Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) BMW i3 - range anxiety.

Does anyone have experience of running a BMW i3 for any length of time?
I'm considering one but concerned with range (I'd probably go for the range extender model if I took the plunge).
I'd be interested to know whether their batteries have similar reduced performance after a couple of years that other makes seem to suffer from.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2017/04/24/bmw-i3-long-term-battery-capacity-report-better-expected/

Maybe of use to you

That's a very encouraging report. Interesting that it seems to be the presence of a good thermal management system that preserves battery life - and since the early Nissan Leafs all had air-cooled batteries, this could explain the drop in range that some owners experience.

I am aware of one owner. He also bought the REx model for the same reason. After a quite short period of adjustment he became totally adjusted and used it pretty much without worry. His only complaint was that the petrol tank on the REx engine was tiny as well. If you are looking at it as a get out of jail REx capability it is great. If you are looking to use it to get you to Manchester (from the south) then you will be stopping but only for shorter times.

As for the car itself, he loves it. He had an Audi A2 (first gen square aluminium one) as well before so likes the more thoughtful cars. Jokes about old time Saab owners may be inserted here - yes he was.

Reggie,

I have test driven the i3, twice. Once not long after they came out, the dealer only allowed test drives in the range extender model, but I managed 60 miles of mixed city and fast A road driving without the helper engine cutting in.

Since then BMW has upgraded the battery, from 60kw to 94kw and the dealers view is that 125 to 150 miles is realistic.

I was both impressed and disappointed. It is quick, the regenerative braking is very effective and the car is fun to drive. But the ride is BMW harsh and the thing rolls more than I like. As a local runabout it would be good, but there are a many, many cheaper alternatives.

Hello Reggie,

I ran a 60Ah BEV i3 as my company car for 2 years, covered about 30k in that time.
Fantastic car, really loved it, the regen brakes take some getting used to, but once you have, you find yourself driving everywhere hardly using the brake pedal.

I have a 70 mile daily total commute and found that I was able to fully charge the car at work - this gave me enough battery to get home and back the next day - zero fuel costs (apart from a little electricity at work). If you run in Eco Pro plus mode (where the air conditioning and speed are limited) it was possible to extend the range to circa 90 miles in the summer/75 in the winter.
I did not notice a significant change in range over time.
My only criticism of the car is that it is a little too small for a family of four, and the rear doors can be a bit frustrating if you want to let someone in or out, you have to open the front door first.
Servicing costs were minimal, build quality was excellent.
Overall, I really enjoyed the car, really enjoyed talking to people about it (everyone was curious).
Haven't tried the 94Ah car, or the new i3s, but am sure that I will buy another in the future. The whole experience sold me on the benefits of elec/hybrid vehicles, changed the i3 for a 330e, which has just been changed for a panamera hybrid (would have preferred the i8 but I couldn't fit everyone in).
If you want to discuss it in more detail, PM me your tel no. I will call you

Hope this helps
Regards
Andrew

Hi and thanks to everyone for the advice.
Especially grateful to Mark, the BMW blog was very interesting, Peter, I'm going to test drive one this week and finally Andrew as it is reassuring to read your first hand experience.

Reggie,

I look forward to your report..the i3 is still "in consideration" as a replacement for the CLC at some point in the next 2 to 3 years.
We have PV panels, so charging would essentially be FOC!

Peter