First i3 REx Road Trip: Hotels, BMW Dealerships & Wraps

Charging up at Hampton Inn in Turnersville... but for how long?

Ever since the i3 colors were announced, I had thought about doing a custom color wrap for my i3. The colors offered just weren't very inspiring and other than the Solar Orange, they were all white and shades of grey or silver. I chose the Laurel Grey because I liked how it made the car look more like one solid color. It minimized the "Black Hand" design that BMW used to try to give the appearance that the i3 is slimmer than it actually is.  It's a short car that is tall, and definitely has unusual lines and BMW believed that using black on the top surfaces would make it look less "chunky".  I also liked the idea of having a custom color so my car would be easily identifiable in pictures. I'll be writing i3 reviews for quite a few websites, and having my car a distinct color will let the readers know immediately that it's my car they are looking at.

Once I got to see my car in person I realized how much I really do like the Laurel Grey

That being said, once I got my car I realized how great the Laurel Grey looks, especially with the Frozen Blue accents and I started having second thoughts about doing the wrap. I decided to go through with it anyway because I really like the idea of having a distinctive color that no other i3 has. Plus, when I take it off it will feel like I got a new car again because the wrap protects the paint perfectly underneath. Since I'm wrapping a new car the paint will remain pristine and in a year or so when I decide to take it off I'll be able to enjoy the Laurel Grey with Frozen Blue color scheme.

After doing some research I decided to get the wrap done at Designer Wraps in Millville, NJ. It's about a 130 mile trip from my house and while there are closer wrap shops, I want to get it done somewhere that has a great reputation and has been doing wraps for a long time and Designer Wraps fit the bill. So I plotted the trip and since the wrap takes 3 or 4 days to complete, I told my wife I'd need her to drive down with me separately so I could drop off the car and we'd drive back together. The funny thing about it is she initially said, "How long will that take? Is there a charging station along the route where you can stop and charge?" She momentarily forgot I have the range extender on the i3 so she was thinking this would be an all day road trip. After driving pure EVs for five years now, she had been conditioned to think a long trip meant 80 miles or so of driving, and then four or five hours of charging in order to continue. After staring at her and smiling for a few seconds, she realized her error and we just laughed. Only two days of ownership in and the REx is immediately a game changer.

Then I realized I had also overlooked something, but not anything with regards to the car though. We were planning on driving down early on the morning of Saturday, May 24th, and that turned out to be the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. If you live in New Jersey, you know how bad traffic is going south on the Parkway or the Turnpike during either Memorial Day or Labor Day weekends, as tens of thousands of people migrate to the Jersey Shore for these two weekends that bookend the summer. A two and a half hour drive could easily take five hours under these traffic conditions. So we came up with plan B. We would drive about 100 miles late Friday night which would get us passed the major traffic areas, stay in a hotel and continue on the next morning.

Since we would be spending the night, I figured I might as well find a hotel that would let me plug in 120v while we were there. After all, the goal is to drive on electric as much as possible, even with the REx and an overnight stay would give me enough range to make the final 40 miles or so without the REx kicking on. After making some calls, I found an Hampton Inn in Turnersville, NJ that said I could plug in and it was just about perfectly along our planned route.  The hotel was about 100 miles into the trip and we would then be 40 miles from Designer Wraps. An overnight charge would give me just enough to complete the trip the next day without the range extender. If I really wanted to, I could have probably found a hotel that was only halfway there, and tried to complete the entire trip without the REx, but then I would have needed to find a L2 240v EVSE, as overnight charging on 120v wouldn't have been enough to fully replenish an empty battery. It just wasn't worth the trouble, and if everything worked out, the 140 mile trip would end up with me using only a little more than a half a gallon of gas and without any inconvenience.

I drove nearly 90 miles before the REx came on

It was raining heavily for most of the drive there so I wasn't expecting to beat the car's predicted 75 mile electric range but I did. I was shocked when I drove 89 miles, mostly at speeds of 60 to 65 mph but occasionally faster, before the range extender turned on to hold the battery charge for the final 9 miles. There was traffic so we did occasionally drive for a while at about 50 to 55 mph and I did activate Eco Pro mode about halfway into the trip. I didn't really do so to extend my range because driving at constant highway speeds requires a certain amount of energy regardless of what mode you are in and I don't think Eco Pro will really help out much at all with this kind of driving. I really just wanted to see if there was any noticeable difference in the driving behavior and found out something very interesting that I haven't seen reported anywhere before. When driving in Eco Pro mode the car tries to keep you from driving faster than 75 mph. If you are in Eco Pro and accelerating, when you hit 75 mph the car holds at 75 mph momentarily, and in order to go faster you need to really push the accelerator further than you would normally have to in order to continue accelerating. It's kind of like the car is coaching you to not exceed 75 mph because of how inefficient it is to drive at that speed. Once you continue to push the pedal further, it realizes you really do want to go faster and it takes off with a bit of a surge. I then tried this in Eco Pro+ mode and found out it does that same thing at 55 mph in that mode. This is a nice feature to "remind" you that driving faster will consume more energy than you may want to. This only happens in Eco Pro and Eco Pro+, and not in the default Comfort driving mode.

We arrived at the Hampton Inn around 1:00am with 98.1 miles on the trip odometer, and only the last 9 with the range extender in operation. The gas gauge barely moved and looked like I only used about 1/12 of the tank. The gas gauge showed 62 miles of range remaining and if that held true, then I would have had 160 mile range total; 89 on pure electric and 71 on gas.

Plugged in at Hampton Inn

After checking in and confirming it was OK with the front desk attendant I went outside and pulled my car to the front door where there were two brand new 120V outlets, one on each side of the front entrance. I checked around the rest of the building and didn't see any other outlets that were assessable. I'd prefer not to be plugged in right in front and draw attention, but it was the only outlet available and I was able to pull over to the side and well passed the entrance so the car wasn't in anyone's way.  I got up around 7:30am and checked my app to see the state of charge and noticed the SOC was at 30% but that the car was no longer charging and had a "charging error" at 5:07am. I went out to the car and saw it was unplugged from the wall so I plugged it back in and went to the front desk to ask if there was a problem. It was a different person than when we checked in and she told me the owner came in and unplugged the car. I explained to her that I called ahead to ask if I could plug in and was told it wouldn't be a problem and that I told the person the night before that if there was indeed any problem to please call my room. I also asked if I could speak to the owner was was told no, I could not. With that I told her that I plugged the car back in and if the owner has a problem with it to please call my room as I would like to discuss this with them.

After about 15 minutes my smartphone app notified me that the car had another charging error so I went back down to try to straighten out the situation one more time. Again the car was unplugged so I went to the desk to ask to speak to the owner and again was told they are unavailable. So there was nobody that would even address the situation with me. I then very politely informed the person at the desk that I'd be contesting the charge on my credit card and refusing to pay for the one night stay as well as contacting Hampton Inn customer service. Hampton Inn boasts the "100% Hampton Guarantee" that promises "If you are not satisfied, we don't expect you to pay". Honestly, if someone would have just talked to me and given me any reason, even if it wasn't a valid reason like "Due to insurance concerns we can't let you charge" or "Other guests were complaining that you are getting free fuel but they aren't" I would have accepted it and agreed to pay my bill. While I wouldn't be happy and would likely write to Hampton Inn asking them to consider changing policy, I wouldn't have evoked the Hampton Guarantee and told them I will be writing customer service and asking to be refunded. The fact that nobody there had the decency to even talk to me about it, or call my room to explain that they needed to unplug my car tells me they don't care about offering acceptable hospitality. If you don't fit into the box of what services they expect to provide for their typical guest, then you are out of luck and they won't even discuss the issue with you, and that's very unfortunate. I understand this is new territory for many hotels, and that I shouldn't feel entitled to charge my car wherever I want to. However I did ask first and I did make it clear that if there was a problem to please call my room to discuss it with me. I would never lose my temper or get confrontational with anyone in this kind of situation. I believe the early adopters need to be ambassadors for plug in cars, paving the way for the rest and we need to do our best to educate the uninformed as to why this is indeed a better path for us all. I will certainly be in touch with Hampton Inn's customer service this week, and try to encourage them to proactively adopt a charging-friendly policy for all of their locations. So perhaps something good will come us this unfortunate incident.

Will Hampton Inn honor their guarantee? I'll find out soon

Charging at Camden County College

Realizing I didn't have enough charge to make the final 40 miles to Designer Wraps, I pulled out my phone and looked up the charging stations in the area. I found that Camden Community College was only a few miles away and they had two level 2 EVSEs. So we headed over there, found the two Blink stations, plugged in and went out for a bite to eat. After breakfast we went back to the hotel, got our belongings and went to check out. By then there was a new person at the desk and when they asked if everything during our stay was OK I told them it wasn't and explained the charging issue. She seemed a bit confused about what to do but didn't offer any help or even to get a manager so I just thanked her and informed her that we'd be contacting Hampton's customer service to take up the issue with them.

Giving a quick i3 seminar!

We headed back to get my car and when we arrived we were greeted by a security guard who was checking it out. He loved it and wanted to know all about it. After giving him the basic i3 101 lesson, we were off to complete the mission. By this time I was about 60% charged and had plenty of juice to complete the final 42 miles. The whole trip was 140 miles and I finished with a consumption rate of 4.2 mi/kWh. I dropped the car off, was told it will be ready by next weekend and headed home. I know I've only had the car three days, but I've driven it nearly 400 miles already and have loved every mile. I'm really glad I decided to get the range extender, it makes the car immensely more versatile, especially for high mileage drivers like me. I know I only needed to use it for 9 miles out of this 140 mile journey, but just knowing it's there in case I do need it will allow me to take trips I normally wouldn't have with it.

Final stats of the trip

There is one more note to make about the trip. Knowing that I would be very close to a BMW dealership while we stayed at the hotel, I contacted BMW of Turnersville the day before to see if I could plug in to their EVSE overnight so I'd be fully charged the next morning. The receptionist answered the phone and I then said this to her: "Hello. I'm going to ask you a question that I bet nobody has ever asked you before, but I promise you that will will hear it a lot in the coming months and years".  She laughed a bit and I then told her I was driving my electric BMW i3 to the area from Northern NJ and I needed to charge it. I wanted to know if I could plug into the charger at their dealership. She replied that I was correct, and nobody had ever asked her that and that she'll have to ask someone about this. She put me on hold for awhile and then another person picked up from the service department. They had no idea what I was talking about. Even after explaining that I just bought a brand new BMW i3 and that it was electric, they had no clue about the car or if they had the means to charge it there. I assume if the dealership had a charging station the service department would likely know about it, so just as I was about to say thanks anyway and hang up the person said they would transfer me to a manager. So on hold again for awhile and then the phone rang and was picked up by a voice mail system that said they were not available and to leave a message. Since I already confirmed that I could plug in at the hotel, I just hung up at that point. This is really inexcusable as far as I'm concerned. I know the i3 is a new vehicle and perhaps this particular dealership didn't even get on in stock yet, but BMW has known for four years now that these cars would be in showrooms by mid 2014. How is it that the people at this dealership weren't prepared to even answer a simply question about charging? It was as if I was speaking a different language. There's a lot of work to do folks.

Volts For Oil: Gas Cars Burn Coal Too!

British actor and comedian Robert Llewellyn maintains a video blog called Fully Charged where he reviews electric cars and discusses all aspects of the plug-in vehicle industry. Llewellyn is an electric vehicle enthusiast and produces some really interesting and informative electric vehicle content in the series and I'm a big fan of his.

The latest topic he tackled is the "Long Tailpipe" argument which many people who do not support the switch to electric vehicles like to use in their argument against them. The Long Tailpipe argument basically states that electric vehicles are not zero emission at all, since the electricity that powers them comes from dirty sources like coal. Since EVs don't actually have tailpipe emissions, to be fair they say the real tail pipe stretches all the way to the power plant that generated its fuel, thus the long tailpipe.

There is no denying that the argument has truth to it. Much of the world's electricity is made by burning coal, and coal is dirty any way you slice it. Coal is in fact the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. When burned, it produces carbon dioxide and other emissions in flue gas. That contributes to global warming, creates acid rain, causes various respiratory illnesses and pollutes the water. However as Llewellyn shows, electric vehicles aren't the only vehicles that need electricity. Gas cars need it too, and a LOT of it in fact. Refining oil to make gasoline is an energy intensive process and the majority of energy used is - you guessed it: electricity.  

Llewellyn does a good job of explaining how much electricity is needed to refine gasoline, and that's just the refining process. He estimates that it takes 4.5kWk's of electricity to refine every gallon of gasoline. I've even seen that estimate quoted as high as 7kWh's per gallon from other sources. If you simply take the energy needed to refine the oil and put it into a battery instead of going through the whole process of refining, shipping, trucking and pumping (and the gas pumps need electric also) the stuff, you can power an EV to go 10 to 20 miles! Remember, that's just the energy used to refine the oil, nothing else. So if electric vehicle opponents want to bring up the long tailpipe argument, they then need to factor in the dirty coal emissions to every gallon of gas they burn.

However it's not as if every EV mile is powered by coal. In fact, here in the US coal fired power plants are closing all the time, and we now rely on coal for less than 40% of our electricity supply. Every year the grid gets cleaner as more renewables are introduced and outdated, polluting power plants are shuttered. This is happening as the supply chain of gasoline continues to get dirtier. How is that? That's because as we use up the current oil reserves, we are finding it harder and harder to find more. This is forcing us to use more energy to drill deeper, to go further offshore, and to even use unconventional sources like the Canadian tar sands. For example. producing one barrel of tar sands oil generates three to five times the global warming emissions that producing the same amount of conventional oil does and every day three million barrels of drinking water are used in its production. So you can see the supply chains for electricity and gasoline are moving in opposite directions. Electricity is getting cleaner, and gasoline is getting dirtier all the time.

My ActiveE and solar array. EV+PV is empowering and true zero emission driving

Plus, as the owner of an electric vehicle it is possible to make your own renewable energy to power your car. Three years ago I installed a solar array on my home and produce my own renewable energy for my EV. There is a great feeling of empowerment when you can make your own personal transportation fuel, and you know it is really zero emission driving. I've talked to many other EV owners who like me, installed a solar electric system shortly after discovering the world of electric drive. Solar powered electric vehicles are the future, we've just begun to scratch the surface of what is possible and I'm thrilled I've had the opportunity to live the future now. Anyway, back to Llewellyn's video. Take the four minutes to watch it. He does a fantastic job of explaining how gas cars are really coal powered cars too!

The i3 World Premier: What was Learned?

Photo by Hugo Becker of BMWBLOG

The much anticipated World Premier of the i3 has come and gone, so now it's time to look at what was learned. There was a lot of information released and I'll try to touch on as much as I can here, but I also recommend reading the full press release I posted on my post yesterday.

With the range extender - pretty tight!

I had a chance to talk at length with Oliver Walter, Head of Product Management for the i3. We discussed many things, but what stuck out in my mind the most was our discussion about the performance of the range extender. During the day it seemed to me that when reporters asked some of the speakers about the performance of the range extender, they never got a clear answer. So while I had Oliver all to myself I asked him directly if the i3's performance will be drastically reduced as many speculated. When I mentioned the term limp-mode, he looked at me like he was surprised I would even ask that and quickly said "No this is absolutely not a limp mode". He further went on to say the car will actually behave pretty

Without the range extender

normal and that the drive can continue to drive along - even at highway speeds, just as they were before. It will have slightly less power, but still be capable of driving normally in most conditions. Evidently BMW has designed it to come on while the car still has a reasonable amount of battery charge left, so there is enough of a buffer to allow the car to reach back and get the extra energy needed for bursts of speed and to climb long hills. So this also means the car will have a shorter all electric range with the range extender because you'll only have access to the first 80% or so of your battery power before the REx turns on. However I did find out that the driver can turn the REx off so it never comes on if they know they'll make their destination without needing the range extender. Therefore, you can have access to 100% of the fully charged battery as long as you can make it to the next plug without needing the REx to help out. I really like this feature and think users will also. However you cannot turn the REx on manually, before it turns on itself, like you can with a Chevy Volt's "Mountain Mode" This mode allows you to use the generator early in your travels so you save the battery charge for later when you may need the extra energy to drive up very steep hills or mountains. The i3 will have difficulty in these rare situations. If you drive it until the Rex comes on and you then need to drive up very steep inclines for a long time - like 10 miles or so, the REx may not be able to keep up with the energy output the electric motor needs after a while and will likely slow down at that point. This is a complex topic and I suspect the only way to really determine exactly what conditions will be too much for the REx will be once people start driving it. However in most normal driving circumstances, it appears the REx will be able to allow the driver to continue along without any issues for as long as they need to. The range extender option costs $3,850 and which brings the cost up to $45,200 without any other options.We also learned the US i3's will come standard with all LED exterior lighting but the European versions will have halogen lights standard and LED's optional.

There are three trim levels that can be ordered. They are named Mega World (the standard trim level) with Giga World and Tera World available as options and here is what each consists of: (US pricing for options has not been announced)

 Mega World ($41,350; $45,200 w/REx)

• BMW Navigation
• BMW ConnectedDrive with eCall
• BMW i Remote
• Alarm
• Bright, lightweight Sensatec and sustainable cloth made from recycled materials
• Leather trimmed steering wheel
• Grained dash trim

Giga World

• All Mega World features, plus:
• Interior wrapped in leather and wool cloth
• Universal garage door opener
• Comfort Access
• Sunroof
• Satellite radio
• Leather-trimmed steering with contrasting stitching

Tera World

• All Giga World features, plus:
• Luxurious full leather
• Olive leaf-tanned interior, with textile accents and contrasting stitching
• Anthracite floors mats.

An i3 in Solar Orange with the optional 20 inch "Double Spoke" wheels

The 19 inch "Turbine" wheels

However the BMW i3 online Visualizer offers four different interior design styles called Antelier, Lodge, Loft & Suite. I am not entirely clear yet how these fit into the different "World" trim levels, but I'll get that cleared up soon. If you want to go to the i3 Visualizer you can from this link. Each World trim level comes with a different 19" wheel and all are visual upgrades from the standard wheel in my opinion. However to me the best wheel is the optional 20" one that also has wider and lower profile tires then the 19" wheels. These will undoubtedly provide better performance but will likely shave a couple miles off the range of the car because of higher rolling resistance and greater weight.

Ionic Silver with the 20" wheels

My previous post over two weeks ago was 100% correct about the color options. The only thing I didn't have was the official color names. They are "Ionic Silver" which is silver blue, "Andesite Silver" which I called basic silver, "Arravani Gray" which I called dark gray, "Laurel Gray" which I called basic gray, "Capparis White" which I simply called white and I did have the Solar Metallic Orange correct. I expect the Solar Metallic Orange to be a very popular color choice as most people I ask seem to like that the best. It's really the only bold color that "pops". I haven't decided which color I'll choose and I'll wait till I see them all in person. That being said I think the only colors that are out of the running for me are the Capparis White and Andesite Silver, they just aren't for me.

BMW also released the performance figures. It's important to note that the i3 with the range extender will be slightly slower because it weighs 260 more pounds. Here are the performance figures for the i3 without the REx option:

0-35 mph     3.5 Sec.
0-60 mph     7.0 Sec.
50-75 mph   5.4 Sec.
Top Speed   93 mph (electronically governed)

Without the need for engine cooling, the i3's "double kidney" grill is solid to improve aerodynamics. The small grill under the license plate provides all the air flow needed for the thermal management system.

How Much Would You Pay For An i3?

There are a lot of questions still unanswered about BMW's first production electric car, the i3. Various sources have reported it will launch in September 2013 as an 2014 model, and BMW has gradually released technical information like the battery size(22kWh's) the motor specs (130kw, 184 lb-ft torque, 170 hp) and dimensions (151" long, 60" high, 101" wheelbase and 2,756lbs). However the only thing anyone from BMW has said regarding the price is that it will cost "less than a BMW 5-Series sedan", which starts at about $48,000US.

Which brings us to this poll today. How much would you be willing to pay for a BMW i3? Before you answer the poll, please read the specifications of the other available and soon to be available electric cars. This may give you a better understanding of where the i3 fits into the electric vehicle scene.

BMW i3 ???
Four passenger hatchback to be sold 3rd quarter 2013 as a 2014 model.
130 kW motor: Top speed 93mph: 0-60 in under 8 seconds
Rear wheel drive; 7.7kW level 2 charging standard, SAE DC quick charge optional
Active liquid thermal management battery system
22kWh battery, Carbon fiber passenger cell & aluminum frame (dedicated EV platform)
Range: EPA 92 miles per charge (estimated)

Nissan LEAF $35,200(SV) $37,250(SL)
Five passenger hatchback currently available
80 kW motor: Top speed: 90mph: 0-60 9.9 sec
Front wheel drive; 3.3kW level 2 standard, CHAdeMO quick charge optional(standard on SL)
Passive thermal management system
24kWh battery, conventional construction(dedicated EV platform)
Range: EPA rated 73 miles per charge

Coda Sedan $37,250
Five passenger sedan currently available
100 kW motor: Top speed 85mph: 0-60 9.5 sec
Front wheel drive; 6.6kW level 2 standard, no DC quick charge option available
Active liquid thermal management system
31kWh battery, conventional construction(dedicated EV platform)
Range: EPA rated 88 miles per charge


Ford Focus Electric $39,995
Five Passenger hatchback currently available
100 kW motor: Top speed 84mph: 0-60 9.5 sec
Front wheel drive; 6.6kW level 2 charging standard, no DC quick charge option available
Active liquid thermal management battery system
23kWh battery, conventional construction (converted ICE platform)
Range: EPA rated 76 miles per charge

Tesla Model S $57,400
Five Passenger hatchback(with 2 optional rear-facing child seats) available early 2013
Motor and performance figured not available, but expected to be good.
Rear wheel drive;10kw level 2 charging standard, no DC quick charge option for 40kW base Model S
Active liquid thermal management battery system
40kW battery, EV platform: "skateboard" battery design & extensive use of aluminum to reduce weight.
Range: 125-130mile EPA rating (estimated)

As you can see, the i3 motor's power, charging rate, top speed, 0-60 and range is better than all the currently available EV's but will in all likelihood be less than that of the Tesla Model S 40kW once Tesla releases that information. I believe this points to the fair market value of the i3 to be somewhere between the Model S and the other less expensive EV's. I have therefore listed the poll pricing options to be in between the Model S and the others.

Please vote fairly. Obviously, everybody would like the price to be as low as possible, but I'm asking for you to vote for what you would pay based on what you think is a fair price in the market for the i3. In my opinion, there is absolutely no way the car will list for under $40,000 but I put that in a a choice anyway. Of course all these vehicles qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit, so your final cost will be $7,500 less than the listed prices provided you qualify for the tax credit.

Will The BMW i3 Be The First Car To Drive Itself?

Ever since the i3 was first announced BMW has been promising the car will be a 'revolutionary' type of automobile. From the new Life Drive architecture to being the first series production car to employ such extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics, plus the fact that it will be the first battery electric vehicle BMW sells, it's been obvious the goal has been for the i3 to break new ground.


However little has been said about what might be one of the most unique features the car will have; it may very well be the first car ever sold that actually drives itself! The i3 is rumored to have the following:

Adaptive cruise control with stop and go: The car will maintain a consistent distance from the car in front of it, slowing up and accelerating as it does. It will even come to a stop and accelerate once again as the lead car does.

Passive Front Protection: The i3 will detect a possible collision whether it be another vehicle, object or pedestrian and alert the driver. If the driver doesn't react to avoid the collision the car can apply the brakes itself and stop to avoid the accident.

Traffic Jam Assistant: While driving 27 mph and slower, the i3 will basically drive itself by combining the adoptive cruise control and the ability to stay centered within the markings of the lane you are in. The driver will need to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel as a safety feature.

 Parking Assistant: The i3 will parallel park itself. This isn't as groundbreaking as Traffic Jam Assistant because it is offered by other automakers, but it's good to see it there also.

Whether or not the Traffic Jam Assistant makes it to the production i3 remains to be seen. I'm sure NHTSA is going to want to really take a look at this and BMW's lawyers may even have some kind of disclaimer for the customer to sign before the system is activated. I assume some people wouldn't want to use this out of fear of it malfunctioning. Personally I'd love to have it in my i3. I can see myself using it in stop and go traffic, and even on my trips into New York City. I'd like to think it will relieve some of the stress of city driving with congested streets and frequent slowing down and then speeding up. I'd like to hear what you think so please leave a comment. Are you ready for a self driving electric vehicle yet?

High Gear Media Releases i3 Spy Video

High Gear Media just posted a video of the i3 in cold weather testing in the Arctic Circle. Looks pretty much the same as the last few spy photos we've seen so I'm guessing BMW has probably finished testing the 'mules' that weren't the final version and we'll probably see this same look from now on. It's pretty close to the concept so I'm sure it's going to look good once the fake lights and camouflage is removed. Here's the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aApTbHi3Ss

A Look At The BMW i3 Instrumentation

The display featured on the concept i3. The production version is thought to be very similar to this.

The 2013 BMW i3 will be a revolutionary vehicle. It will be be the first mass produced car that has an aluminum frame and a body made just about entirely out of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. It will use a modern version of body-on-frame design with the aluminum drive module made completely separate from the passenger cell with the latter bolted and glued to the frame near the end of the production line. It will be the first all electric car that the BMW group offers for sale and it will be one of the most efficient vehicles ever offered for sale by any major automobile manufacturer.

It will also, have one of the most advanced and connected electronics and display systems. There hasn't been much written about the i3's electronics, but from the photo's that have been leaked so far, it is obvious BMW is working hard to make the driving experience custom tailored to then needs of an electric car driver. Built in navigation system that will list all charging station within your driving range and destination routing that even includes the part of your trip after you leave the car to use public transportation.

One thing that is interesting is there seems to be two numbers offered as the driving range based on your current state of charge, one that is based on normal driving and one based on the use of the Eco Pro mode which will reduce power to the motor and other energy using devices like cabin heating and cooling system. By doing so the car will use less energy and the range will be extended. The Eco Pro mode will undoubtedly give the car a less spirited driving experience, but when your cutting it close with your available range, believe me you will gladly trade off a bit of acceleration to make your destination. By displaying both estimated ranges, it will help the driver to decide which driving mode is best for that given destination.

Besides in car electronics, the i3 owner will have the ability to perform many functions in the car by the use of a smartphone. You'll be able to precondition the battery and cabin to the desired temperature. You'll be able to plug in a destination and the application will tell you if the car can make it there based on it's current state of charge or suggest charging stations to stop at along the route. It will also alert you once a pre-selected state of charge is attained. This can be very useful. Let's say you plugged in and then went off to run some errands while the car reached a certain state of charge necessary for you to make it home, the car will then send you a text message when that percentage is met, alerting you that it's safe to return to the car and begin your journey.

It going to be really interesting to see just what BMW is working on here, but judging from what is currently leaked, I'm thinking it will be pretty useful (and cool!).

BMW i3 & i8 Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk6_kCQtdNE&feature=youtu.be

Is This The Production BMW i3?

Autoblog scored some spy photo's of the BMW i3. The car is noticeably different from the original spy photo's that were taken last year of the car during cols weather testing. This looks VERY close to the concept i3 which is definitely good news.

At last weeks LA Auto Show, Richard Steinberg told George Parrot, reporting for Greencarreports that the concept i3 is “95 percent final” as compared to the production version. These photo's would seem to concur. The one obvious difference I can see is the doors. The concept had much larger doors that extended all the way into the wheel wells. The car in this photo clearly has smaller doors that do not extend to the wheel wells. Also, the rear "coach" doors do not have a handle so apparently they can only be opened once the front door is open, much like the MINI Clubman (and my Toyota Tacoma extended cab pick up).

Fake "Hybrid" badge on ActiveE

What Autoblog also reported was that they believe the car is fitted with the range extender (REx) option. I disagree. I think it's the pure BEV version. I see no sign of a tailpipe and the single reason they gave for this conclusion was that the car has badges that say "Hybrid Test Vehicle" That means nothing. When BMW was testing the ActiveE it had the same badges and that isn't a hybrid. I think BMW puts that on cars to confuse spy's and it worked!


Whether it is the BEV version or the REx version it really doesn't matter. What's important here is this proves the car will look very similar to the concept i3 and that's good news. The i3 that was photographed last year during testing look too boxy, this has much smoother lines. Can't wait to see it without all the camouflage! Here's some more pictures:

BMW i3 "Special Sneak Peek" in NYC

I was invited to attend what BMW called the "Special Sneak Peek Event" for the BMW i3 & i8 on November 9th in New York City. It was the first time BMW has shown these two cars in North America. Later this month they will make their formal NA debuts at the LA Auto Show and this event was set up so journalists can get some information, interviews and pictures in advance of the show. There was well less than 100 people in total in attendance, including the BMW representatives, so even though it was a small space we all had easy access to get up close with the cars. In addition to the i3 & i8, there was an ActiveE, although I think I was just about the only person interested in looking at it. Next to the bold concept i3 & i8, the ActiveE looked very pedestrian.

Richard Kim discusses the exterior design of the i3

 

After about an hour long photo session, there were presentations by Richard Kim, exterior designer of the i3 & i8, and Rich Steinberg, manager of electric vehicle operations and strategy for BMW. Kim talked about how the designs for both cars were conceived, and how he and his team really started with a clean slate when they began the process. They even worked out of a new office that wasn't even in the same building as the other BMW employees and kind of isolated themselves so their thoughts and ideas for these two ground-breaking vehicles could be pure. Steinberg then spoke about how the extensive use of CFRP & aluminum will make the i3 extremely lightweight and efficient and how the LifeDrive architecture that these cars employ is revolutionary and allows for more efficient cars and lower assembly cost.  LifeDrive is basically a return of the body-on-frame design that consists of two components: the Life Cell and the Drive Module. These two components combine to form the vehicle, with the life cell secured to the drive module with remarkably only four bolts and glue.

After the presentation, we had an opportunity to talk individually with both men and get some more photos. The whole event lasted for about three hours and since there wasn't a lot of people there everyone had the opportunity to talk with Kim & Steinberg if they wanted to. Being in the MINI-E program for the past two and a half years it was really rewarding to see the i3 for the first time in person. A lot of the feedback that I and the other MINI-E pioneers have given BMW has gone into shaping the car, both aesthetically and mechanically. BMW has been criticized by some for not selling an EV yet, only leasing the MINI-E and ActiveE to a relatively small group of people in special lease only programs. It's been called anything from greenwashing to a California CARB credit grab. I don't doubt the CARB credits were a part of why these programs exist, and BMW has never denied it. However anyone that thinks or writes that BMW isn't committed to e-mobility and sustainable automobile manufacturing is either blind or has some sort of an agenda against them. Being first to market isn't BMW's plan for electric vehicles, being the best when to arrive is. In 2013 the BMW i3 will be the first fully electric BMW ever sold, and from everything I've seen about this car so far, and I've seen much more than most, I think they are on target to achieve their goal. If they can manage to keep this car at a reasonably price ($40 to $45k), then I think they are going to sell very well.

I was asked by GreenCarReports & PlugInCars to cover this event. You can read my reviews at these links:

http://www.plugincars.com/bmw-holds-electric-car-sneak-preview-nyc-110091.html

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1068445_sneak-peek-bmw-i3-and-i8-u-s-debut-before-la-auto-show

A Peek Into The BMW i3 Information Center

In the 2013 BMW i3 you will always be connected to the outside world and the information superhighway. Three large displays will act as interfaces between the vehicle and the outside world. See how they interact in the above video.

To REx or Not To REx, That is The Question

The concept i3 sitting pretty in Chicago recently during a commercial shoot

In just about two years from now, you will be able to walk into any BMW showroom and drive away with an i3 electric car. It will be the first electric car BMW sells. Shortly thereafter, you will be able to buy that same i3, but with a gasoline engine range extender that BMW is calling REx, as an option. BMW hasn't commented on the cost of the REx option, but it's likely to be at least a few thousand dollars.

While I've really become a pure BEV guy, I have to admit I'm interested in the REx feature. Especially if the gasoline engine is very efficient. I would want the car to achieve at least 40mpg in REx mode, and preferably closer to 50 in order to seriously consider it.

There are also other factors that will influence my interest in the REx option. First, and most importantly, the range of the BEV i3 without REx. I'm beginning to get a little concerned about this because everything I have ever heard about the i3 pointed to at least a100 mile range. Now, at the official unveiling of the concept i3 the press is reporting a 80 to 100 mile range. Hmm. Red flag alert. I don't know why BMW would give the i3 a range less than 100 miles since they purposely made the MINI-E and the ActiveE have 100 mile ranges. Why go backwards now? BMW is a premium brand and the i3 will be a premium car with a premium price tag. In the EV world, there is nothing more premium than a greater range than your competition. I just hope BMW was just underselling the i3, basically doing the exact opposite that Nissan did by promising a 100 mile range for the LEAF and then delivering a 75 mile EV. If they state 80 to 100 miles and most people get 90+ miles during normal driving conditions then that's fine, but if you need to hypermile to get over 85 miles than I think they made a huge mistake. I'm probably just getting worked up about nothing. The folks over at BMW seem to really get it. I don't think they would make this big of a mistake. I've had many meetings and discussions with various members of the EV division and they all say 100 miles is the sweet spot, so we'll see..

Another factor in deciding if I want the REx option will be how much longer after the BEV i3 is introduced will the REx option be available. If we're talking a matter of months and the i3 really only has an 80 mile real world range, than I'd have to really consider waiting for it. However if at the i3 launch BMW still hasn't announced an availability date for the REx, then I doubt I'd even consider it.

Finally, the cost. I think I'd be willing to pay $2000 to $3,000 for the REx option, but definitely not more. Actually what I'd really wish BMW would offer is a larger battery pack option. How about 5 more kWh for the same $2000 to $3000? If that were available all this discussion would be moot. I'd buy the bigger battery in a heartbeat. Five more kWh would increase the cars range by 25 to 30 miles and for me, that would make it perfect. A 110 to 130 mile range BEV would cover virtually 100% of my daily driving needs and would end the discussion for a gasoline range extender. Anybody over at BMW listening???

BMW CEO: BMW i3 Will Cost Less Than a 5 Series

 

BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer recently stated that the 2013 BMW i3 would cost less than a BMW 5 series sedan. While that may not be earth shattering news, it does give us a pretty good idea where the i3 will be positioned price wise. List price for a new 528i is currently about $45,000 so my thoughts that the i3 would be somewhere between the $35,000 price that Car & Driver recently reported the i3 would cost and the rumors that it would be in the low to mid 40's seem to be right on target.

At this point I'm going to guess a starting list price of $42,500. If you qualify for the $7,500 federal tax incentive (and if it's still there in 2013!) then you could drive away in your new i3 for around $35,000 to $38,000 depending on how well appointed you want it. I think that a pretty fair price for a car that has the kind of cutting edge technology the i3 is going to have.

BMW i3 Spotted in Chicago Filming a Commercial

It's only a short clip, but it's nice to see the concept i3 rolling down a street in Chicago. Although the concept has features like glass doors and roof, you can really see from this what the car will look like. On stage at the unveiling is one thing, but watching it drive on the street in the video gives a better sense of it's dimensions and shape. I can't wait until we see it in production trim!

BMW i3 Concept Revealed!

So here it is. It's been over two years since we first started hearing about the mysterious BMW "Megacity Vehicle" since dubbed the 2013 BMW i3 and we're finally getting an official look at what BMW has been cooking up.

This is a concept, so the production version will be a bit different, but overall the shape will be pretty much what we see here. They will of course lose the glass side panels and roof, both to be replaced with carbon fiber panels as is the entire outer shell. If you compare it to the renderings in the post below this, you see it is kind of a hybrid of a few of them. There haven't been much details released yet, but some of them of note that I did read are the car will have tall 19" wheels, which are very large diameter for a car of this size. The stated purpose for these are that they lower the rolling resistance and improve efficiency. It will also go 0-60 in under 8 seconds. It will charge on a regular household 110v outlet in six hours. That basically means the battery pack is small as previously reported, probably 16 to 18 kWh. It will also have a range extender option that BMW calls i-REx. The range extender will be a small gasoline(not diesel) engine that will only charge the battery pack, it will not have the ability to drive the wheels directly like the Chevy Volt can under certain circumstances.

 I'm sure there will be lot's of info coming out in the next few days, I'll try to get it all up here as soon as it's available.