05-05-2014, 05:46 PM | #23 | ||
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Good luck finding one that is in fact compatible to this car. They are mostly nonexistent. CHAdeMO is the current standard!! |
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05-05-2014, 06:11 PM | #24 | |
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201X ???? Coming soon
2015 F80 M3 AW/SO - Going Going Gone! |
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05-05-2014, 06:18 PM | #25 | |
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As to who and how often you'll get to provide DC fast charging capability to plug in, it's hard to say, but they are coming, but only useful if you have one near you and decided to buy the optional ability for the vehicle. I live all of a bout 1/4-mile from a BMW dealer...not sure what they are putting in, but they have at least two installed now, and don't have any cars yet...demand will dictate how big and how fast the charging network expands. The car manufacturers are likely to be promoting that, if not helping to subsidize it. BMW's liquid cooling and battery conditioning system is not unique, but isn't then norm - it can go a long ways toward helping to extend the life of the batteries. One thing to keep in mind, most people will not be regularly trying to recharge the vehicle from near empty, so your time to fully recharge will likely not be the extremes listed. If I remember from the sticker just approved, it says 4-hours for a full recharge. Something not everyone realizes, is that even with level two charge points, they all do not source the max current the vehicle can accept, so that might affect your overall charge time as well. If I were to put one in, I'd probably consider putting one in that could provide the max the standard allows, then, I'd not have to change it down the line as battery tech or the on-board charging circuits become more capable. Right now, the most the i3 can accept on a level 2 charge point is 32A, but the standard allows for over twice that current. Last edited by jadnashuanh; 05-05-2014 at 06:23 PM.. |
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05-06-2014, 02:47 AM | #29 | ||
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Apartment and condo dwellers are going to be quite limited for some tine to come. |
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05-06-2014, 02:48 AM | #30 | |
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It's funny isn't it... |
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05-06-2014, 08:33 AM | #31 | |
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201X ???? Coming soon
2015 F80 M3 AW/SO - Going Going Gone! |
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05-06-2014, 08:37 AM | #32 | ||
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05-06-2014, 08:42 AM | #33 |
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I can see how it could be misunderstood reading it online, especially with the use of an exclamation point, lol. i just meant how noticeable the torque is, and they are a treat to get in after countless prius'. But Believe me we take excellent care of every car.
Last edited by RP256; 05-06-2014 at 09:21 AM.. |
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05-06-2014, 10:44 AM | #34 | |
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Drives: 2016 Tesla Model X P90DL
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Pretty quick charging, but still very limited in US It's pretty much standard in EU though At the moment, J1772 is the most popular one And for Tesla, it's their network of Superchargers, which is fastest known charging P.S. I'm happy public is getting introduced to more EVs |
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05-06-2014, 03:14 PM | #35 |
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Please tell me where in the USA you can get anywhere near the max speed of the i3 legally? And, where, in a city and its suburbs will you need that speed? And why do people here complain about speed limiters when, unless they pick the car up in Germany (and, drive it enough to get past the breakin period) would ever have a chance of approaching that limit? It only limits it in top gear, so you have the full range.
The thing is designed as a city car, with maybe a short side-trip either from or to the country. It is not designed as a general purpose car, a track car for the weekends, or to beat people in drag races, but it will do quite well in the city canyons - far better than the Leaf, Ford, and Volt smaller options, and makes the smart electric look pretty poor, too. When, and if, BMW makes an i-car for general purpose in a family size, it will probably be a hybrid until the battery technology improves considerably and the recharging infrastructure is much better. It's one thing for Tesla to say you can go shore to shore, but your route may not go anywhere near where you'd like to go. That will change, assuming they don't fold in the future before reaching that tipping point. With China and other countries' wealth increasing, and the demand for gasoline keeps rising, another, renewable source of energy and a vehicle that can use it will become more and more important. There will always be uses for oil, but we make lots more out of it than just fuel for our transportation. Certainly, BMW could have given the i3 another gear or so, and increased max speed, but at what cost and benefit? More weight, means less range, and more complexity means more money and reliability. Just how much simpler is a single speed transmission verses any other choice? Lots. It will always be heavier, which means either more batteries, or less range. Why would you need it if you can reach 93mph in the first place? The i8 has it, but it can reach 155mph, and that would put the single speed motor at unreliable rotation rates. That limit is there for a reason. Again, if you don't like it, don't buy it, but for its intended use, it isn't a limiting factor, and is indeed a benefit to keep costs down and range up. |
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05-07-2014, 08:40 AM | #36 | |
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05-09-2014, 10:50 AM | #37 | |
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Sorry for a long first post, but here's a summary with the REX version of the BMW i3 might make sense for a lot of people - especially if it's the only car in a household:
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As a summary, a REX could bridge the gap for people interested in electric vehicles without the range anxiety or other inconvience. Last edited by volt12; 05-09-2014 at 11:07 AM.. |
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05-09-2014, 11:05 AM | #38 | |
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http://www.chademo.com/wp/wp-content...ingstation.pdf Since more brands are behind CCS I expect a similar if not faster uptake for that "Western" standard. ABB and other vendors now sell multi-standard chargers with both Chademo and CCS plugs in the same outlet: http://chargedevs.com/newswire/north...fast-chargers/ I think by around 2020 the lack of fast-charging station issue will be over in most countries. I guess all i3 buyers should get the car with the CCS charger option (except for maybe the REX version), it will probably be worth for the resale value as more CCS stations pop up in Europe and North America. |
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05-09-2014, 02:32 PM | #39 | ||
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05-10-2014, 06:34 AM | #40 | |
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Small countries in Europe are already covered well with CCS stations on BMW dealer lots (at least BMW dealers who sell i3 cars are required to set up CCS stations as far as I know). As regular EV drivers can tell, the charging statistics probably look like this for most Ev drivers: 70-90% Charging at home in your own garage (mostly overnight, very convenient) 10-30% Charging at the place of work, shopping malls or on transit/road trips Even in the 10-30% of use cases there are a lot of slow charging needs (destination charging when people arrive at a hotel, their place of work during the day etc.) Therefore fast CCS/Chademo charging stations are only needed a few times per month or even per year. This is different to gas/diesel car owners in absolute need of gas stations in their area. Fewer electric charging stations are needed to cover an area and they are used less often (as long as EV owners have a garage or other personal parking space where they can recharge their car) For people who drive longer distances a few times per year, a REX car is probably the better option (see my long post above about REX advantages). I can only recommend skeptics who never drove an EV to take a test drive in an i3, it's a great car, especially in a city and in the suburbs for daily commutes. Last edited by volt12; 05-11-2014 at 03:06 AM.. |
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05-21-2014, 06:19 PM | #41 |
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The Rex version is now also being delivered in the US...
http://insideevs.com/first-us-bmw-i3-rex-delivery/ Official ratings: BMW i3 REx Gets Official EPA Rating – Electric Range Of 72 Miles, Gas Only MPG Is 39 http://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-rex-offi...tric-range-72/ |
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