ElVerde wrote:Thank you for the quick reply!
So...no long term issues or extra battery degradation from plugging it into the wall?
It's possible, but unproven, that the EVSE that comes with the car in the USA (level 1, 120vac device) maybe easier on the batteries. But, nobody has reported problems with theirs using higher capacity units, and some have quite high mileages on them. IOW, not a big deal.
Consider, though, that if you did discharge the battery fully, and wanted to use your device that comes with the car, it could take more than a day to refill it. Also, if it gets cold, and you want to maximize your range (shouldn't be an issue with your stated commute), the level 1 device, even when you started with a full battery, if you tell it to set a departure time and precondition the cabin, could lose some charge...the thing isn't big enough to cover prewarming the batteries and preconditioning the cabin. I've seen mine pull 20A during this process, which is nearly twice what the level 1 device can provide. But, at your daily average use, it would easily recharge overnight with lots of time to spare.
FWIW, you'll use a slight bit more electricity to recharge the car using a 120vac device...the car needs to make about 380vdc to charge its batteries...starting with a lower voltage input is less efficient by maybe 5-10% than starting with 240vac. There are a bunch of level 2 EVSEs out there that can be purchased with a plug on them, but you'd still need to wire up a socket. If you did sell the house, having that socket might actually be a selling point as EVs become more and more prevalent. Depending on how far the wiring had to be run, it may not be a very big investment, and portable EVSEs come in all sorts of flavors and sizes, some of them are 120/240 capable. A 240vac device pulling the same amps is twice as fast as one on 120 (P=V*A power=volts*amps).
While maintenance is covered by the warranty in the beginning, consider that having the REx includes all of the issues with any ICE:
- muffler
- gas tank
- spark plugs
- oil changes
- filter changes (all have a cabin filter, but the engine needs air and oil filters, too)
- heavier and therefore slightly less efficient because of the extra weight
- more complex
Since the REx may not come on that often or run all that long depending on needs, the muffler might not last as long as on an ICE where things always got warm enough to purge it of moisture and condensation...just a general concern, not evidenced (yet) on the i3 REx.