BMW i3 test didn't work so well

[AndrewE]

So we have decided to test an i3 over a few days this week to see if it fits in with our lifestyle/usage

Wednesday is the most challenging day with a 23 mile each way trip to work (no charging available during the day) then a 17 mile each way trip later in the evening - with about 1 1/2 hours in between - so total daily mileage normally 46 miles but for one day a week is 80 miles - just about doable

Picked the car up yesterday and surprised to see full charge showing 66 mile range - the car is brand new having only covered 65 miles. We thought the range show was due to the previous style of driving being used to calculate likely range

Set off today and again after a nights charge range shown as 64 miles - return home tonight with only 10 miles shown on range - journey is half motorway half urban roads. This meant that the evening journey was a no starter.

Quite frustrated as I am an 'ev'angelist and was really keen to make it work - I don't really want to consider the Range Extender version. Even with a 32A home charge it would have been a struggle

The normal daily journey would work, its just the extra journey at night which we do weekly that is an issue - plus the fact I expected the car to show more than 66 miles range on a full charge.

I think I will have to put the idea on the back-burner

 

[Mike01606]

That's useful to know........

I'm considering one for my daily commute as my employer has put 6 free charging bays in the car park. I was thinking total cheapskate and charging all day at work so effectively free fuel but it is a 30 mile commute and if some bugger has parked in 'my' space then I'd struggle to get home based on your feedback and I couldn't risk not charging at home......

I may borrow one and try it for a week. The problem is there are no EV's now but on a site of 2000 people some will soon cotton on.

Plan B required.....How far does a Model S go :grin:

 

[AndrewE]

Do try one Mike - and for more than one day

They are supposed to do 85 + miles on a charge so I will speak to the BMW guy later - it may just be that this particular car I had needs to learn how its driven to get a better, more accurate range

 

[F355GTS]

Andrew 64 was the max I saw as well, if pushed it dropped below this as well, in the end it was just too restrictive compared to the cost, a shame as it was good fun even with being prone to massive understeer

 

[Jez Moore]

Andrew a work colleague had a Nissan Leaf on trial for a week it claims to have a 124 mile range I drove it around the block and was pleasantly surprised my daily commute is 52 miles each way

 

[jos]

The Leaf I had last winter was about 70 miles and it is surprising how many people have around that size of journey - the catch was that you could only guarantee it if you had no heating or any other accessories on and you knew you were going not to detour eg shopping or gym - which is hopeless if there is even the slightest possibility of no interim charging

The Leaf now has an increased range and I believe the i3's increase is about a year away

Moral: don't look at anything with less than a hundred mile range

 

[AndrewE]

The Leaf now has an increased range and I believe the i3's increase is about a year away

That may be what I need to wait for, Jos

Leaf just doesn't appeal to me at the moment despite increased range and being UK built (including the batteries)

 

[AndrewE]

Andrew 64 was the max I saw as well, if pushed it dropped below this as well, in the end it was just too restrictive compared to the cost, a shame as it was good fun even with being prone to massive understeer

Agree it was fun and we seriously were considering one

Yes it understands but high- ish power/ torque, front wheel drive, skinny tyres plus a focus on safety first before driving dynamics = under steer

 

[sssdu01]

I think this just proves that the whole battery/charging thing is just a dead end. Limited range and if you are concerned about the environment then what the hell do we do with the batteries once they are knackered (which may be after a few years of use ).

I did consider an electric vehicle for local shopping/gym/etc and have even installed a 10mm twin and earth cable through a new extension for an electric car charging point at some future point, but looking at the charge times and limited range, I have given up on the electric car idea and am waiting for hydrogen powered cars.

Whilst liquid hydrogen has a lower calorific value than petrol, you can burn it in a conventional internal combustion engine, or run it through a fuel cell to generate electricity. Clean fresh air and steam comes out of the exhaust. Nuclear power can produce unlimited amounts of Hydrogen gas through electrolysis with no greenhouse gases. Instant refuel in the same way that you refill your petrol car, and I bet you that once hydrogen gas in readily available we will all be getting conversion kits to run our classic Ferrari petrol cars on liquid hydrogen gas. It could work in the same way as LPG gas with a replacement fuel tank, gas injection equipment and revised engine ECU. I saw it done 30 years ago on some yank v8's so its not rocket science.

 

[Modificato]

I think the whole commuting lifestyle is a dead end.

We down-sized floor space wise and moved into the city centre when the kids became teenagers and my only regret is not doing it earlier. I don't sit in a car for two hours a day and now most of my driving is for pleasure. We have a Toyota iQ for the city that does a genuine 50-60mpg and can always find a parking space. And the other cars in our parking spaces are for pleasure or the occasional long haul. We have looked into EV but for now a well sorted petrol city car is way ahead. Had an i3 for the weekend and I couldn't see the point as part from little city drives the range was just so limited.

The Greenest thing most of us can do with our cars is move house.

WW2 was a long time ago it's time to return to the cities and take motoring back to being a leisure activity.

I hope roads go the way of the canals so in my retirement there are only leisure users on them.

 

[sssdu01]

Nice idea to downsize but its difficult to find a townhouse with any garage let alone one you could park a Ferrari in :laugh:

 

[Nosevi]

Time to return to the cities? Absolutely zero chance of me moving to a city, Modificato. The view from the 'balcony' on the side of my garage. No way would I swap it for living in a 'concrete jungle'. But each to their own, hey?

 

[Modificato]

:grin: one of the 360 degree views from our concrete jungle
Only five parking spaces required a collection downsize but secure CHE parking and plenty of other enthusiasts living here.

 

[sssdu01]

Modificato ........ looks like a great place to own a Ferrari or any other drivers car ....... not. I don't think you will win the where I want to live argument :grin:

 

[Mike01606]

:grin: one of the 360 degree views from our concrete jungle View attachment 144414
Only five parking spaces required a collection downsize but secure CHE parking and plenty of other enthusiasts living here.

Beetham tower?

 

[Modificato]

Modificato ........ looks like a great place to own a Ferrari or any other drivers car ....... not. I don't think you will win the where I want to live argument :grin:

...I am in the Peak District in twenty minutes, Cumbria is an hour away, Yorkshire moors less than an hour and oulton park same.

In summer I have slightly better roads to play on...This is the view from our latest project in Italy



it's about 8 miles from the circuit del Umbria, fifteen miles from Perugia Ferrari dealership and has plenty of parking spaces :grin:

City living?

I only think city living is great because I just don't do commuting anymore since we moved to the city. It just seems so silly now to spend so many hours in traffic five days a week for 'quality of life' and housing costs reasons for the two days a week we actually got to have that 'quality of life'. As I said we now get our shopping online for similar reasons and have found that city living is so much more time efficient. Living here they bring the shopping all the way upstairs in little coloured bags right into the kitchen so I can spend time doing things like leisure driving that I would have spent shopping. My pleasure from driving has increased dramatically since I stopped commuting and with the number of exotics in our car park I am not alone.

(I argue in good humour of course)

 

[Nosevi]

Italy looks great, wouldn't mind living there :thumbsup:

You're not going to convince me that moving to the city is a 'good' choice for a Petrol Head though. It may be a sensible choice if you absolutely have to work there or even a necessary one, but not a good one IMO. Open country roads are within easy access for me too...... I turn out of my driveway. A few minutes of driving through open countryside has me in the Lincolnshire Wolds with Cadwell Park nestled between the rolling hills if you fancy some more spirited driving than the law allows.

Admittedly I still have a daily commute to the 'office' every day but at least it's only 10 mins away:



Nope, on balance I have no wish to move back to 'civilisation' (very much written in inverted commas). I don't mind if you convince others to move back to the city and all buy electric cars though - it'll mean the pretty empty roads out here in the provinces where I 'play' in my Ferrari will be even more so.

Anyway I'll let you get on, rush hour(s) traffic will be grinding to a holt there soon so you'd best make a start. I'm going outside to have a brew looking out over the fields and watch the sun come up with just the dawn chorus to break the silence. How I miss the city........ :grin:


All posted in good humour, each to their own :thumbsup:

 

[mon the fish]

I live above my work - but it's in a village. Not all jobs are in the big smoke [emoji6]

Approx 1 mile from me and the quiet, epic roads start. Please, all stay in the cities darn sarf as I don't want it any busier here [emoji4]

But yes, a place in Italy would be nice. As would somewhere in Berlin...

 

[Modificato]

Ah Lincolnshire...

I was born and raised in Hull so spent a few laps production racing bikes at cadwell. The 'ring' of the U.K.

It's hard to explain to people that if you live IN the city you simply don't do rush hours. I watch the thousands who commute into the city and out again each day and think it's utter madness. If I am travelling to a business meeting or work I am always going in the opposite direction to the flow into the city. I work from home most of the time, but fly direct out of Manchester airport (cab, tram, train or drive) circa 15-20mins away or like today I am off direct to the city of London for half a day (2hours). I don't have to drive to the station and do all that malarkey. When you live in a decent transport hub the commuter lifestyle looks silly.

Your rural place looks nice but my other passions - music, culture, socialising, and travel are all best served by a city and being in a city that is on the up, as opposed to the one I grew up in that was in decline, is a daily buzz. It has been a surprise to me as we actually moved here with my son who is a professional athlete so sport city is five minutes drive in his city car. The the other is an actor so being on the doorstep of media city has helped him a lot. We brought our kids up in an idyllic village in Lancashire and while things like the garden and the village park where great for them when they were young there is way more opportunity and community here than their ever was in the village. When businesses and people who live in the city get to know each the sense of cameraderie is fantastic.

We now have our Italian places for the countryside fix and proper car fix as the people there simply love Ferraris and cars in general whereas here you get the haters and the speed lobby. I predict the UK will be fitting GPS speed trackers pretty soon.

As we say each to their own but having done both I can see the advantages of both different but rewarding lifestyles.

In Manchester 80% of young people aspire to live in the city centre.

It's a seismic social change taking place

 

[Modificato]

I live above my work - but it's in a village. Not all jobs are in the big smoke [emoji6]

Approx 1 mile from me and the quiet, epic roads start. Please, all stay in the cities darn sarf as I don't want it any busier here [emoji4]

But yes, a place in Italy would be nice. As would somewhere in Berlin...

love Berlin - so much creativity there right now