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Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
Seriously, we are being that nitpicky? So you also said "it will be a very popular option for many first-time EV buyers". If it will be that popular, then why not offer it standard? It's kind of like air conditioning. Air conditioning used to be a popular option that many buyer chose, so it's now practically standard in every normal passenger vehicle sold in America. If the i3 optioned with the range extender has a gas powered generator (lets not argue whether it actually powers the drive wheels) is it then still truly an Electric Vehicle, or does it become a "hybrid"?
If a first-time EV buyer chooses the i3 because it offers an optional range extender, then what will that person do for his next EV choice, buy the next-gen i3 (with perhaps a 160-mile EV range) without the engine in it?
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Yes it will be popular but why would they make it standard when it can be optional? That makes no sense. There will be a lot of people that don't want it - thousands of them in fact, why would BMW wnat to lose those sales?
It's ridiculous to compare it to once-options like A/C because it's not something everybody wants. Personally I'll call it a plug in hybrid if it has the range extender, but I know others will want to use their own terminology. Many Volt owners take extreme offense if someone calls their car a hybrid, but in my eyes that's exactly what it is so that's what I'll call the REx i3. Hybrid isn't a dirty word so I don't know why people seem to have such aversion to it.
Yes, I believe the next gen i3 will indeed have a longer range, probably around what you guessed, but I believe they will still offer the range extender as an option. I don't think we'll see the range extenders leaving until we get consistent, year round ranges of 250mi or better. Either that or a healthy infrastructure of DC quick charge stations. DC QC can eliminate the range extender or need for long range batteries without a doubt, but we are many years away from an infrastructure that's robust enough to allow that to happen.