car parks for batteries to charge and yet a LOT of electric miles.

[Luke.]

Welshbeef said:

RossP said:

I bought a BEV in March 2014. I found that I shied away from using it for longer trips as charging can be hit and miss. Chargers not working or already in use. Last week I took delivery of a new 94Ah i3 this to,e with REx. I fully intend to use this for long journeys now as have the option for rapid charging and/or petrol fill ups..

How many miles do you do a year?

Is the new 94 version any quicker?

What is the 0-100mph on the i3?

It doesn't do a 100. But I suspect you knew that.

[anonymous-user]

Mr GrimNasty said:

Battery technology is NOT going to improve significantly enough to change this fact. It is a scientific impossibility.

Just found this! So, less than 3 years since it's launch, battery tech in the i3 has already improved by around 50%! (33kWhr vs 22kWhr in the same sized pack!)


Good old PH eh, always first with the facts....... ;-)

[Chr1sch]

Just ordered a 94ah Rex car, what a brilliant little machine!

[RossP]

Luke. said:

Welshbeef said:

RossP said:

I bought a BEV in March 2014. I found that I shied away from using it for longer trips as charging can be hit and miss. Chargers not working or already in use. Last week I took delivery of a new 94Ah i3 this to,e with REx. I fully intend to use this for long journeys now as have the option for rapid charging and/or petrol fill ups..

How many miles do you do a year?

Is the new 94 version any quicker?

What is the 0-100mph on the i3?

It doesn't do a 100. But I suspect you knew that.

It's important not to feed them...

[Amateurish]

Max_Torque said:

I3 - EV vs Rex?

Can owners comment on how much they actually end up using the Rex? I think that as the overall efficiency in Rex mode is (relatively) poor and the overall range (relatively) short, and i'd have to have a second car anyway for long journeys (and towing my rally car / getting my bike in etc), getting the pure EV version is a better idea and means i don't have to cart around the Rex for most of the time (it also means there's a nice spare bit of space to slide in a second motor at some point in the future......... ;-)

I've owned a BEV and a Rex and for the me the Rex is indispensable. When I had a Rex I could rely on it for any and all journeys. A BEV is compromised for medium and long range journeys especially when public charging infrastructure can't be relied upon.

[anonymous-user]

Picked up my 60AH BEV today, so far so good, only been about 20 miles in it, so it'll take a while to work out the effective range etc (and to work through all the options/setup in the idrive etc!)

Does anyone know if the pedal mapping for regen changes with drive mode? Seems there is a weird step in the pedal map at about 3 or 4 mph, wonder if that's where it is transitioning from speed control mode to torque control mode? (or possibly from dynamic regen to active braking in the motor controller)


Funnily enough it reminds me in a ride/handling sense of an old 911 a bit, with very light steering once moving and a darty nose that nods over bumps......

[KTF]

Out of interest, people who currently have an i3, do you drive it around like Miss Daisy is in the back trying to eek out as much range as possible or (assuming the trip is within the range remaining) drive it like normal and just charge it up again overnight.

I only wonder as, on the i3 facebook page, they seem to drive around in eco pro all the time with a view to maximising range. Whilst I can see the challenge in this, given how much less it costs to fuel it than a conventional car, is there a big saving in taking this approach or does it only equate to a few miles lost on the range overall?

[nbetts]

KTF said:

Out of interest, people who currently have an i3, do you drive it around like Miss Daisy is in the back trying to eek out as much range as possible or (assuming the trip is within the range remaining) drive it like normal and just charge it up again overnight.

I only wonder as, on the i3 facebook page, they seem to drive around in eco pro all the time with a view to maximising range. Whilst I can see the challenge in this, given how much less it costs to fuel it than a conventional car, is there a big saving in taking this approach or does it only equate to a few miles lost on the range overall?

I drive mine absolutely normally - I don't really look at the electric range after a cursory glance as I get in the car - if it is down to my last whole quarter bar of charge I just make a mental note to charge next time I come home again.

In fact I think I actually drive quicker around town compared to when I am in a conventionally powered car - just down to the fact that nipping in and out of junctions and powering off roundabouts is such an easy thing to do.

I always drive the car in Comfort mode - and only ever select Eco_pro when I am trying to see just how far the car can go on a single charge.

[mids]

KTF said:

Out of interest, people who currently have an i3, do you drive it around like Miss Daisy is in the back trying to eek out as much range as possible or (assuming the trip is within the range remaining) drive it like normal and just charge it up again overnight.

I drive it as normal, doing well over the motorway limit on the private road on my commute. When it costs under a quid to recharge at home overnight I don't see the point in trying to be economical. It's actually fun to be able to completely forget about the niggling thoughts in your head that you shouldn't drive fast due to poor economy. That's one of the best things about an EV IMO

KTF said:

I only wonder as, on the i3 facebook page, they seem to drive around in eco pro all the time with a view to maximising range.

I gave up on the facebook group (even though I was the one who sent Ross an email suggesting we create it, lol), too many people obsessing about things that I considered unimportant such as exactly that ^^ and also lots of moaning about ICE'd slots and the cost of a public recharge. I actually find PH the most interesting place to discuss EV's, we get plenty of non-EV drivers entering the discussion to keep it balanced.