BMW Launches i3 Electric Vehicle Across the Globe

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Its easy enough if the concept is right, but people want to extend range farther to put in a 3 cylinder ice and bigger gas tank. The upcoming i8 sports car has both of these.

On oil chages, I doubt many bmw owners are the diy types. As long as jiffy lube can change the oil easily it should be fine. As for how mainstream bmw expects it to be -
http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130729/ANE/130729899/bmw-aims-to-be-technology-leader-with-i3-electric-car#axzz2bVViXo5O

That's world wide, which means we should expect less than 10,000 i3s a year in the US. Yes, this won't be mainstream unless people decide they really like the looks. It is a good way for bmw to get market reaction to its erev and carbon fiber. BMW says if the car doesn't sell but the carbon fiber is a hit, they will use more cfrp in hybrids and phevs.

 

What niche does the i3 even fill?
Tesla covers the 'cool' and 'sporty' EV niches.
Nissan Leaf covers the 'affordable' EV niche.
Chevrolet Volt covers the 'American' EV niche.

The only reasons a person buys a BMW in the first place are for luxury, performance, and the 'cool' factor. Tesla covers all those bases and their cars don't look like the Honda Element-esque vehicle that the i3 resembles. More competition is always a good thing, but the i3 needs some sort of niche. While it may be 20K cheaper than the Model S, Tesla will be selling a 35K EV in a few years.

 

^^^^^^

Good point

 

Right, from Tesla's cold dead hands!

and Chevy's
Video: GM CEO Akerson Says Next-Gen Chevy Volt Needs 50 to 60 Miles of Electric Range

 

I owned a 2006 325 purchased new from the local dealer. It was my first entry into German automotive after owning Japanese cars for multiple decades. The BMW was more trouble than it was worth. It was a fun car to drive drive but that wore off with a few visits to the mechanic or just replacing the tires

This car I'm sure with be another BMW fiasco. This car is an accident waiting to happen. If you absolutely have to have it, lease it and turn it in at lease end.

 

i3 is a luxury BEV with a range-extender option. Like a CT200h is a luxury Prius.

If Tesla hits Gen 3 at $35k base and matches amenities of the i3 BMW then I guess BMW would have to cut the i3's price. However, I wouldn't expect the base Gen 3 to have all the amenities.

 

Again, the BMW i3 is not a new concept!

BMW i3 starts near $35,000; NA first deliveries January 2014 | PriusChat

 

If the i3 is anything like it brethren they will price gouge you on the options which will quickly raise the price another 15K if not more.

 

BMW is known for forcing you to buy options to get a decent luxury car. They've blamed Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura in the 90s for "dumping" when in reality they just offer much better packaging options. PERSONALLY I think they should've made the i3 part of the Mini family. A Mini has become known as an everyman's car. BMW's? They've become known as the sole transportation of "greedy, capitalistic, white-collars."

 

That will be me. A PiP driver that wants a BEV but the range is not there and a Tesla is financially out of reach. When Tesla sells a 35k EV then the i3 will adjust accordingly either in content to match the price or the price falls. Exhibit 1: Volt and Leaf and their price reductions. Exhibit 2: Accord Plug-in and PiP Advance luxury optioned at their ridiculous $40k MSRP.

I think the i3 is a fascinating idea. I run completely on electricity for most of the year with zero range anxiety. A couple weeks out of the year, I can take it out on road trips and not worry about plugging in to fuel up. It's not a secondary car. It's a primary car. It's exactly why I bought my PiP and considered a Volt for. Except my round trip commute far exceeds 11 or 38 miles. Most importantly, it takes advantage of the CA loophole to qualify for white HOV decals. All this for a couple grand more than my PiP? Sold! As soon as my green stickers expire anyway.

 

That gas engine option will cost another 10 grand on top of the 10 grand you just plucked down for leather and nav and all for a plastic crate on wheels that you will pay a Kings Ransome to service. Get a plug in accord

 

Why bother with the gas engine option if it turns out to be inefficient. ​

 

Road trips could work on flat roads if you are willing to stop to refill the tank every 50-75 miles. The i3 has a 2.4 gallon tank. I haven't seen specific mpg estimates for the extender but everything I have read implies 30-40 mpg. If you drive in Nevada or rural areas be prepared to carry a spare plastic gas can in case you can't make it to the next available station.

The extender is also limited to around 25 kW of generated output so you would have serious performance limitations going through major mountain passes without a substantial built up battery charge. I don't know if it will have something like the Volt's "mountain mode" to do that since that isn't really it's design center.

Finally, we don't know what the noise and vibration will be like with the extender running constantly. It may be unpleasant on a long trip.

 

Spark EV & Rav4 EV make more sense now compared to i3 !

Real-World Test Shows Chevy Spark EV Has Substantially More Range Than Nissan LEAF @ 62 mph (w/video)

 

What it allows for is maximum use of the battery. With a battery only, people will avoid using the last 30 miles or so because they don't want to be stranded. With the range extender they will use those 30 miles of range before plugging in.

If they want to add some additional value to the range extender, they should integrate a 5kW 120/240V inverter.

 

You're grasping at straws here. You can't just make up things. Is the Volt's power limited with the ICE on? Why should the i3? Keep in mind, it weighs a few hundred pounds less. Fact is, we don't know. Is NVH in the C-Max Energi high with the ICE on? I mean, if we're just going to pick at every little thing, lets go for the batteries. They might explode. The EMF radiation from it causes cancer.

I'll give you the fuel economy of the extender though. Every indication points to 30-40 mpg. That sounds fine for range anxiety backup and road trips twice a year. I almost always get the base model so I could care less if BMW charges a ransom for options. It would've have been nice to buy a PiP optioned like a Prius 2 for $2k less. I don't want the nav, backup monitor or heated seats. I've looked at the new 3 series and X1, there is nothing on the higher trim models I'd be willing to pay for and the base already meet my needs. I'm more worried about BMW's reputation on reliability.

 

It sounds like the Volt is better with 40 miles if EV range and a big gas tank for long trips

 

So you option less the Bimmer your still paying a Kings Ransom for parts and service

 

I do like that is has 7.4kW AC charging. That should equate to about 25 miles of range per hour of charging at a regular public charging station. With the 160 charging stations around Austin I don't think the range extender would ever get used.

 

Let's do some comparison shopping with another famous example of German engineering. A 1967 VW Beetle weights 1,000 pounds less than an i3 (1,900 vs. 3,000 with range extender). The Beetle has 50% more horsepower than the i3 range extender (37 kW vs. 25 kW or 50 HP vs. 34 HP).

I've been in Beetle's from that era and they struggle through mountain passes. It's pretty obvious that the i3 will be seriously power limited if it is only drawing on the range extender for long drives up the Sierra mountains etc. You will either need to charge up at the base of the mountain or the i3 will need a mountain mode like that in the Volt that raises the minimum SOC of the battery by generating power into it before you get to the mountain (if needed). Otherwise, you will be creeping along at 35 mph in the slow lane along with the 18 wheelers.

The Volt in regular mode is not as severely impacted since it can do 55 kW or 74 HP from its engine but weighs only 800 pounds more than the i3. It may be power limited to 60 mph up a long high mountain pass vs. full power with the extra battery assist from mountain mode.