[StuM]

Read on another (un-named) auto forum how they are smiling at all of the growing and public i8 trash-talking by current owners. Their comments were that "...resale prices will be dropping quite a bit, real soon....then we can pick one up for a greatly depreciated and decent price...".
I don't particularly love my e-range either (best was 19 miles), but still love the car and use it mostly in Sport mode anyway. After the disputed European data and then the U.S. EPA estimates, I never really expected 22 miles. If I wanted a mega-electric car, I would have bought a much different model.

[Epirali]

Here is a link to one persons test, the got 22 miles on electric. Lots of details. I do wonder if the preconditioning, which also preconditions the battery but ONLY if departure time is set in advance, has something to do with it. I've asked the author. Will try to do EV range test this weekend.

http://electric-bmw.blogspot.com/201...ting-well.html

[jcpca356]

Do you really care about ev mileage? I don't

[MalibuBimmer]

I am interested in electric range without every so often going into sport or having the engine start. That test was not all electric.

[BavarianSTL]

I bought/am buying this car for its style, beauty and performance. I really don't care how many miles I get on electric only. For that matter, I've never cared how many miles per gallon I have gotten in any of my cars.
I just enjoy driving well designed (for handling) and fast sports cars. The electric part of this equation is for the torque not the gas savings. Did Porsche or McLaren or Ferrari put electric motors in their cars to get better gas milage so their owners could get to work on all electric power? No.
Lets talk more about how great these cars are as a drivers car not a commuter car.

[jcpca356]

Yes sir. That torque is very strange yet very satisfying on my i8. Addictive fosho.

[JasH]

I do understand that some owners care about the electric range, but:

1/ I personally don't care, as approx. 16 miles are enough for me. It's a hybrid.

2/ I don't want bigger batteries, due to weight

3/ BMW always advertise the range as UP TO 23 miles (or whatever figure). That language is deliberate and important.

4/ When I test drove the car, it was clear to me very soon after going into E drive that it would only manage around 15 miles when driven without being economical - as I would drive it.

....and again, it is probably the least important aspect to me personally.

[Epirali]

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

I am interested in electric range without every so often going into sport or having the engine start. That test was not all electric.

The one referred started as all electric I though until it ran out? Even if not then question is if I get 25 from regen added does that count?

[Epirali]

Originally Posted by jcpca356

Yes sir. That torque is very strange yet very satisfying on my i8. Addictive fosho.

Coming from all electric it is a little strange. Sometimes it kicks, sometimes it doesn't, haven't figured it out yet.

[MalibuBimmer]

Originally Posted by Epirali

The one referred started as all electric I though until it ran out? Even if not then question is if I get 25 from regen added does that count?

By definition, no. You should be able to continue to regenerate electricity in Sport mode until the gasoline runs out.

The question is what is the maximum all electric (or electric only) range. BMW has said 35-37 km or 23-25 miles and, more recently "up to 15 miles" except when it enters green car contests when it dishonestly reverts to the earlier figures.

The actual all electric range is between 12 and 14 miles. And you can get the 14 miles only by not driving it normally in the real world.

[Epirali]

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

By definition, no. You should be able to continue to regenerate electricity in Sport mode until the gasoline runs out.

The question is what is the maximum all electric (or electric only) range. BMW has said 35-37 km or 23-25 miles and, more recently "up to 15 miles" except when it enters green car contests when it dishonestly reverts to the earlier figures.

The actual all electric range is between 12 and 14 miles. And you can get the 14 miles only by not driving it normally in the real world.

So if I test mine by the following conditions will that be legit:

1) Fully charge the car,
2) Set pre-condition for exact departure time,
3) Drive in electric ONLY (never allow engine to turn on), and drive around until engine turns on (including regen)
4) DO NOT descend any significant (not climb) elevation.

Anything else?

[MalibuBimmer]

Originally Posted by Epirali

So if I test mine by the following conditions will that be legit:

1) Fully charge the car,
2) Set pre-condition for exact departure time,
3) Drive in electric ONLY (never allow engine to turn on), and drive around until engine turns on (including regen)
4) DO NOT descend any significant (not climb) elevation.

Anything else?

5) Fasten seat belt.

6) Obey all driving laws.

7) Don't hit anything.

[Epirali]

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

5) Fasten seat belt.

6) Obey all driving laws.

7) Don't hit anything.

Hey in just trying to be valid here! I do however intend to use a driver that weighs 110 pounds for best results...

[ChiTownM]

Originally Posted by Epirali

Hey in just trying to be valid here! I do however intend to use a driver that weighs 110 pounds for best results...

Now I know where the issue is with my electric range.....thanks for pointing it out.....

[Aye-eight]

Originally Posted by Idleup

BMW Misinformed I8 Owners Regarding EV Mileage.

Hello I8 Owners, after being frustrated for months regarding the inability to achieve BMW’s advertised EV mileage estimates on the I8, I finally decided to compile all “advertised” information released by BMW regarding the I8’s EV range.

I made my decision to buy our I8 based on the published EV mileage information from the parent company that would enable us to drive our I8 solely on electric power to town each morning (20 miles round trip) to do our fair share to help the environment regarding tailpipe emissions, yet still own a car that also offered performance.

After numerous test, with temperatures in the mid 70’s, using flat roads and traveling at 45 mph with no AC or heat, it is now evident the I8’s EV system will never see the projected average 23 mile range that BMW published on their web sites, videos to include the U.S. instruction manual which even shows an illustration of 25 miles on the range indicator.

I would therefore like to compile additional information to present to BMW in hopes they will review the matter more thoroughly, than to just continually advise complaining I8 owners that 15 miles is the expected range, when they themselves advertised we could obtain an average of 23 miles.

Therefore, if anyone has possession U.S. advertising from BMW (bmwusa.com) showing the proposed mileage of 37 km or around 23 miles, if you could please email the doc’s or links, it would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to forward these documents to BMW for their review to confirm that BMW in Germany and their USA branch did indeed advertise 20+ miles of EV range with the I8, to which is not attainable. My hopes are there will be some type of upgrade or improvement.

My personal email is; rotory@earthlink.net

Many Thanks in advance!

Mike

I don't feel misinformed. Have you ever seen OEM data for conventional cars that weren't a little optimistic? And you can get quite far on full electric in the i8:

[MalibuBimmer]

I did a re-test yesterday at about 2 pm. Temperature at the start was 72F and went to 79F. Car had been fully charged on the BMW charging unit for about 45 minutes and was in a garage that had been at 72F for at least 8 hours before the test.

I averaged 29.9 mph per trip computer, including stops, in suburban and urban traffic. I had about 8.8 gallons of gas on board. (But the goal was not to use any and see how far I got.) I drove in EcoPro mode.

I achieved 21.0 miles this time electric only as opposed to 21.3 on Easter Sunday. Elapsed time was 40 minutes. Aircon was again off but fan was on and I opened the windows a few times. This time I accelerated a little more vigorously and hit 50 MPH a few times. Gentle hills for first 7 miles. Starting elevation above sea level: 1050 feet. Elevation when ICE kicked in: 870 feet.

Most important stat on the trip computer was, again, 4.1 m/kWh.

Based on these two tests (which, again, included some hills) I believe that BMW has fairly represented electric range. BMW backed down and said that for US spec cars electric range was "up to" 15 miles. And it is. And more. Close to the 35-37 kms in the European and world brochures.

One thing I have found out is that if you start out going up hill and then level out, or otherwise start off driving more sportily, you seem to "condition" the battery to discharge more rapidly. If you start off slow and steady, and avoid hills, you will get more range.

If we had access to more of the battery's reserve, we could increase electric range significantly. (7.2kWh x 4.1m/kWh = 29.5 miles.)

Edited to add postscript: I thought this was the thread where I posted my previous report about my electric range o an Easter Sunday test. It isn't. Sorry about that. In that post I reported 21.3 miles electric only.

[Epirali]

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

I did a re-test yesterday at about 2 pm. Temperature at the start was 72F and went to 79F. Car had been fully charged on the BMW charging unit for about 45 minutes and was in a garage that had been at 72F for at least 8 hours before the test.

I averaged 29.9 mph per trip computer, including stops, in suburban and urban traffic. I had about 8.8 gallons of gas on board. (But the goal was not to use any and see how far I got.) I drove in EcoPro mode.

I achieved 21.0 miles this time electric only as opposed to 21.3 on Easter Sunday. Elapsed time was 40 minutes. Aircon was again off but fan was on and I opened the windows a few times. This time I accelerated a little more vigorously and hit 50 MPH a few times. Gentle hills for first 7 miles. Starting elevation above sea level: 1050 feet. Elevation when ICE kicked in: 870 feet.

Most important stat on the trip computer was, again, 4.1 m/kWh.

Based on these two tests (which, again, included some hills) I believe that BMW has fairly represented electric range. BMW backed down and said that for US spec cars electric range was "up to" 15 miles. And it is. And more. Close to the 35-37 kms in the European and world brochures.

One thing I have found out is that if you start out going up hill and then level out, or otherwise start off driving more sportily, you seem to "condition" the battery to discharge more rapidly. If you start off slow and steady, and avoid hills, you will get more range.

If we had access to more of the battery's reserve, we could increase electric range significantly. (7.2kWh x 4.1m/kWh = 29.5 miles.)

Edited to add postscript: I thought this was the thread where I posted my previous report about my electric range o an Easter Sunday test. It isn't. Sorry about that. In that post I reported 21.3 miles electric only.

Great info, thanks. The reason they are using only 80% of the capacity is longevity. Lithium ion batteries last longest if they are not pushed to the top and bottom 10%. Tesla allows a "range" mode that goes further into the margin but they warn against using it regularly. Leaf pushes further and they have capacity losses (but to be fair they also use slightly different chemistry).

Theoretically BMW should be able to provide that in firmware. But then again I wonder if the engine could charge the battery if it was too depleted....

[gadgetfreaky]

did we figure out if charging from 110V gets the full charge? or do we need high voltage to get the full range charge?

[MalibuBimmer]

I believe preconditioning the car (telling it when you estimate you'll be using it) may also affect electric range -- in a positive way.

I will test that out in a few days. Right now I have to play with my new toy. I just turned in my 650i Gran Coupe for an M4 coupe.