Forbes BMW i3 REx review

For having the car for a week, that review was sparse.
Most of the complaints seemed to be of the "it's different so it sucks" variety. That might apply to the lack of door pulls. Perhaps the latch to open to door is designed to work as a pull to close it. If not, the lack is worse than no cup holders.

They did not get the range extender performance wrong, but its operation in the US was known since introduction. In order to get ZEV credits for the REx model, BMW had to hobble how the car works in hybrid mode. Unlike the Volt and Clarity, the engine is not 'sized' to provide full power to the car. I think it can handle cruising at 70 to 75 mph on flat ground, but any thing that calls for more power pulls it from the battery.

In the rest of the world, the i3 REx works as BMW intended. When the driver knows they are going to be exceeding the EV range, they can activate the engine whenever they want(well, not if the battery is full). So the engine can cover most of the power needs, perhaps even recharging the battery at low speeds, with a nice reserve of energy in the battery for the times the engine isn't enough.

Hobbling for CARB means an i3 REx from the factory can't start the engine until the battery near flat. This of course leads to under powered performance. As an insult, CARB wanted the effective volume of the tiny fuel tank reduced by about a half gallon.

The reviewer should have known about this before getting the car.

Many owners, including @bwilson4web, have a car tuner return to car to pre-hobbling operation.

 

maybe they should find a reviewer who is successful enough to afford a home, so they can install a charger.

 

Or give them a place to charge at the local office.

 

yes, maybe they could throw an extension cord down from the 35th floor.