Review: 2015 BMW i3 i3 REx aka Range Extender (with video) - Some call it a hybrid, some call an EV. Some called a REx, a BEVx, a landm...
Some call it a hybrid, some call an EV. Some called a REx, a BEVx, a landmark vehicle in EV production and others simply call it ugly. One thing is certain though, the 2015 BMW i3 turns more heads in Northern California a Tesla Model S. Not since I last drove the Jaguar XKR-S have I received so many questions while parked in the gas pump, or visited a gas pompai so often, but I digress. In a word, the i3 is technically a hybrid or EV depending on the version you get.
BEVx
i3 "hybrid" is not the kind of hybrid you 'are used to, this is a brand new car classification defined by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as an "electric vehicle battery with extender 'autonomy' or BEVx. BEVx is the key to understanding why the i3 operates the way it does and why the Euro version works differently.
California has decided (for better or worse) that some 22% of cars sold in the state must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) in 2025. Although it sounds simple, nothing concocted by the government and lobbyists can never be easy. Instead of an actual percentage of cars sold, CARB has created a credit system where an alphabet soup of classifications (PZEV AT-PZEV TZEV, etc.) for partial credits and real ZEV can get more credits. In this complicated world came the unicorn that is BEVx. Despite a combustion gasoline engine, BEVxs get the same credits as the vehicle with the same range and no dinosaur-burner . The distinction is important and critical. If BEVx requirements are met, the i3 gets the same 2.5 credits that the i3 EV, otherwise it would get a fractional credit like a regular Prius. The requirements are: the range of fossil fuels must be less than or equal to the range EV, EV range, but be at least 80 miles, the battery must exhaust at a low level before the generator is activated and can not be loaded above this level. In addition, the fossil fuel generator or APU should meet the CA SULEV emissions standards and guarantee long battery life. There is an important decision: carpool stickers. While BMW gets to have the i3 REx treated as an EV for the credits, owners rex i3 are treated as hybrid owners for the carpool sticker program. The EV model receives the coveted (and unlimited) white ad paths stickers, while the REx gets the same green stickers limited quantities as the Chevy Volt. If CA follows course, the green sticker program will eventually sunset, as the yellow sticker program is hybrid in 2011.
Construction
the i3 is more than just ZEV credits, it is to bring new materials and processes in production for the real drivers experience with some great modern style thrown in for good measure. In some ways, the i3 is a return to the construction of the body-on-frame, you see it's not a car in fiber 100% carbon as some have said wrong.
The i3 is composed of two distinct parts. On the bottom is the drive module is an aluminum frame that holds the structures powertrain, suspension, battery and the accident. Connected to the drive module is the "life module" that is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic or CFRP. Obviously a bit heavier than a car fully CFRP, the structure of the accident of aluminum is easier to repair in the event of a minor collision. The result is an EV that tips the scales about a cupcake shy of a Mazda MX-5 with an automatic transmission (2,634 pounds). Adding the extension of the range just adds 330 more. That is about 370lbs lighter than the already impressive 3000 pounds (about) new empty weight eGolf VW.
Exterior
At the front i3 gets familiar BMW roundel and a blue interpretation of the signature grille kidney. What is different about the i3 is that the kidney is not used for cooling even in the range of up version. The biggest BMW standards departures however headlights that do not have rings "angel eye" BMW is known for and the high beams are placed lower in the dashboard. (No, it's not fog light.) Whatever the trim or paint color you choose, the hood, lower valance, side trim and tailgate will always be black.
The side view generated the most lead laps because of the hilly green and "pinched" look to the rear windows. I can not find the look attractive, but it reduces rear visibility in what is apparently a car handy city. At the rear of the hatch is made of two sheets of glass, one for the rear windscreen and other forms of "body" of the trap and effectively covers the rear light modules by creating a very elegant look. Turn the steering wheel and passersby immediately forget the greenhouse pinched and focus on tires. Yes, they are as lean as they look, but the proportion is the real key to the aspect of "bicycle wheel" as a passenger called. Our tester was shod with 155 / 70R19 tires in front and 175 / 70R19 at the rear. For reference, a Toyota Sienna uses a T155 tire as a spare. Critical thinking, there were many cars with that narrow tires, but I can not think of one where the combined width with an almost flat wheel that was 19 or 20 inches in diameter.
inside
Freed from the front engine layout, the usual rear propulsion of all other BMW, the Germans decided to reinvent the cabin. Because the drive module in the cabin houses the majority of the structure of the accident, the CFRP body was built without a structural pillar between the front and rear seats. The design of the door of suicide means that getting in and out of the back seat is surprisingly easy, as long as you have not parked too close to another vehicle. Without the transmission tunnel of the HVAC system has been pushed as far as possible by allowing the driver and passenger's feet before melting. (There are only two carpets, one in front and one in back.)
The doors are not the only unusual thing within the i3, the design is decidedly Euro-funky. Of the steering column-mounted shifter "floating" display area and the iDrive glove on the "top" of the dashboard rather than the front, i3 designers went out of their way to think out of the box . The concept car theme is not limited to shapes, materials are also a bit unusual. Upholstery in our model was a wool / recycled plastic blend fabric and table edge panels and door are made from a bioplastic reinforced kneaf fiber (a type of jute.) Seat Comfort before proved excellent despite the lack of adjustable lumbar support. The back of the i3 was surprisingly accommodating, able to handle large people six feet without problems. Because the dashboard is so shallow, rear seat child's face can be positioned behind that person six feet without problems. As with other small electric vehicles on the market, the i3 is a strict four seater. My only disappointment was in the LCD dashboard small (below) is notably smaller than own LCD infotainment / navigation of the i3.
Under the hood of the i3, you will find a small storage area (also called a "Frunk") which houses the tire inflator and cable 0V EVSE. The Frunk the i3 is not waterproof as you find in the Tesla Model S, so do not put your indoor tax papers on your way to the IRS audit in the rain. cargo capacity behind the rear seats reaches 11.8 cubes, about the same as your door subcompact average. Get free i3 Range Extender will not increase your load capacity than the area where the extender is still off limits to your luggage.
Training
Being a rear wheel drive electric car, the engine of the i3 is located under the cargo floor in back. With 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque on tap, the i3 is one of the most powerful electric vehicles on the market. The curb weight of light and gear in the single speed transmission allow a second sprint of 6.5 to 60 in the EV and 7.0 in REx. Power all the fun is a 22kWh (18.8 kWh usable) battery in the "drive module" coupled with a 7.4kW charger capable of charging the car completely in just over 2.5 hours AC. If you need more faster electrons, you can opt for the new DC Fast charging SAE connector can get you from zero to 80% in less than 30 minutes. 18.8kWh sounds much smaller than the 37kWh battery Tesla in the Mercedes B class, but the i3 is much more effective to their range of numbers only 5 miles away to 80-100 miles for EV and 70-0 the REx.
Next the engine is optional range extender. It is a 2-cylinder engine power 0,65L 34 peak derived from one of the engines of BMW motorcycles. Permanently to a generator can power the motor or charge the battery until it reaches about 6%. The 1.9 US gallon gas tank is capable of feeding the little engine for a 70-80 extra miles depending on your driving style. There is no mechanical connection at all between the engine and the wheels. Think of the battery as a ballast tank, you can pull 170 HP whenever you want, but the offer to complete the ballast flow to a maximum of 34. This means it is quite possible battery drain HP and just 34 left to motivate your car.
looks like the Volt you say? Yes and no. The Volt is a plug-in hybrid with some software modifications and i3 is a range extender EV. I know this sounds like a haircut, but part of it comes down to how GM decided to market the Volt when it launched. The transaxle of the Volt and the system / generator 2 engine is actually much closer to the hybrid design Ford / Toyota than anything else on the market. Because of this design, it can run as an EV, a series hybrid like or as a parallel hybrid. Interestingly though, the maximum performance occurs in gas combustion mode, like the plug-in Prius and plug-in Ford Energi products. With i3 However, the performance is still the same (unless the battery is completely dead.) Also in the Volt you can choose to "reserve" the capacity of your EV for later, which is banned in i3 models linked to the United States (see Europe) to obtain this coveted BEVx classification.
technically speaking, it is possible for any hybrid (i3 included) to enter a mode "limp" when the battery is exhausted and all you have left the gasoline engine. The difference is that you have left when this happens. The i3 has much less punch in this situation that even 80 Volt HP, 98 HP or 141 HP Prius in the Fusion / C-Max Energi.
Player
direction of the i3 is accurate and fast with just 2.5 turns lock to lock and radius robbery is 10% smaller than a mini Cooper at 32 feet. Due to the combination of a quick steering ratio, narrow tires, electric power steering assist and incredibly light curb weight, the i3 may feel twitchy on the road, responding immediately to the entrance of any direction. This sentiment combined with low rolling resistance tires (that squealing long before they give up grip) make the i3 feel less capable than it actually is. Once you get used to the feeling, however, it proves to be the better treatment of non-EV Tesla currently. Is it a low bar? Perhaps, but the i3 jumps over.
"a concept pedal" BMW is the fly in the ointment is the theory. If you drive like a responsible citizen, just use the accelerator pedal Press the pedal and the car. will. Lift and car brakes. Lift completely and i3 engages regenerative braking (brake lights on) up and takes you to a complete stop. as long as the road is quite level, the i3 will remain stopped until pressing the go-pedal once again. on paper, this seems novel, in practice, it annoyed me and made my leg pain. the reason is that for the coast or you shift to neutral or place your foot in the right position. If the i3 may adjust the regen "walk-off", I'd be happy. Driving the i3 back to back with a new eGolf VW has not made better because the pedal VW offers adjust the zero regen maximum four steps easily and intuitively.
wider rear tires of the i3 EV means that despite being RWD and almost perfectly balanced you get predictable understeer as the road begins to curve. You can induce some oversteer if you are aggressive on the throttle, but control of the BMW nanny stability can not be disabled and the intervention is early and aggressive. Mix in 300+ books of the extension range and understeer is more frequent companion. You can still get the REx a little tail happy if you try though. The i3 will never be a sinister car tail happy track as a M235i, but the fact that everything is possible in an oversteer EV is a rare feat as almost everything else on the market is pulling back heavy before. Simply put the BMW i3 is the best training and the best EV handling this side of the Model S.
Let's talk extender again. After hearing complaints about the "soft" mode i3 when you end up with only 34 ponies, I tried to get there to see what it was. I jumped in the car with the battery at 6% and started working. Climbing 700ft to 2,0ft worked fine at 45-50 mph on a winding mountain road, descending to 20 sea level to 60 MPH was uneventful as well. I jumped on CA-85 and set the cruise control to 65 since the rumor mill said that the top speed would max at 65ish with the dead battery. 15 miles later, my battery was still alive, so I kicked up a notch to 75 and switched to Interstate 280, where the hills are taxing the battery further. 20 miles later, the range extender was humming like a dirt bike in my blind spot but I was not slowing down. I decided drastic measures were necessary. I launched the i3 a notch [intentionally left blank] MPH and saw that the battery gauge ran to zero. Finally. Except it was not exciting. He did not feel like I hit the brakes, just like someone had backed the throttle. It took me about 1.5 miles down to [intentionally left blank] MPH 55 MPH which was more than enough time for me to put my tail between my legs and move four lanes to the right .
Hitting the "barrier 34 HP" as I started calling proved a little easier to bring to legal speeds when hill climbing, and the effects were somewhat more drastic. on a winding road where you drive a car involves hard heavy braking before corners and outputs full throttle, the i3 ran out of steam after 4 miles. the i3 then spent 8 miles to come with the go-pedal on the floor at speeds ranging from 37 to 50 MPH.
When running on the range extender, I average 60-65 miles before I filled the small tank that came out to somewhere around 38 MPG. the number surprised some, but personally, it sounds about right because energy losses in a series hybrid can be high (up to 20% if you believe that Toyota and Honda). what surprises me is how habitable the point i3 REx was. Despite constantly BMW said the REx was not designed to be driven as a hybrid, more than 300 miles to load only I never had a problem driving the car as I drive a Prius, as stopping more often for fuel. Way more often. The i3 REx can drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles stop every 60 miles for gas, I'm not sure I'd do that, but it is good to know that I could.
from $ 42,400 in the form of EV and $ 46,250 for the REx model, the i3 has the same kind of sticker shock that all electric vehicles. However, if you qualify for the maximum incentives i3 REx boils down to a more reasonable $ 36.250 which is a little less than a 328i 2015. i3 slots between the populace and the Tesla and more or less the same as the Mercedes class B, the only real i3 competition. In this narrow category of the i3 is an easy victory. It is slightly more fun to drive than the B-Class, a bit faster, much more efficient, has the ability to DC fast charging and range extension will allow the operation of gasoline if necessary. The i3 is funky and complicated and the BMW 320i is probably a better car, no matter how you slice it, but none of this changes the fact that the i3 is probably one of the most important cars of our time. Not because the i3 is a carbon fiber drive product volume, but because we are likely to see is more "BEVx" category "range" vehicles in our future (for more unicorn credits) and it is now the reference.
BMW has provided the vehicle, insurance and 1.9 liters of fuel for this review.
Specifications as tested
0-30: 3.0 seconds
0- 60: 7.0 seconds
1/4 Mile: 15.5 seconds @ 86 mph
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