Charge won't reach 130 km range

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ryansaavedra

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2016
Messages
8
Hello,

Picked up my i3 over the weekend. It's really a nice car. Just need to figure out why the charge can't get me to 130km? Really need help. Charged it overnight and I had 100km and 114 with Eco Pro Pro +.

I would think that I should get at least 130km when I unplug it and then it starts reducing the range as it rolls out of the garage.

Live in Toronto, Canada. It was 2c last night and around 7c in the garage. I preconditioned the car as well.

Any help will help.
 
Take a look through the forum for charging and range change due to temperature. Your reported range is almost identitical to what I get with same temperature. I have not had my i3 long enough to see the range at 20 'C yet that I expect to be much better in warmer weather.
 
Cdni3 said:
Take a look through the forum for charging and range change due to temperature. Your reported range is almost identitical to what I get with same temperature. I have not had my i3 long enough to see the range at 20 'C yet that I expect to be much better in warmer weather.

Hello Cdni3 - mind sharing the link of the forum? :)
 
ryansaavedra, you'll learn that the Guess-o-Meter range prediction can be very inaccurate, especially in your case where it has very little driving history upon which to base its predictions. You could calculate a more accurate range estimate by dividing the battery pack capacity in kWh assuming 19 kWh for 100% state of charge by your typical efficiency in kWh/100 km. So if your typical efficiency is 14 kWh/100 km, your typical full range would be 19/14 x 100 = 136 km. As you drive more at different temperatures, you'll learn how changing conditions affect your efficiency, so you would be able to compensate.
 
ryansaavedra said:
Cdni3 said:
Take a look through the forum for charging and range change due to temperature. Your reported range is almost identitical to what I get with same temperature. I have not had my i3 long enough to see the range at 20 'C yet that I expect to be much better in warmer weather.

Hello Cdni3 - mind sharing the link of the forum? :)

Follow this link for good article: http://bmwi3.blogspot.ca/2015/10/i3-owners-be-prepared-for-reduced-range.html?m=1
 
Two things can radically affect your available maximum range with outside temperature being the biggest factor (the other being how you drive it, just like any car). What you can achieve in the summer will be considerably different than what you can achieve in the winter. The maximum range values typically advertised are for warmer temperatures. It does help if you can set a departure time with preconditioning, as starting with a warm car and battery pack will extend the maximum range available.
 
jadnashuanh said:
Two things can radically affect your available maximum range with outside temperature being the biggest factor (the other being how you drive it, just like any car). What you can achieve in the summer will be considerably different than what you can achieve in the winter. The maximum range values typically advertised are for warmer temperatures. It does help if you can set a departure time with preconditioning, as starting with a warm car and battery pack will extend the maximum range available.

So it's normal I'm only getting 100km range during winter?
 
ryansaavedra said:
jadnashuanh said:
Two things can radically affect your available maximum range with outside temperature being the biggest factor (the other being how you drive it, just like any car). What you can achieve in the summer will be considerably different than what you can achieve in the winter. The maximum range values typically advertised are for warmer temperatures. It does help if you can set a departure time with preconditioning, as starting with a warm car and battery pack will extend the maximum range available.

So it's normal I'm only getting 100km range during winter?
It may be, depending on how you drive. Worst situation...lots of short trips so the car can cool off in between, and you run the interior temp nice and warm. Best case, you set a departure time while preconditioning the cabin, and drive one, longer trip. Higher speeds affect range, stop and go, some, but not as much as you might think IF you anticipate when you need to stop and don't use the brakes much, if at all. Then, you can get close to summer ranges, but will unlikely to reach them. Best maximum range regimen, precondition with departure time, use one of the Eco modes and keep the cabin temp lower while using the seat heaters. If you really need the summer range, you probably bought the wrong car. That's a fact with ALL pure EV's...they take a hit in cold weather - much more so than ICE vehicles. On an ICE, cabin heating is a waste product...on an EV, it is battery range. The BEV is better than the REx, since it has a heat pump in NA as standard, and that's much more efficient than the resistance only heating on the REx.
 
ryansaavedra said:
jadnashuanh said:
Two things can radically affect your available maximum range with outside temperature being the biggest factor (the other being how you drive it, just like any car). What you can achieve in the summer will be considerably different than what you can achieve in the winter. The maximum range values typically advertised are for warmer temperatures. It does help if you can set a departure time with preconditioning, as starting with a warm car and battery pack will extend the maximum range available.

So it's normal I'm only getting 100km range during winter?

Ryan, did you download the Plugshare app or look at Chargepoint.com? If you really are having range issues, there may be places near your work, at your work, or at shopping plazas on your way in the area that you can plug into if you're having a problem. I just mapped Toronto and it looks like there are quite a few places but it would depend on where your commute takes you.
 
cmj912 said:
ryansaavedra said:
jadnashuanh said:
Two things can radically affect your available maximum range with outside temperature being the biggest factor (the other being how you drive it, just like any car). What you can achieve in the summer will be considerably different than what you can achieve in the winter. The maximum range values typically advertised are for warmer temperatures. It does help if you can set a departure time with preconditioning, as starting with a warm car and battery pack will extend the maximum range available.

So it's normal I'm only getting 100km range during winter?

Ryan, did you download the Plugshare app or look at Chargepoint.com? If you really are having range issues, there may be places near your work, at your work, or at shopping plazas on your way in the area that you can plug into if you're having a problem. I just mapped Toronto and it looks like there are quite a few places but it would depend on where your commute takes you.

Yes I have! :) Thanks!
 
I live in a similar climate and my estimated range is around 65 miles when I precondition the batteries. Below is an example of ranges with different factors, taken from the i3 blogspot.


Real%2BWorld%2BRange%2B-%2Bi3%2B-%2B1%2Bof%2B2.jpg
 
TLDR

Try letting the car drop down to 10% or less, then charging back up. I do this at least once per month, sometimes twice. Some owners have reported more accurate GOM numbers with this practice. Also make sure the car is running the latest software update (November, 2015); if it isn't, take it to the dealer and tell them your EVSE is cycling on and off during preconditioning. They should then update the software for free.
 
imolazhp said:
TLDR

Try letting the car drop down to 10% or less, then charging back up. I do this at least once per month, sometimes twice. Some owners have reported more accurate GOM numbers with this practice. Also make sure the car is running the latest software update (November, 2015); if it isn't, take it to the dealer and tell them your EVSE is cycling on and off during preconditioning. They should then update the software for free.

Ok. let me check on the software then. Thanks for the EVSE tip too. I'll see how it pans out after this cold spell.
 
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