So who's getting an i3?
Discussion
caseys said:
120Ah i3 driver here. Have the HK stereo (test drove models without and stock hifi is *AWFUL* even for podcasts). Also have the heat pump - which remember works *both ways* for heating and for AC. I can't re-iterate enough how bad the stock stereo is even if you're just listening to talk radio. At 70-80mph it's just distorty and not loud enough even with a car without an engine in it.
I'd agree the man maths above about 3kw for a standard heater matrix / ac unit vs I think it's 1kw for the heat pump.
Example for me is I drove Birmingham to Bournemouth, due to traffic a 170 mile route. Took 3 hours too, in the dark in the summer, with a bit of traffic, I averaged 5.4miles/kWh on the trip and got home with 19% state of charge. That was with lights on, HK on, AC on. In three hours I'd saved that means 6kW of energy, or basically 6x5 = 30 miles of range. And yeah, I was averaging about 60-65mph as it was the first big trip I took in my own i3 and the route I was taking to save time had bugger all chaging points. After that trip I'm now happy to know I can hop in and do a 150+ mile leg of a trip easily and with a quick charge somewhere means a 300-350mile day is absolutely fine.
Also my normal daily commute when I go into the office is 80 miles - mainly A338 and M27/M3, so 90% of it is NSL. In the summer 18-20C I'll get there having used 40% charge and I'm doing 70-80 leptons when I can. In the cold days at the start of march I was getting there having used about 48%, with a bit of pre-conditioning at home beforehand.
Yeah, sometimes you're wondering about power budgets on a long trip and it feels like you're in Apollo 13 counting every damn amp
There's a display in the idrive showing power draw of ancilliaries. Sometimes I've flipped the AC on and it's only lost 2-5 miles of range. Then ramp the heat pump up even more and it dips a bit more, so it's completely variable.
I will say one thing poor about the cabin design is the lack of vents towards the back of the cabin, I think there's just some under the front seats if that. I had a trip where it was 4 adults and they guys in the back were saying whilst it was spacious it wasn't the coolest. Not something I'd thought of whilst looking at them and didn't find out about in any testing. Coming from a 330e the i3 has a lot of glass it does seem to warm up quite quickly in the sun and also then cool down quite quickly in the winter.
Had my car since start of March, so 5 months, car's just rolled over to 10.5k mileage. Also had the windscreen already replaced once
It's a lovely place to be. I'll be getting a Tesla I think when the lease on this is up in 2021.
Happy to answer any questions.
Thanks for the feedback. I've now ordered an i3s, decided to go with HK but not the heat pump as I dont think I'll be pushing the range much. I'd agree the man maths above about 3kw for a standard heater matrix / ac unit vs I think it's 1kw for the heat pump.
Example for me is I drove Birmingham to Bournemouth, due to traffic a 170 mile route. Took 3 hours too, in the dark in the summer, with a bit of traffic, I averaged 5.4miles/kWh on the trip and got home with 19% state of charge. That was with lights on, HK on, AC on. In three hours I'd saved that means 6kW of energy, or basically 6x5 = 30 miles of range. And yeah, I was averaging about 60-65mph as it was the first big trip I took in my own i3 and the route I was taking to save time had bugger all chaging points. After that trip I'm now happy to know I can hop in and do a 150+ mile leg of a trip easily and with a quick charge somewhere means a 300-350mile day is absolutely fine.
Also my normal daily commute when I go into the office is 80 miles - mainly A338 and M27/M3, so 90% of it is NSL. In the summer 18-20C I'll get there having used 40% charge and I'm doing 70-80 leptons when I can. In the cold days at the start of march I was getting there having used about 48%, with a bit of pre-conditioning at home beforehand.
Yeah, sometimes you're wondering about power budgets on a long trip and it feels like you're in Apollo 13 counting every damn amp
There's a display in the idrive showing power draw of ancilliaries. Sometimes I've flipped the AC on and it's only lost 2-5 miles of range. Then ramp the heat pump up even more and it dips a bit more, so it's completely variable.I will say one thing poor about the cabin design is the lack of vents towards the back of the cabin, I think there's just some under the front seats if that. I had a trip where it was 4 adults and they guys in the back were saying whilst it was spacious it wasn't the coolest. Not something I'd thought of whilst looking at them and didn't find out about in any testing. Coming from a 330e the i3 has a lot of glass it does seem to warm up quite quickly in the sun and also then cool down quite quickly in the winter.
Had my car since start of March, so 5 months, car's just rolled over to 10.5k mileage. Also had the windscreen already replaced once
It's a lovely place to be. I'll be getting a Tesla I think when the lease on this is up in 2021.
Happy to answer any questions.
I did briefly consider whether I should go for a Model 3 which I could get for an extra £130 a month as a company car. Subjectively, I'm sure it's a better car in most ways, but there is just something I like about the i3 that appeals, think its the quirky nature of the vehicle and the advanced construction materials.
A very interesting topic,
Like I am guessing a good number of others, thanks to the new BIK rules I am now looking to get an EV as my next company car. My choice however is rather limited, with the option to have either a basic i3, a basic i3s, or an i3s with suite pack. Unsurprisingly given the alternatives are diesels or Toyota hybrids I am tending towards the latter, on to which I would be adding car play support and that’s about it. (I’d love to add the heat pump for the extra range, but cant really justify it on a company vehicle). I wish that the Model 3 had been included in the list
I have a 40 mile commute each way (7 miles to the M5/M4 then 6 miles of bypass/roundabouts to the office), I am very interested in hearing more about how it performs, and how much you have to adapt your driving. How much impact does driving at 75/80 on a motorway (on the continent where its legal of course)
I am guessing a 137 mile trip down the motorway to west Devon would be too much to do on a single leg?
My main concerns are the lack of space in the rear / boot, that the small size will feel more unstable than I am used to while driving (last car a C220, current interim car while waiting for the fleet order list to open is an Insignia), and of course the worry about range. On the other hand I really like the look of the car (both inside and out), and love the new tax rates (which alone are almost enough to offset the negatives). Really I think I am trying to convince myself about the range before I hit the button to order, especially knowing I can be quite lead footed.
Like I am guessing a good number of others, thanks to the new BIK rules I am now looking to get an EV as my next company car. My choice however is rather limited, with the option to have either a basic i3, a basic i3s, or an i3s with suite pack. Unsurprisingly given the alternatives are diesels or Toyota hybrids I am tending towards the latter, on to which I would be adding car play support and that’s about it. (I’d love to add the heat pump for the extra range, but cant really justify it on a company vehicle). I wish that the Model 3 had been included in the list
I have a 40 mile commute each way (7 miles to the M5/M4 then 6 miles of bypass/roundabouts to the office), I am very interested in hearing more about how it performs, and how much you have to adapt your driving. How much impact does driving at 75/80 on a motorway (on the continent where its legal of course)
I am guessing a 137 mile trip down the motorway to west Devon would be too much to do on a single leg?
My main concerns are the lack of space in the rear / boot, that the small size will feel more unstable than I am used to while driving (last car a C220, current interim car while waiting for the fleet order list to open is an Insignia), and of course the worry about range. On the other hand I really like the look of the car (both inside and out), and love the new tax rates (which alone are almost enough to offset the negatives). Really I think I am trying to convince myself about the range before I hit the button to order, especially knowing I can be quite lead footed.
the_fatadder said:
A very interesting topic,
I have a 40 mile commute each way (7 miles to the M5/M4 then 6 miles of bypass/roundabouts to the office), I am very interested in hearing more about how it performs, and how much you have to adapt your driving. How much impact does driving at 75/80 on a motorway (on the continent where its legal of course)
I am guessing a 137 mile trip down the motorway to west Devon would be too much to do on a single leg?
My main concerns are the lack of space in the rear / boot, that the small size will feel more unstable than I am used to while driving (last car a C220, current interim car while waiting for the fleet order list to open is an Insignia), and of course the worry about range. On the other hand I really like the look of the car (both inside and out), and love the new tax rates (which alone are almost enough to offset the negatives). Really I think I am trying to convince myself about the range before I hit the button to order, especially knowing I can be quite lead footed.
75-80 nicks quite a lot of range - I had a 60ah Rex which had 85 miles range for most of the year driven carefully but down to 60-odd in winter, I would travel at around 65-70 reasonably happily. A 120 should be much better - able to use all the battery (subject to BMW restrictions at top and bottom end), BEV has better economy than rex, and BEV can use more of there battery - the rex would turn on at 7% left, quite often at half a mile from home, and twice as much capacity.I have a 40 mile commute each way (7 miles to the M5/M4 then 6 miles of bypass/roundabouts to the office), I am very interested in hearing more about how it performs, and how much you have to adapt your driving. How much impact does driving at 75/80 on a motorway (on the continent where its legal of course)
I am guessing a 137 mile trip down the motorway to west Devon would be too much to do on a single leg?
My main concerns are the lack of space in the rear / boot, that the small size will feel more unstable than I am used to while driving (last car a C220, current interim car while waiting for the fleet order list to open is an Insignia), and of course the worry about range. On the other hand I really like the look of the car (both inside and out), and love the new tax rates (which alone are almost enough to offset the negatives). Really I think I am trying to convince myself about the range before I hit the button to order, especially knowing I can be quite lead footed.
I never found mine unstable at all but some people find them twitchy in cross winds. 137 miles should be easy for a 120, though perhaps not in the depths of winter. Ignore ecotricity and check out polar, instavolt just off the motorways for top ups
In terms of the range for the long trip I'd think you would be fine if you drive conservatively but you would need to have a charger free on arrival and probably a contingency stop off point, in case something happens along the way.
I wouldn't be using mine for such a trip, but having just paid 60 quid in petrol for a journey that would have been around 4 quid in the i3 I am reassessing my stance.
I wouldn't be using mine for such a trip, but having just paid 60 quid in petrol for a journey that would have been around 4 quid in the i3 I am reassessing my stance.
I just want to throw my hat in here that I hired an i3 120 in NZ and found it a total pleasure.
I took it on the highways, didn't find it unstable at all (although I am used to an Audi A2 which I borrow a lot, which is certainly fun on a motorway), took it on windy roads, and in cool weather where it was windy/raining half the time. Did over 520km, a couple of top ups (genuinely 30 minutes back to 80%+).
I would always give it a top up every 100-120 miles because, well, who wants to run out of power, but that just means a faster stop as you've got less charging to do...
I think it's a great car to cover miles in. It is pretty consistent with consumption all things considered and the range estimates are very accurate.
I took it on the highways, didn't find it unstable at all (although I am used to an Audi A2 which I borrow a lot, which is certainly fun on a motorway), took it on windy roads, and in cool weather where it was windy/raining half the time. Did over 520km, a couple of top ups (genuinely 30 minutes back to 80%+).
I would always give it a top up every 100-120 miles because, well, who wants to run out of power, but that just means a faster stop as you've got less charging to do...
I think it's a great car to cover miles in. It is pretty consistent with consumption all things considered and the range estimates are very accurate.
the_fatadder said:
A very interesting topic,
Like I am guessing a good number of others, thanks to the new BIK rules I am now looking to get an EV as my next company car. My choice however is rather limited, with the option to have either a basic i3, a basic i3s, or an i3s with suite pack. Unsurprisingly given the alternatives are diesels or Toyota hybrids I am tending towards the latter, on to which I would be adding car play support and that’s about it. (I’d love to add the heat pump for the extra range, but cant really justify it on a company vehicle). I wish that the Model 3 had been included in the list
I have a 40 mile commute each way (7 miles to the M5/M4 then 6 miles of bypass/roundabouts to the office), I am very interested in hearing more about how it performs, and how much you have to adapt your driving. How much impact does driving at 75/80 on a motorway (on the continent where its legal of course)
I am guessing a 137 mile trip down the motorway to west Devon would be too much to do on a single leg?
My main concerns are the lack of space in the rear / boot, that the small size will feel more unstable than I am used to while driving (last car a C220, current interim car while waiting for the fleet order list to open is an Insignia), and of course the worry about range. On the other hand I really like the look of the car (both inside and out), and love the new tax rates (which alone are almost enough to offset the negatives). Really I think I am trying to convince myself about the range before I hit the button to order, especially knowing I can be quite lead footed.
I'd do a 140 mile trip on a motorway without hesitation. I'd probably be doing 65-70mph though in the summer Especially as some of that isn't motorway after the M5 area and it's A-roads. Winter I'd be doing it at 60mph (which vs 70mph is adding a paltry 18 minutes to your trip). My commute too is similar to yours, and I would not say I've had to adapt my driving style at all.Like I am guessing a good number of others, thanks to the new BIK rules I am now looking to get an EV as my next company car. My choice however is rather limited, with the option to have either a basic i3, a basic i3s, or an i3s with suite pack. Unsurprisingly given the alternatives are diesels or Toyota hybrids I am tending towards the latter, on to which I would be adding car play support and that’s about it. (I’d love to add the heat pump for the extra range, but cant really justify it on a company vehicle). I wish that the Model 3 had been included in the list
I have a 40 mile commute each way (7 miles to the M5/M4 then 6 miles of bypass/roundabouts to the office), I am very interested in hearing more about how it performs, and how much you have to adapt your driving. How much impact does driving at 75/80 on a motorway (on the continent where its legal of course)
I am guessing a 137 mile trip down the motorway to west Devon would be too much to do on a single leg?
My main concerns are the lack of space in the rear / boot, that the small size will feel more unstable than I am used to while driving (last car a C220, current interim car while waiting for the fleet order list to open is an Insignia), and of course the worry about range. On the other hand I really like the look of the car (both inside and out), and love the new tax rates (which alone are almost enough to offset the negatives). Really I think I am trying to convince myself about the range before I hit the button to order, especially knowing I can be quite lead footed.
Boot space is something you can't really get around. But how many times do you have to use that huge a boot? If you're going to save yourself £250+/month on BIK (That's £3k/year) would renting a car when you *really* needed the bootspace really eat much into that tax saving?
I'm of the philosophy of getting a car that'll fit 99% of my use cases, then worry about the 1% when/if they occur.
Just under 6 months ownership in and done 12.5k/miles. After my 160 mile trip home from Birmingham that helped squash my range anxiety. Also if I work it out that it's costing me 3p/mile in energy vs 10p/mile in petrol I've saved £875 in fuel so far for personal mileage - so about £1600/year. Whack that on top of BIK saving next year and looking at being £4500/year better off isn't something I'm turning my nose up at for having a slightly small boot and people saying my car looks weird
Max_Torque said:
Is that the surplus from your latest project...?AER said:
Max_Torque said:
Is that the surplus from your latest project...?Max_Torque said:
AER said:
Max_Torque said:
Is that the surplus from your latest project...?JPJPJP said:
my neighbour has a new i3 120 Ah demonstrator for a couple of days
as he has no charger, it is on mine at the moment: when I plugged it in, it estimated the range when full would be 177 miles
for comparison, my 94Ah variant showed 143 when I moved it off the charger to plug the newer one in
I expect the new one would show more range if it had been driven more conservatively recently - demonstrators get a bit more loud pedal than mine I expect
And here is an eg of real life buying decisionsas he has no charger, it is on mine at the moment: when I plugged it in, it estimated the range when full would be 177 miles
for comparison, my 94Ah variant showed 143 when I moved it off the charger to plug the newer one in
I expect the new one would show more range if it had been driven more conservatively recently - demonstrators get a bit more loud pedal than mine I expect
Neighbours loved the car, but hasn’t ordered one. Can’t get head round the “limited range”
On questioning, the current car (bmw 1 series owned from new on a 56 plate with 33k on it) has never driven as far in a day as the i3 could go on a full battery.. No changes to driving pattern are expected. Charger could be installed at home....
A plug in hybrid mini is a better option apparently
Apologies if this has been posted before - I haven't scanned back through this long thread!
Autocar are running an i3S on long-term test:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/bmw/long-term...
Autocar are running an i3S on long-term test:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/bmw/long-term...
AER said:
That would be cool but I can't reach from here! Been looking at standard i3's though. Can't seem to find a 4WD version for sale yet.
My 4wd i3 project has hit a bit of a stumble because BMW have been a bit too clever with their suspension packaging! Despite using mini front uprights,which have the ability to drive though (obvs because mini is fwd) on the i3 they have taken advantage of the lack of half shafts at the front to do that classic trick of dropping the damper/strut right down through the upright towards the bottom wishbone to enable them to get a long unit in, but that effectively blocks any access for front shafts.There will be a way around it, but it's going to require custom struts and probably something really clever with the top mounts too........
Anyone elses i3 been in to the dealer recently and come back with "hair trigger" DSC? Went in for a "service" (they basically wash it and change the cabin filter...) and i suspect they have reflashed the stabcon? Now, the little yellow light on the dash flashes like crazy at anything remotely approaching cornering with any vigour? Seems to be little actual wheel torque intervention occuring, just a lot of flashing going on by the "slippery road" symbol on the dash??
JPJPJP said:
JPJPJP said:
my neighbour has a new i3 120 Ah demonstrator for a couple of days
as he has no charger, it is on mine at the moment: when I plugged it in, it estimated the range when full would be 177 miles
for comparison, my 94Ah variant showed 143 when I moved it off the charger to plug the newer one in
I expect the new one would show more range if it had been driven more conservatively recently - demonstrators get a bit more loud pedal than mine I expect
And here is an eg of real life buying decisionsas he has no charger, it is on mine at the moment: when I plugged it in, it estimated the range when full would be 177 miles
for comparison, my 94Ah variant showed 143 when I moved it off the charger to plug the newer one in
I expect the new one would show more range if it had been driven more conservatively recently - demonstrators get a bit more loud pedal than mine I expect
Neighbours loved the car, but hasn’t ordered one. Can’t get head round the “limited range”
On questioning, the current car (bmw 1 series owned from new on a 56 plate with 33k on it) has never driven as far in a day as the i3 could go on a full battery.. No changes to driving pattern are expected. Charger could be installed at home....
A plug in hybrid mini is a better option apparently
The tone of the article was that RA is still a major deterrent to many and not helped by generally overstated ranges. Industry ‘expert’ reckoned EV range is typically 20% overstated by manufacturers.
modeller said:
Isn't range determined by WLTP test .. which is independent from manufacturers?
But aren’t they the figures published by manufacturers? Either way, it seems it’s not generally easily obtainable. The guy said the figures can be obtained but only by driving very slowly and avoiding motorways, and not likely in normal use.
Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff