Thinking of buying 2017 i3 Rex - commute 150 miles?

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LMJ125

Member
Joined
May 11, 2017
Messages
6
I am seriously thinking about moving from my diesel to an i3 Rex. I live in the South West and travel to Reading twice a week - this is a 150 mile commute. About 120 miles are dual carriage way and motorway (speed limit 70mph).

I have been assured that the car can do this trip without the need for a charge at work i.e. At 75 miles because I don't have work place charging. I could charge at a service station but I don't want the added hassle of this twice a week.

Is this commute possible in the winter (when temps could be 0 or less) with pre conditioning at home only? It's likely I will be driving 65-70 mph most of the way with radio on and some degree of heating.

I love the car but don't want to buy and then realise it does not work for my commute.

Thanks in advance for your replies / thoughts.
 
Motorway use really saps the range
If you could charge up at work using the 240v 3 pin charger it could work
Otherwise only good for about 50-70 miles on a charge
Always nice to have the back up of the REX
 
I guess it depends on the weather but most people would probably say that a 2017 model (with the larger battery) will go further than 50-70 miles on a charge.
 
One longer trip, as long as you limit your top speed, is more efficient than multiple shorter trips or stop and go. While you can recover some energy during regeneration, it will never exceed or equal what it takes to get back up to speed again. So, especially if you use the cruise control (adaptive one is best for this), you won't be creeping up and down in speed and optimize your range. The US, EPA test seems a bit more realistic on range expectation than the Euro one. Mild temperatures will optimize your range, too, which is probably more consistently in that range in England than many places in the US (HI and S. Cal are probably exceptions). Many other places will need heat and a/c to be comfortable more days out of the year. ANd, while the REx's a/c is essentially the same as on the BEV, it's lack of a heat pump, means that heating can be a fairly significant load when it's cold out. Luckily, England doesn't see the extreme temps as some places in the USA, at least very often.
 
I used my 2017 i3 REX to go from Reading to Devon and back 197 miles each way.
It was about 18C external on the way down daytime and 7C at night on the way back. I ran in EcoPro with the internal temperature set to 18C and adaptive cruise set to 70mph.
I did an Ecotricity fast charge at Sedgemoor down and back, plus an extra one at Exeter on the way down, as I wanted to try pure electric only.
It was about 107 miles to Sedgemoor on the way down and I had an estimated EV range remaining of about 20 miles.
On the way back I planned to use one fast charge and then REX, so I had about 14 miles remaining at Sedgemoor after 97 miles. The fast charge reached 84% and the REX kicked in just past Membury, so battery only I would have had to stop there, but I continued back to Reading with about 30 miles of REX use.
So I would say that you have about 100 miles range in cooler temperatures, as that was the estimate when it was 0C, although the top speed makes quite a difference. If you're happy to run at 65, when it's cooler, or wear a thicker coat for less cabin heat, then it will be more.
I was using preconditioning by setting the departure time more than three hours ahead when it was plugged in, so this helps.
So 150 miles should be fine with the REX, even when it's freezing.
 
Thanks for your response - my commute is Gloucestershire to Reading so nice to know I could do it in the Rex even in low temperatures.
 
FWIW, to maximize range, set your departure time to the ACTUAL planned time...the car will then start to precondition the batteries as much as 3.5-hours before on its own. If you set your departure time 3-hours early...things will have cooled back down again somewhat, and you will not be maximizing your range. And, if you set it to precondition the cabin, it will have stopped way before your actual departure time as it only runs for about 20-minutes just before your scheduled departure (and beyond your scheduled departure, if you're late in starting). The two biggest power eaters are high speeds, and lots of cabin heating. The headlights probably come in third as a load, especially if you are running the high beams which, as delivered, are not LED bulbs, but halogen. Most people can achieve at least 4-miles/KW, or 250W/mile. Your high beams are 100W, which would make your power consumption 350W, and then throw cabin heating and fan at probably more than 200, maybe lots more, and you get the idea.
 
Not sure where you got the three hours early from, as I was saying my departure time was more than three hours​ ahead of the current time ;)
I also have LED headlights not halogen, and it was all dipped running in my journey, but a valid point and perhaps a selling point for the LED ones, but mine were in the pack.
 
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