DVDInMotion Enable Hold State of Charge - any issues?

[Sparky17]

I just got my i3 with Rex a few days ago. I'm getting to know it. Today I ran the battery down to the point where the Rex came on, in order to see what it will do. It will hold SOC at 55 mph with the heat and wipers on. To me that means that with the ability to hold the SOC at 75%, I could take some shorter trips with this car (400 - 500 miles to visit family). Granted, not as convenient as an ICE, but doable. In our situation that could matter.

It also means that I could easily run the Rex periodically to keep the gas fresh.

Has anyone who has installed the DVDInMotion patch had any problems or issues with it?

Thanks!

 

[WoodlandHills]

No issues, works as described. Reinstalled after software update w/o problems.

 

[jadnashuanh]

If you're used to a smaller car with a shorter wheelbase, the i3 with REx can be used on longer trips, but personally, I do not think it would be my car of choice for them. It was designed for shorter trips, and as such, made some compromises. I find it great for its intended purpose, and have no regrets about buying it, but then, I'm never in it more than an hour or so at a time. I think stopping once an hour to find a fuel station would also be a pain, especially in some parts of the country at some times of the day. But, it can work.

 

[Sparky17]

If you're used to a smaller car with a shorter wheelbase, the i3 with REx can be used on longer trips, but personally, I do not think it would be my car of choice for them. It was designed for shorter trips, and as such, made some compromises. I find it great for its intended purpose, and have no regrets about buying it, but then, I'm never in it more than an hour or so at a time. I think stopping once an hour to find a fuel station would also be a pain, especially in some parts of the country at some times of the day. But, it can work.

Jim,

For the last year and a half I have been driving an electric Smart Car. My motorcycle has a longer wheelbase. I rode a motorcycle from New Hampshire to California. I might do it again. It was fun. So, yes, I am used to small cars with short wheelbases. And big cars. And trucks. And school buses. And firetrucks for that matter.

Do you have the Rex? If so, have you tried the patch I asked about? I'm asking for input from people who have had experience with this product.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I have a BEV. Every post I've read says that it works as advertised. Now, whether you need it is a personal decision. The changes done to enable it is typically reset to factory spec after a firmware update to the car, but people who have had that happen were able to reload it without problems. Whether that will always be true, hard to say. BMW has promised some logic changes in an upcoming software update for the REx, and those may not work with the update, but that is all speculation - only time will tell.

 

[mjk]

Yes, I have it. And it works as advertised. I use it whenever I want to get out of the area for the day.

Is it necessary? I don't really know. But all the negative talk of the potential loss of power on up grades with low SOC gave me so much anxiety that I decided I needed the patch. I'm getting rid of my Leaf because of the ever-present range anxiety and the whole purpose I bought the REx was to avoid that. So, for me, the patch is the solution.

If you check the Facebook page you'll find some reports of lengthy trips. In fact, I'm thinking of making one myself sometime soon.

 

[bdman]

Very interesting
http://jalopnik.com/carmakers-want-to-make-working-on-your-car-illegal-beca-1699132210/

 

[mjk]

Interesting about the industry trying to use DCMA to their advantage.

If they succeed, my prediction would be that buyers will become far more skeptical, do significantly more research before making buy decisions, and possibly become cool to new concepts and features fearing that manufacturers are hiding information that could become unsolvable issues for them after purchase.

BMW's disabling of HSOC is a good example of this.