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      08-03-2014, 11:31 AM   #1
Boatguy
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i3 on order - more questions

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Just put a BEV i3 on order with this configuration:

Giga
- Parking Assistant
- Tech + Driving Package
- Heated seats
- DC Fast charging

The dealer is not terribly knowledgeable; hopefully some existing owners can help me with some questions:

1) Comfort vs EcoPro

- How much does the steering response change? It seems a bit twitchy on the freeway.
- Pros and Cons from your experience?

2) Real world range

I've read lots about the "guess o meter". With my ICE car I try not to tempt fate too often and fill the tank when the "low fuel" idiot light comes on. While 80 may be the rated range, what is the usable range? What do you keep in "reserve"?

3) How much did the dealer knock off MSRP?

Mine knocked of $1K and I suspect I could get more. How about you?

4) In the specs it list the battery capacity as gross/net 22KWh / 18.8 KWh. I understand the concept of gross/net, but what is it "net" of? Is there some sort of reserve?


5) DC fast chargers

I've read about the BMW fast DC charger plan, but it's not clear to me where they will be and who will operate them. I plan to use them as a backup, not my every day charge, so the NRG offering of about $10 / charge ($5 + .20 / min) or $15/mo is not terribly attractive, especially when I think their might be one within 10miles of my house. This doesn't seem to be in the same league as the Tesla Superchargers. Anyone understand what BMW is really doing on this? What other chargers can make use of the $700 feature I just ordered.

Thank you for your patience and sharing your knowledge.

Cheers!

Last edited by Boatguy; 08-03-2014 at 11:56 PM..
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      08-03-2014, 04:38 PM   #2
dirtbike59
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Question 1: comfort and eco-pro will effect the hvac the most. Heating and cooling the car have the second biggest effect on you range. Eco will take longer to reach your desired temp and comfort will heat or cool like a normal car.

q2: I have been finding the bev cars to get about 70-80 here in the DC area. Personally when I am ready to order I will be getting a rex car. Just had a customer put 1000 miles on in his first week of owning his i3. He took it to Ohio and back.

q5: The DC fast charger is the best way to go. But it is not something that can be installed into you house since the chargers require 440v 3phase power. It is a system that is meant to be installed at parking garages, street parking, rest stops, malls... any place with commercial power. Bmw is using a industry standard for the plug connections. Tesla is doing their own thing and they give the owners a adapter kit to charge the tesla with standard platforms. Some start up company will find out a way to install the fast chargers everywhere and charge people. Once that happens chargers will be everywhere.

q4 I will have to look into. I dont pay much attention to the ads of the car.

q3 does not apply to me.
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      08-03-2014, 05:15 PM   #3
Boatguy
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Thanks dirtbike.

Do you know if Eco-Pro changes the steering response? That's what I was told by a salesman, but I'm not sure he knows much about this car. The steering is a bit stiff (not much caster) and twitchy (partly a function of short wheelbase).
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      08-03-2014, 11:49 PM   #4
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Some extra points

1: Eco Pro dials down climate control and a few incidental systems. But its biggest effect is a change in throttle response. Youll notice the torque difference between the two modes. Theres also a third setting (Eco Pro +), which turns off climate control completely and adds a 55 mph electronic speed limiter.

2: I have a REx, but I get around 80 miles on battery on most days. I had an ActiveE and I used to get 120 miles with it, but the i3 has fewer battery cells than the E did and a much less aggressive regen brake than the E. I dont worry about range anymore with the genny on board, but from my experience with the ActiveE (same basic systems) the counter is pretty accurate so long as your driving is solid. Ive done around 6K miles in my i3.

3: I was part of the ActiveE program, so our cars were sold to us at MSRP with the "Electronaut" Package. So I got the DC fast charge and a few incidentals for free from BMW, so its like I got a discount. But your experience will vary, BMW treated us prototype drivers like gold.

4: sorry cant help there, im a fluids guy, not an EE.

5: BMW elected to use the new J1772 DC fast charge standard. The i3 is the first car to use this standard. Note that J1772 has been around for a while, but not in level 3 form. The i3 can charge in any standard level II charging station in the country. Every electric car, bar the Tesla, use the J1772 plug, so theyre everywhere.

Fuji is building J1772 DC fast charge (level III) stations under contract from BMW. The pilot install program is starting in California with 100 stations being put in place starting in a couple months.

So to answer this question fully, you cant use the DC fast charge on the i3 in the US yet. But the infrastructure will be put in quickly if past experience is to be believed. The same thing happened when J1772 was first agreed upon a few years ago. The NYC area, where I live, went from around 50 charging stations to several hundred over the course of two years. You bought that option for the near future, im sorry to say.
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      08-04-2014, 12:09 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boatguy View Post
Just put a BEV i3 on order with this configuration:


4) In the specs it list the battery capacity as gross/net 22KWh / 18.8 KWh. I understand the concept of gross/net, but what is it "net" of? Is there some sort of reserve?


Thank you for your patience and sharing your knowledge.

Cheers!
Gross means the total battery energy storage rating is 22kWh. Net means all BEVs use around only 80% to 85% of the Goss rating (to preserve battery life) which nets to a useable energy storage of 18.8kWh
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      08-04-2014, 06:05 PM   #6
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Most batteries do not last very long if you discharge them nearly to zero regularly...EV manufacturers limit how much of the battery you can use to make them last longer (I've read Tesla may let you use more of theirs, at potentially a long-term problem, but don't take that as gospel).

BMW chose to not promote a DC fast charge unit that is as fast as the car can take because of the (I think) greater ease in finding locations for them, and because they are considerably less expensive than those that can provide the full charge rate the i3 can use. As a result, you'll not get 80% in 20-minutes with them, but you'll likely end up finding lots more of them scattered around with an occasional full-rate one (more likely those will charge you). When you have a potential big load, you pay the power company a premium above a system that does not require as much, even though they don't run constantly. That also makes a smaller unit easier to install and maintain - less overhead.

Max range is very much a driving habit thing. High, sustained speeds or long mountain grades can sap a battery much quicker than running around town like the vehicle was designed for. It appears that the range to empty is somewhat based on your previous driving, and if you then drove with less load, you could easily drive further than the prediction. I've noticed that mine may only drop 2-miles after a 7-mile trip in predicted max range. I've also seen it go the other way if I'm showing off with passengers!
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