First Drive: 2014 BMW i3
04-22-14, 03:11 PM
#61
BMW Increases i3 Production by 43 Percent on Strong Demand
BMW has increased production of the i3 electric vehicle 43 percent as demand has exceeded its initial expectations. The German luxury car manufacturer has raised daily output at its Leipzig plant from 70 vehicles to 100 vehicles in recent weeks, according to BMW production chief Harald Krueger.
The executive added that BMW has already built more than 5,000 i3s this year. If BMW maintains this production rate, it could build about 20,000 vehicles during the entire year, almost twice as much as its initial sales forecast.
“Following the market introduction in Europe, we’re now rolling out the i3 in the U.S. The U.S. will be the largest market for the i3,” Krueger told Bloomberg.
The standard BMW i3 is priced from $41,350 in the United States, before any federal or state incentives, plus $925 for destination and handling, with the range extender model starting from $45,200. In Germany, the i3 starts from €34,950 for the all-electric variant, while the Range Extender option bumps up the price to €39,450.
BMW began producing the i3 last November and will start deliveries of the i8 hybrid sports car in June. Both BMW i vehicles have a carbon fiber chassis for a reduced weight and improved fuel efficiency. BMW said in February that it is building a second production hall at a plant it operates with SGL Carbon to boost assembly of the material.
The executive added that BMW has already built more than 5,000 i3s this year. If BMW maintains this production rate, it could build about 20,000 vehicles during the entire year, almost twice as much as its initial sales forecast.
“Following the market introduction in Europe, we’re now rolling out the i3 in the U.S. The U.S. will be the largest market for the i3,” Krueger told Bloomberg.
The standard BMW i3 is priced from $41,350 in the United States, before any federal or state incentives, plus $925 for destination and handling, with the range extender model starting from $45,200. In Germany, the i3 starts from €34,950 for the all-electric variant, while the Range Extender option bumps up the price to €39,450.
BMW began producing the i3 last November and will start deliveries of the i8 hybrid sports car in June. Both BMW i vehicles have a carbon fiber chassis for a reduced weight and improved fuel efficiency. BMW said in February that it is building a second production hall at a plant it operates with SGL Carbon to boost assembly of the material.
04-24-14, 08:04 AM
#65
Lexus Champion
BMW i3 REx – 2.4 Gallon Gas Tank Shrinks To 1.9 Gallons
More Range Extender Details Uncovered At BMW i Dealer Training
BMW has been hosting i3 training events to get its client advisers up to speed and ready to sell the car. I’m very happy to hear they are doing this because I was really beginning to get concerned that BMW wouldn’t properly prepare sales staff for this unique vehicle. I even dedicated a post a few months ago to this very topic.
I’ve now talked to a few client advisers that have done the training and they are reporting that they did indeed get a lot of useful information which will help them service their clients.
This week, the latest round of training sessions are being held at BMW USA headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ and details of what is being taught are starting to leak out from some of the client advisers that are there.
*Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on Tom’s “The Electric BMW i3″ blog. Check it out by clicking here.
For the most part, this post will focus on new details on the range extender specific to the US-spec BMW i3 REx.
Range Extender Activates Automatically – No Manual Control At All
First, it was learned that the range extender is automatically activated once the state of charge drops below 6.5%. At that moment, it turns on and its function is to bring the state of charge back up to 6.5% and to maintain that level of charge. It will not charge the i3 above 6.5%, and it will not run if the car is stopped, unless the state of charge is critically low. Therefore, you can’t sit in a stationary i3 and wait for the state of charge to increase.
You cannot manually turn the range extender off. This is contrary to what I was told by an i3 product manager at the i3 debut in New York City last July. I remember asking this specific question by saying “What if I knew I’d make it home on electric, say I only had a mile or two to go and the REx was about to turn on, could I just turn it off so it’s doesn’t fire up?” I was told yes, there will be a setting that will allow you to turn it off before it engages, but that setting will reset once you turn the car off. The reason for that is so that the next time you get in the car you won’t forget that you had turned off the REx and you may end up needing it. I would have definitely preferred to be able to turn it off manually, and honestly can’t see why that isn’t going to be allowed.
Limited To 70 MPH Only Once REx Kicks In?
We also found out that the client advisers have been told that while the range extender is in operation the speed of the car will be electronically limited to 70mph. I’m not buying that; I think they were misinformed. I really think there was a miscommunication on this one because I have had conversations with people at BMW that know a lot about this and even very recently they assured me that there isn’t an electronically governed speed limit while the range extender is in operation.
I believe the confusion on 70mph is based on the fact that 70mph is basically the top speed that the range extender can comfortably maintain the 6.5% state of charge at while driving on relatively flat ground. The people I’ve talked to in Europe that have i3′s with the range extender say they can drive on the highway at 120 km/hr (75mph) and maintain the SOC, but anything higher and the SOC will gradually diminish. It’s my contention that the people running the training sessions either aren’t 100% clear on this, or they really meant for the client advisers to warn the customers that 70mph is really the fastest they should drive at if they need to drive for a long distance.
In any event, I believe they got this one wrong and there isn’t an electronic limit, we’ll find out soon since the US i3 launch should be in approximately two weeks.
2.4 Gallon Gas Tanks Shrinks To 1.9 Gallons
I saved the biggest news for last. It was learned that the US version of the i3 REx will have not have a 2.4 gallon gas tank as the European version does. Instead, it will have only a 1.9 gallon gas tank. I’m going to pause for a moment to let everybody scream bloody murder now…… I know it’s only half a gallon, but in the case of the i3, that just reduced the gas tank by 21%!
For me, this is a non-issue, but I know there are a lot of people that will not like this at all. 99% of the time I use the added range of the REx, it will likely be for less than 40 miles. Yes, this does reduce the utility of long range trips even more, as you will now probably have to stop for gas every 40 or 50 miles. There was no reasons given for the smaller gas tank, but as far as I can imagine, this comes down to one of two things. Since BMW wants needs the i3 REx to qualify as a BEVx and one of the qualifications of the BEVx is that the car has to have a smaller gasoline range than it does electric range, my thinking is that one of these two things led to the smaller gas tank:
1) The EPA rating for all electric range on the REx came out lower than they believed it would. If they used the 2.4 gallon gas tank, the gas range would be slightly longer than the all electric range, therefore causing it to be disqualified for the BEVx designation. The only simple way to make the gas range less than the electric range was to reduce the gas range by using a smaller gas tank.
2) The EPA rating for the MPG while in range extender mode came out higher than expected, creating the same problem cited above; a longer range in REx mode than in all electric mode. I’ve heard it gets anywhere from 36mpg to 46mpg from people driving REx’s in Europe so this is a possibility. If the range extender got rated at 40mpg, and was using a 2.4 gallon gas tank, then the electric range would need to be 96 miles per charge, which is highly unlikely. If they cut the tank down to 1.9 gallons, then the electric range would only need to be greater than 79 miles per charge, which I believe is attainable, even considering that the REx version will have 6.5% less battery to use than the BEV i3 does, as this is held in reserve as a buffer.
So what do you think? Have any of these new revelations changed your mind about the BMW i3 REx?
http://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-rex-new-...ining-session/
BMW has been hosting i3 training events to get its client advisers up to speed and ready to sell the car. I’m very happy to hear they are doing this because I was really beginning to get concerned that BMW wouldn’t properly prepare sales staff for this unique vehicle. I even dedicated a post a few months ago to this very topic.
I’ve now talked to a few client advisers that have done the training and they are reporting that they did indeed get a lot of useful information which will help them service their clients.
This week, the latest round of training sessions are being held at BMW USA headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ and details of what is being taught are starting to leak out from some of the client advisers that are there.
*Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on Tom’s “The Electric BMW i3″ blog. Check it out by clicking here.
For the most part, this post will focus on new details on the range extender specific to the US-spec BMW i3 REx.
Range Extender Activates Automatically – No Manual Control At All
First, it was learned that the range extender is automatically activated once the state of charge drops below 6.5%. At that moment, it turns on and its function is to bring the state of charge back up to 6.5% and to maintain that level of charge. It will not charge the i3 above 6.5%, and it will not run if the car is stopped, unless the state of charge is critically low. Therefore, you can’t sit in a stationary i3 and wait for the state of charge to increase.
You cannot manually turn the range extender off. This is contrary to what I was told by an i3 product manager at the i3 debut in New York City last July. I remember asking this specific question by saying “What if I knew I’d make it home on electric, say I only had a mile or two to go and the REx was about to turn on, could I just turn it off so it’s doesn’t fire up?” I was told yes, there will be a setting that will allow you to turn it off before it engages, but that setting will reset once you turn the car off. The reason for that is so that the next time you get in the car you won’t forget that you had turned off the REx and you may end up needing it. I would have definitely preferred to be able to turn it off manually, and honestly can’t see why that isn’t going to be allowed.
Limited To 70 MPH Only Once REx Kicks In?
We also found out that the client advisers have been told that while the range extender is in operation the speed of the car will be electronically limited to 70mph. I’m not buying that; I think they were misinformed. I really think there was a miscommunication on this one because I have had conversations with people at BMW that know a lot about this and even very recently they assured me that there isn’t an electronically governed speed limit while the range extender is in operation.
I believe the confusion on 70mph is based on the fact that 70mph is basically the top speed that the range extender can comfortably maintain the 6.5% state of charge at while driving on relatively flat ground. The people I’ve talked to in Europe that have i3′s with the range extender say they can drive on the highway at 120 km/hr (75mph) and maintain the SOC, but anything higher and the SOC will gradually diminish. It’s my contention that the people running the training sessions either aren’t 100% clear on this, or they really meant for the client advisers to warn the customers that 70mph is really the fastest they should drive at if they need to drive for a long distance.
In any event, I believe they got this one wrong and there isn’t an electronic limit, we’ll find out soon since the US i3 launch should be in approximately two weeks.
2.4 Gallon Gas Tanks Shrinks To 1.9 Gallons
I saved the biggest news for last. It was learned that the US version of the i3 REx will have not have a 2.4 gallon gas tank as the European version does. Instead, it will have only a 1.9 gallon gas tank. I’m going to pause for a moment to let everybody scream bloody murder now…… I know it’s only half a gallon, but in the case of the i3, that just reduced the gas tank by 21%!
For me, this is a non-issue, but I know there are a lot of people that will not like this at all. 99% of the time I use the added range of the REx, it will likely be for less than 40 miles. Yes, this does reduce the utility of long range trips even more, as you will now probably have to stop for gas every 40 or 50 miles. There was no reasons given for the smaller gas tank, but as far as I can imagine, this comes down to one of two things. Since BMW wants needs the i3 REx to qualify as a BEVx and one of the qualifications of the BEVx is that the car has to have a smaller gasoline range than it does electric range, my thinking is that one of these two things led to the smaller gas tank:
1) The EPA rating for all electric range on the REx came out lower than they believed it would. If they used the 2.4 gallon gas tank, the gas range would be slightly longer than the all electric range, therefore causing it to be disqualified for the BEVx designation. The only simple way to make the gas range less than the electric range was to reduce the gas range by using a smaller gas tank.
2) The EPA rating for the MPG while in range extender mode came out higher than expected, creating the same problem cited above; a longer range in REx mode than in all electric mode. I’ve heard it gets anywhere from 36mpg to 46mpg from people driving REx’s in Europe so this is a possibility. If the range extender got rated at 40mpg, and was using a 2.4 gallon gas tank, then the electric range would need to be 96 miles per charge, which is highly unlikely. If they cut the tank down to 1.9 gallons, then the electric range would only need to be greater than 79 miles per charge, which I believe is attainable, even considering that the REx version will have 6.5% less battery to use than the BEV i3 does, as this is held in reserve as a buffer.
So what do you think? Have any of these new revelations changed your mind about the BMW i3 REx?
http://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-rex-new-...ining-session/
05-02-14, 05:27 PM
#66
BMW i3 officially gets EPA-rated 81-mile range, delivered to first US customer
Press release:
BMW Delivers First All-Electric i3 in the U.S.
Tufts University professor of practice Charles Rabie to receive the first U.S. BMW i3.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – May 2, 2014... Today, BMW delivered the first all-electric BMW i3 in the U.S. to Boston resident and Tufts University professor of practice Charles Rabie at the BMW of Boston dealership. Hundreds of BMW i3 vehicles are currently at U.S. facilities and ready to be delivered to customers nationwide, ushering in a new era of electromobility.
Rabie is an electric vehicle advocate and has been driving the BMW ActiveE since 2012. Also among this first group set to receive a BMW i3 is Los Angeles-based former E! Entertainment leading correspondent Ashlan Gorse Cousteau, married to renowned documentary filmmaker and environmentalist Philippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau.
"Today marks a big day at BMW of North America - What started out as a dream for an innovative sustainable vehicle under the BMW i brand can now be found on streets across the U.S.," said Ludwig Willisch, President & CEO, BMW of North America.
The BMW i3 is the first of the BMW i vehicles constructed from the ground up primarily of carbon fiber to enter the U.S. market. With 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque hybrid-synchronous electric motor, the fully electric BMW i3 is electrified by a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery, good for 80-100 miles of emission-free driving. Agile and engaging to drive, the BMW i3 is ideally suited for dense urban areas. The BMW i3 has a base MSRP of $41,350 and the range-extender model will have a starting MSRP of $45,200.
BMW i is the BMW Group's forward-looking and sustainable brand dedicated to solving many of the mobility challenges faced by the world's most densely populated cities. The all-encompassing approach of BMW i includes the extensive use of recycled, renewable raw and naturally treated materials, alongside an extremely resource-efficient production method.
Tufts University professor of practice Charles Rabie to receive the first U.S. BMW i3.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – May 2, 2014... Today, BMW delivered the first all-electric BMW i3 in the U.S. to Boston resident and Tufts University professor of practice Charles Rabie at the BMW of Boston dealership. Hundreds of BMW i3 vehicles are currently at U.S. facilities and ready to be delivered to customers nationwide, ushering in a new era of electromobility.
Rabie is an electric vehicle advocate and has been driving the BMW ActiveE since 2012. Also among this first group set to receive a BMW i3 is Los Angeles-based former E! Entertainment leading correspondent Ashlan Gorse Cousteau, married to renowned documentary filmmaker and environmentalist Philippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau.
"Today marks a big day at BMW of North America - What started out as a dream for an innovative sustainable vehicle under the BMW i brand can now be found on streets across the U.S.," said Ludwig Willisch, President & CEO, BMW of North America.
The BMW i3 is the first of the BMW i vehicles constructed from the ground up primarily of carbon fiber to enter the U.S. market. With 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque hybrid-synchronous electric motor, the fully electric BMW i3 is electrified by a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery, good for 80-100 miles of emission-free driving. Agile and engaging to drive, the BMW i3 is ideally suited for dense urban areas. The BMW i3 has a base MSRP of $41,350 and the range-extender model will have a starting MSRP of $45,200.
BMW i is the BMW Group's forward-looking and sustainable brand dedicated to solving many of the mobility challenges faced by the world's most densely populated cities. The all-encompassing approach of BMW i includes the extensive use of recycled, renewable raw and naturally treated materials, alongside an extremely resource-efficient production method.
05-29-14, 07:55 AM
#68
James May Says he will Buy a BMW i3
James May’s taste in cars is quite odd and you can’t really predict what he’d buy next. Before he bought his Fiat Panda, you wouldn’t have thought about him getting one of those, did you? Well now, he’s said to be looking at a BMW i3, specifically the more sensible range extender model (REx).
The news was heard during a BBC Radio 4 show he was invited on. He even admitted to “quite liking” EVs.
May said “We’ve known for a long time that the electric motor is the ideal way to propel an electric car. We’re discovering that there’s a different sort of pleasure in motoring in an electric car because of the smoothness, the silence.”
When asked about the hurdles EV drivers still faced and the limits of the current level of tech, May explained that he thought the tech was fine but that “the problem is still electricity, the difficulty in charging, the difficulty in storing it” – a point well made.
He didn’t say when exactly he’ll be ordering one, though, or if he already has.
The news was heard during a BBC Radio 4 show he was invited on. He even admitted to “quite liking” EVs.
May said “We’ve known for a long time that the electric motor is the ideal way to propel an electric car. We’re discovering that there’s a different sort of pleasure in motoring in an electric car because of the smoothness, the silence.”
When asked about the hurdles EV drivers still faced and the limits of the current level of tech, May explained that he thought the tech was fine but that “the problem is still electricity, the difficulty in charging, the difficulty in storing it” – a point well made.
He didn’t say when exactly he’ll be ordering one, though, or if he already has.
06-25-14, 01:49 PM
#70
I saw the i3 last week and I had no idea they were on sale. So I just checked the pricing and with all the bells and whistles it comes out to be C$61000 
plus the range is like 340 km.
Don't get me wrong, the i3 does look interesting but I have no idea why someone who fork over that much
plus the range is like 340 km.Don't get me wrong, the i3 does look interesting but I have no idea why someone who fork over that much
06-25-14, 02:15 PM
#71
I saw the i3 last week and I had no idea they were on sale. So I just checked the pricing and with all the bells and whistles it comes out to be C$61000 plus the range is like 340 km.
Don't get me wrong, the i3 does look interesting but I have no idea why someone who fork over that much
plus the range is like 340 km.Don't get me wrong, the i3 does look interesting but I have no idea why someone who fork over that much
Brand/Image power is amazing
06-25-14, 02:16 PM
#72
06-25-14, 03:29 PM
#73
I saw the i3 last week and I had no idea they were on sale. So I just checked the pricing and with all the bells and whistles it comes out to be C$61000 plus the range is like 340 km.
Don't get me wrong, the i3 does look interesting but I have no idea why someone who fork over that much
plus the range is like 340 km.Don't get me wrong, the i3 does look interesting but I have no idea why someone who fork over that much
06-25-14, 03:49 PM
#75
The RAV4 EV's were so extremely not in demand, that dealers forced TMS to take majority of the units back, which were then employee leased to just get them registered on on the road for Toyota's ZEV credits.