[Paul_Moxhay]

Take a look at this...

http://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-rex-road-test-yields-34-mpg-plus-noise-levels-rex-operation-video/

Sounds like a lawnmower!

34mpg on REx!!!

Loses speed on hills when battery is flat (we already knew that one!).

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

The mic is low down and quite close so I think we need to bear that in mind but even so... more like a lawnmower sound IMO nonetheless.

For me, all this just confirms my previous opinion... specifically that it is a great EV, especially to drive, and if you want an EV with 80-90 miles range but with a standby of being able to continue on to the next charge station or just to get you a few miles further to your destination then it looks like a great car. however, it is not intended that the REx to be used for long distance travel. For that I would suggest the Ampera/Volt is much more appropriate.

 

[fenlander]

For a more realistic view:

http://bmwi3.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/bmw-i3-rex-european-road-trip.html?m=1

 

[knoxie]

When the REX engine cut in on the car that I test drove you could not hear it at all, I got out of the car and there was no noise, I think this video shows there is something wrong with this car or its a deliberate attempt to show the car in a bad light, I really like the I3 REX.

 

[Derekosb]

Bear in mind that MPG figure is based on a smaller US Gallon. In UK gallons it equates to 40.3 based on 7 litres per km.

http://www.unitjuggler.com/convert-fuelconsumption-from-lper100km-to-mpgimperial.html

HTH

Derek

 

[Steve Thayne]

For a more realistic view:

http://bmwi3.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/bmw-i3-rex-european-road-trip.html?m=1

I think Fenlander's link may help shed light on this. If you drive on electric till nearly empty and THEN put on the Rex the Rex works particularly hard in looking after you and the battery.

If you do what BMW recommend for longer journeys and turn the Rex on at the start it sounds like the Rex has to work far less hard. Which makes sense.

For myself it is full ev or nothing.

But am very glad the Rex is here for those people that would not drive electric without it.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

When the REX engine cut in on the car that I test drove you could not hear it at all, I got out of the car and there was no noise, I think this video shows there is something wrong with this car or its a deliberate attempt to show the car in a bad light, I really like the I3 REX.

I really like the i3 but the REx is being misunderstood. It is a great solution to range anxiety. It is a great way to make sure you are never caught out at a charger that failed. It is a great way to extend your journey occasionally beyond the range of the battery. What it is not is a sensible alternative to an Ampera or Volt and I think that this article showed it is noisier on the outside and less economical that people might think.

I think Fenlander's link may help shed light on this. If you drive on electric till nearly empty and THEN put on the Rex the Rex works particularly hard in looking after you and the battery.

If you do what BMW recommend for longer journeys and turn the Rex on at the start it sounds like the Rex has to work far less hard. Which makes sense.

For myself it is full ev or nothing.

But am very glad the Rex is here for those people that would not drive electric without it.

You have hit the nail on the head there

If it is used the way that BMW intend then it will be a great EV with REx but it is clear that doing the kind of trip I did last week, 450 miles each way, in my Ampera would be nowhere near as comfortable or convenient in an i3.

The i3 is a great EV IMO... just not an Ampera. The Ampera returns over 50mpg maintaining full performance regardless of battery state and it has a petrol range of 355 miles. No ferreting about every 80 miles looking for petrol stations.

Horses for courses

 

[PRO-AMPERA]

I really like the i3 but the REx is being misunderstood. It is a great solution to range anxiety. It is a great way to make sure you are never caught out at a charger that failed. It is a great way to extend your journey occasionally beyond the range of the battery. What it is not is a sensible alternative to an Ampera or Volt and I think that this article showed it is noisier on the outside and less economical that people might think.


You have hit the nail on the head there

If it is used the way that BMW intend then it will be a great EV with REx but it is clear that doing the kind of trip I did last week, 450 miles each way, in my Ampera would be nowhere near as comfortable or convenient in an i3.

The i3 is a great EV IMO... just not an Ampera. The Ampera returns over 50mpg maintaining full performance regardless of battery state and it has a petrol range of 355 miles. No ferreting about every 80 miles looking for petrol stations.

Horses for courses

I have to strongly agree with all your comments here Paul.
An I3 is definately not for me. While I appreciate it will fit alot of peoples life styles it does not fit mine.
I have had my Ampera 12 months and 12000miles now and drive most of the time on pure battery and have a lifetime of 120mpg and rising.
The great thing about the Ampera is that I can still do a 2500 mile trip to Austria on holiday in comfort and style with an average of 50mpg with 300 miles range before filling up with fuel with no anxiety.

What GM did with developing the Ampera/Volt drivetrain is truly remarkable and deserves all the awards it has won!!

 

[LK13]

I have to strongly agree with all your comments here Paul.
An I3 is definately not for me. While I appreciate it will fit alot of peoples life styles it does not fit mine.
I have had my Ampera 12 months and 12000miles now and drive most of the time on pure battery and have a lifetime of 120mpg and rising.
The great thing about the Ampera is that I can still do a 2500 mile trip to Austria on holiday in comfort and style with an average of 50mpg with 300 miles range before filling up with fuel with no anxiety.

What GM did with developing the Ampera/Volt drivetrain is truly remarkable and deserves all the awards it has won!!

I agree completely with PRO-AMPERA's comments. It is horses for courses. The Volt/Ampera still the only EV that can match the range and versatility of an ICE.. (Apart from Tesla model S). I see the BMW i3Rex as no more than a range anxiety eliminator for those happy with 80 mile range. An ideal transport for many but not for me.

 

[fenlander]

The Ampera is pretty much an ICE with an inadequate battery for all but the shortest commutes. It all depends on how far along the EV scale you want to be. Some people will prefer to be more ICE, others more EV. It's good to have choice.

While we are at it, can someone put an Ampera in mountain mode, stick a brick on the accelerator and then shove a microphone up the exhaust to see how loud it is?

 

[AndyG]

The Ampera is pretty much an ICE with an inadequate battery for all but the shortest commutes. It all depends on how far along the EV scale you want to be. Some people will prefer to be more ICE, others more EV. It's good to have choice.

While we are at it, can someone put an Ampera in mountain mode, stick a brick on the accelerator and then shove a microphone up the exhaust to see how loud it is?

The "inadequate battery" as you put it was designed around the principle that on average we travel 40 miles a day. The Ampera/Volt covers this with ease in the summer but not quite in the winter.
Most people who need a car would spend most of their time on 100% electric and then still have a car that can be used for those out of the ordinary journeys rather than having to own two cars.

My wife uses the car for work and about 80% of the time its electric, out of the other 20% that are not, half would be not a problem in ie a Leaf. Its the other half that made us buy a Volt, it is the only car that means she can leave home at 5.30am and drive the approx 180 miles to say Liverpool to start teaching at 9.00am that is not an ICE or a Tesla. If she attempted the same trip in a i3 she would have to stop twice, in fact she would probably be better off stopping to charge and fill with fuel at the same time. The problem with having a 2 gallon tank is you are only ever going to use 1 gallon of it before you start to panic.

The i3 is designed as a short journey city car, the Volt is designed to be a car that can be used for all journeys.

On the noice front the car makes no more noice than any normal ICE car and apart from when it is under stress is hardly audible in the car.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

The Ampera is pretty much an ICE with an inadequate battery for all but the shortest commutes. It all depends on how far along the EV scale you want to be. Some people will prefer to be more ICE, others more EV. It's good to have choice.

I agree. It is good to have choice and I am not in anyway against the i3 REx. I just want people to realise there is a world of difference between the i3 and Ampera. Which one you go for depends on your own preferences and priorities but let's be clear about their strengths and weaknesses.

While we are at it, can someone put an Ampera in mountain mode, stick a brick on the accelerator and then shove a microphone up the exhaust to see how loud it is?

One thing is certain... it won't sound like a lawnmower... it will sound like a normal petrol car

The "inadequate battery" as you put it was designed around the principle that on average we travel 40 miles a day. The Ampera/Volt covers this with ease in the summer but not quite in the winter.
Most people who need a car would spend most of their time on 100% electric and then still have a car that can be used for those out of the ordinary journeys rather than having to own two cars.

That "inadequate battery" might be inadequate for you and that is fair enough but it is perfectly adequate for most commutes.

The i3 is designed as a short journey city car, the Volt is designed to be a car that can be used for all journeys.

Absolutely. This is exactly how BMW positioned it for me when I visited Park Lane.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

My Tesla Roadster has a 'real world' range of 180 miles (NEDC 211 miles) and has allowed me to drive everywhere in the last 3.5 years with very little compromise and no dependence on unreliable charging infrastructure. The BMW i3 REx with 160 miles range will be very similar although potentially even easier to range extend via petrol, AC, or DC charging.

This week I have a lunch meeting that requires a ~200 mile round trip. With 7kW charging at the meeting location I can use the Roadster without a thought about driving style or range. I could use the i3 Rex in a very similar way with some petrol used, and the Ampera/Volt with a little more petrol. I could not use the Leaf or any other BEV for this trip without a substantial delay for charging on route, and that's assuming rapid charging existed, was working, and I was prepared to stop.

The i3 REx will be my second car (and my partners first) and will allow us to drive the vast majority of our trips on solar electricity from our roof with the option of range extension when required. For us both the i3 REx is a stop gap until the Model E exists because we want to drive 100% electric.

 

[Alexander Sims]

When I had the i3 for a week, I tested the mpg figures. Started with full tank and full charge, I did 90.1 miles on petrol which was mainly motorway driving at ~60mph. That equates to around 45 miles per UK gallon I think!

Currently have a company car with BMW but am hounding them to give me the i3 rather than my 4 series. I did a 250 mile journey with no hassle at all on my test drive, plugged in at each meeting point but didn't 'have' to stay for any specific period of time due to the REX. Although I would prefer to drive only electric miles, many need their car to be versatile. My mother has a Zoe but still needs her second car. With the i3 she could do everything with that.

I understand that the mpg isn't quite as good as the ampera but then the electric range is far superior so it will satisfy more journeys and enable higher EV use with the comfort the REX is there to get to your destination.

The i3 is the only EV I'd consider aside from the Model S, and that is not due to my BMW links. It's just the only one that can give me the flexibility with the potential of a large amount of electric miles.

 

[Paul]

Interesting points of view here, about the "EV range means more EV miles"... not proving thus so far for many it would seem: http://www.greencarreports.com/news...e-electric-miles-than-nissan-leaf-drivers-why

 

[AndyG]

A 180 morning commute? Bloody hell!

Not everyday……………….about once or twice a month.

 

[fenlander]

Interesting points of view here, about the "EV range means more EV miles"... not proving thus so far for many it would seem: http://www.greencarreports.com/news...e-electric-miles-than-nissan-leaf-drivers-why

Completely agree with that - my i3 miles are going to far exceed previous Leaf miles because of the safety blanket.

I'll wager i3 EV miles > Volt > Leaf in the next survey.

 

[Gary Taylor]

While we are at it, can someone put an Ampera in mountain mode, stick a brick on the accelerator and then shove a microphone up the exhaust to see how loud it is?

Did a similar thing last summer, put it in Mountain mode and pulled up at a red light in the centre of three lanes with both drivers to my left and right looking at me with the "take your foot off the accelerator, clown" look on their faces, except it wasn't, engine running loudly at @3500 rpm.

Gary

 

[Geoff]

The Ampera is pretty much an ICE with an inadequate battery for all but the shortest commutes. It all depends on how far along the EV scale you want to be. Some people will prefer to be more ICE, others more EV. It's good to have choice.

While we are at it, can someone put an Ampera in mountain mode, stick a brick on the accelerator and then shove a microphone up the exhaust to see how loud it is?

Do this and you would hear no sound from the Ampera. It the battery was depleted then the generator would start up. The brick would have no effect as the generator will only run faster on demand from the electric motor.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

If the battery was below the 40% buffer that MOUNTAIN mode aims to keep then the generator doesn't stop when the car stops but keeps running. However, from the outside it sounds like a car...

However, you are correct that the brick would have no effect... it just runs at whatever speed it runs at to charge the battery back up to 40%. The throttle pedal has no effect.