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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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...088628_chevy-volt-owners-drive-more-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.

 

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

 

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.

 

@Steve Thayne while I fully accept what you are saying, my meeting next week does not justify a whole day and therefore the Leaf is simply unsuitable because it requires en route charging. For me, the reason the extended range vehicles work is because they almost never require a change to my travel plans.

 

Well, I've just visit my dear old mother this weekend. 157 motorway miles e/w and pretty much exactly 1 tank of fuel and 1 fully charged battery in the i3. I'm glad I didn't go for the Zoe or the Leaf as, while the trip would have been possible, it would have been more hassle. Probably with the outcome that Mrs SS's opinion would have been "well, that was interesting, and it worked - but we'll take the diesel next time".

An Ampera would have done the trip as well - but with a lower electricetrol miles ratio. And, for us, with much lower electricetrol miles for the 95% of miles that we do when not trekking cross country.

A Tesla would have done the trip as well - but at much higher cost and with only 50% of its battery being used on day-to-day trips.

And any old ICE would have done the weekend - without any discussion or comment on an ICE forum!

The key phrase is "for us". Everyone has different journey patterns and use. The great thing about the current plethora of new models and drivetrain/motive power combinations is that there's probably a big chunk of electric miles for everyone.

 

It would be good to have some 'benchmarking ' on all these BEVs, E-REVs etc There would have to be standardised profiles (several of them) in order to reflect differing lifestyles / mileage requirements etc. There is quite a range in prices of cars being compared in our 'chats' and that only considers purchase price. However, we should also consider maintenance and spares? The Rexs and E-Revs are certainly more versatile, but there a certain irony about replacing the petrol engine with a battery -drive system, but the shoe-horning in a generator with all the weaknesses and flaws of the original power plant? Indeed these cars have a shed load of new hardware and software in addition of the two drive systems? The BEV is a genuine threat to the established car industry and the gas/oil industry. Certainly the E-Rev/Rex may just save the car industry from extinction as these cars will be very unattractive as a long-term proposition (IMO) as repair bills will be sky-high! How much for a new starting motor, alternator or exhaust on cars being made in very low volumes and unique to one model and brand? Has any one asked?

 

Certainly the E-Rev/Rex may just save the car industry from extinction as these cars will be very unattractive as a long-term proposition (IMO) as repair bills will be sky-high! How much for a new starting motor, alternator or exhaust on cars being made in very low volumes and unique to one model and brand? Has any one asked?

All our vehicles will be relatively expensive in the long term to maintain because they are niche products in a market that is evolving rapidly. It doesn't matter whether it's a BEV or E-REV its part of being a 'tinkerer'. If you're uncomfortable with this exposure then IMO owners should lease and include maintenance... this adds little to the overall cost of the i3 REx for example.

 

All our vehicles will be relatively expensive in the long term to maintain because they are niche products in a market that is evolving rapidly. //... this adds little to the overall cost of the i3 REx for example.

Sorry, we have to agree to differ. Few of us have bought into the EV-experience thinking it will be 'relatively expensive'. As for leasing cars - ad infinitum that is something many would simply baulk at. It may work well for a company's cash flow, but for those of use, who have kept ICE cars for 10+ years and seen a good return on investment - its a lousy deal.
If a Rex is to be an expensive niche product its not going to be cost effective - and with the higher purchase price, high maintenance cost (Parts?), rapid depreciation and poor residuals the whole segment becomes unattractive?
The converse (and for me a compelling argument) - is that a S/r BEV (as I have) has cost only #120.00 i fuel cost - for 18,000 miles. Maint is currently included a part of the deal and when it runs out it #100 per year! And what extras will that service have? Probably nothing - because of BEV inherent simplicity. A s/r BEV owner (no battery lease) is not concerned about depreciation and low residuals - because the fuel economy will return the entire purchase price, over time!
Low operating cost is one of the key drivers for EV adoption. The idea of a "relatively expensive in the long term .. niche product" - is hardly a real world incentive?
Having a car that will cut motoring cost by #1,000 per annum is a more persuasive argument?

 

Sorry, we have to agree to differ.

Thats fine but ask yourself how many 10 year old computers you can repair.

There will be a huge market in EV component reuse and I suspect that many will be kept on the road by 'local' garages rather than dealers. This has already started with some out of warranty vehicles using recycled parts from crashed cars.

It's a fallacy to think EVs are immune from ongoing maintenance costs... data is still sparse but at the moment the Leaf is much like many other cars;

http://www.truedelta.com/Nissan-LEAF/reliability-968

Most interesting IMO is Leaf v Prius which contradicts your claim that E-Rev/Rex repair bills will be sky-high;

http://www.truedelta.com/Nissan-LEAF/reliability-968/vs-Prius-272

 

Brian, you clearly haven't seen how expensive parts for a Leaf are. Everyone is in warranty still at the moment, but wait a while and those prices are going to start hitting home.

All EVs are niche products which are tied to the manufacturer for many years to come. How long before a local independent garage can maintain it for you?

Long term (very) EVs will be cheaper to maintain, but I think that is some way off.

 

My philosophy is simple - long term maintenance is likely to be unaffordable, certainly not justifiable. However, since the car is likely to have returned its entire purchase price - then its a 'disposable'. If /when recycling the batteries is a viable business - I may even get a bonus! However, Mitsu are obliged to recycle it and that's an acceptable closure. 60,000 miles Fuel cost < #1000 Purchase price - amortized - beat that for cheap motoring?
I'm taking by EV for a bit of a spin tomorrow - well I can see there's a charger at 58deg 20 mins N and 6deg 34min W - I think I'll go check it out and it will cost almost nothing to get there!

 

Brian, surely the comparison should be the total cost of your last ICE, maintainance, depreciation, fuel, insurance etc. divided by the number of miles traversed during your ownership i.e. total costs pence per mile compared with total costs per mile for the i-Miev.

When costs per mile exceed what you are happy paying is the time to look for a better option which might include not owning a car at all.

 

Interesting data point today. My wife has driven a journey that she did many times in the Leaf in the cold/wet which was always a bit on the edge - heater off for the last leg etc.

Today arrived home in the i3 with 50% battery remaining, no REx used. No concerns over heating.

Not sure entirely why the difference yet, but interesting.

 

I think your's is a gen 1 leaf...am I right? Would account for some of the difference. Also comments people have made elsewhere suggest the leaf motor design is more efficent at low speeds less at high speeds compared to the Zoe.

The temp rise really is making a difference for me now too. Am getting over 100 mile range on my gen 2 Leaf.

 

From when I test drove the i3 it seemed to use very little power to hold it at higher speeds I think that will save power in the long run. On Friday I did 124 miles in my zoe and when I plugged it in it was saying 26% battery remaining I was driving at 59/60 mph all the way down the motorway. At 60pmh my car can use as little as 6kw to keep it rolling max is about 20kw unless it's a very steep hill.

 

More data on this - last trip Mrs F got 5.4 miles / kWh. Somewhat higher than me but explains the difference.

Long term average in the Leaf was 3.something.

 

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!

I just discovered this video:

Lawnmower anyone? (50 seconds in)

 

I just discovered this video:

Lawnmower anyone? (50 seconds in)

Wow another video showing just how good the Volt/Ampera is.
-12F = -25C nows thats cold !!!!!

 

He has a climbing wall on his wall... cool.

 

My Rex has run twice, first time it just ran what the i3 called a maintenance cycle, it was ver loud and a bit alarming. The second time as a test, with 3 passengers doing 60 on the motorway, with an electric range of 20miles, I selected hold state of charge. Everyone was listening for it, but heard nothing, but the electric range started going up a little. When we stopped we could hear the cooling fan.

I only have the Rex for emergencies, and am delighted with it.