My first 24 hours with a 2020 i3s REX

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Spamouflage

Active member
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Messages
26
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada
I thought I would capture my random thoughts with my new car. Most of you are likely experienced EV drivers and my musings will make you laugh I’m sure. So, here goes.

I am never not thinking about range. Even if I’m only driving a few kilometres to go to the store for bread. I often debate whether I should turn on the radio or not.

When I do play music from Apple CarPlay, I can’t figure out how to change tracks from the steering wheel. I use Siri, or the iDrive controls or I reach for the hard button on the instrument cluster. Weird.

There is no ambient lighting at all in this car. Nor do I have reading lights up front. The owner’s manual refers to both, but I guess it’s an option on the 2020 i3s (and I don’t have it). So dark in here.

The pedestrian awareness buzz coming out of the car was super cool at first. New soundscape for the future urban setting. Now, I wish it wasn’t a thing. The cabin would be so quiet without it.

I love the suicide door very much.

The trunk is big enough.

I must get the windows tinted,

I need to go on a road trip as soon as it’s safe to do so (no snow and less COVID-19 cases in Canada).

I’m glad I found this forum
 
I am on i3S #2 and the FIRST thing I did on both was 3M Ceramic window tinting on E V E R Y window including the sunroof! The i3 is a hot box without ceramic tinting. Also, the car will look even better and super cool when tinted. It makes a huge difference. MUST tint windows!!

My first i3S was Deka World and I had not idea about interior mood lighting, illuminated exterior door handles and lit vanity mirrors since Deka does not have it. My current 2020 i3S is Terra World and I have all the lighting goodies....and it is great; but of course no big deal.

I am on my 5th EV...and I ALWAYS, ALWAYS stress about range. It is sadly all consuming IMO. Several times I have seriously contemplated going back to an ICE so I can stop obsessing and stressing about electric range. Some get over it, but after 5 EVS, it still consumes my every minute of driving. Having REX does alleviate most of the run out of battery feeling, but I wish I could not watch my battery level and % all the time!! Constantly trying to switch between EcoPro and EcoPro+ to get the range back up, and not using A/C or heated seats to save battery. It's ridiculous and I feel foolish doing it.

BUT...the i3S is one of my most FAV cars ever and I look forward to driving it daily!!!! And yes, the Rolls-Royce ;) suicide door is super cool; albeit funky and weird. Always make sure you close the small REAR door BEFORE trying to close the big door :-O

CONGRATS!!!! Any more questions, please ask. After two i3S, I feel I know the car pretty well :)
 
Deutsch100 said:
I am on i3S #2 and the FIRST thing I did on both was 3M Ceramic window tinting on E V E R Y window including the sunroof! The i3 is a hot box without ceramic tinting. Also, the car will look even better and super cool when tinted. It makes a huge difference. MUST tint windows!!

My first i3S was Deka World and I had not idea about interior mood lighting, illuminated exterior door handles and lit vanity mirrors since Deka does not have it. My current 2020 i3S is Terra World and I have all the lighting goodies....and it is great; but of course no big deal.

I am on my 5th EV...and I ALWAYS, ALWAYS stress about range. It is sadly all consuming IMO. Several times I have seriously contemplated going back to an ICE so I can stop obsessing and stressing about electric range. Some get over it, but after 5 EVS, it still consumes my every minute of driving. Having REX does alleviate most of the run out of battery feeling, but I wish I could not watch my battery level and % all the time!! Constantly trying to switch between EcoPro and EcoPro+ to get the range back up, and not using A/C or heated seats to save battery. It's ridiculous and I feel foolish doing it.

BUT...the i3S is one of my most FAV cars ever and I look forward to driving it daily!!!! And yes, the Rolls-Royce ;) suicide door is super cool; albeit funky and weird. Always make sure you close the small REAR door BEFORE trying to close the big door :-O

CONGRATS!!!! Any more questions, please ask. After two i3S, I feel I know the car pretty well :)

Thanks so much for your write up. I have to admit just knowing that the forum exists is a huge relief. I'm not informed as much as I thought I was about the ins and outs of EV driving. Also, I live in a province that is hostile to EV drivers and cars (link to an article). My local BMW dealer has good intentions, but they had never sold a new i3. In fact, I think the reason I got such a good deal on the car (I really low-balled them and was surprised to get the price I wanted) is because they had to order an "I" model for their showroom in order to get more "SUVs" available to sell. Long story short, I feel alone. I also hope to be able to help others as soon as I get more experience under my belt.

Article about a new $150 EV car tax in Saskatchewan (so sad): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-government-to-roll-out-150-tax-for-passenger-electric-vehicles-1.5977554
 
Spamouflage said:
Deutsch100 said:
I am on i3S #2 and the FIRST thing I did on both was 3M Ceramic window tinting on E V E R Y window including the sunroof! The i3 is a hot box without ceramic tinting. Also, the car will look even better and super cool when tinted. It makes a huge difference. MUST tint windows!!

My first i3S was Deka World and I had not idea about interior mood lighting, illuminated exterior door handles and lit vanity mirrors since Deka does not have it. My current 2020 i3S is Terra World and I have all the lighting goodies....and it is great; but of course no big deal.

I am on my 5th EV...and I ALWAYS, ALWAYS stress about range. It is sadly all consuming IMO. Several times I have seriously contemplated going back to an ICE so I can stop obsessing and stressing about electric range. Some get over it, but after 5 EVS, it still consumes my every minute of driving. Having REX does alleviate most of the run out of battery feeling, but I wish I could not watch my battery level and % all the time!! Constantly trying to switch between EcoPro and EcoPro+ to get the range back up, and not using A/C or heated seats to save battery. It's ridiculous and I feel foolish doing it.

BUT...the i3S is one of my most FAV cars ever and I look forward to driving it daily!!!! And yes, the Rolls-Royce ;) suicide door is super cool; albeit funky and weird. Always make sure you close the small REAR door BEFORE trying to close the big door :-O

CONGRATS!!!! Any more questions, please ask. After two i3S, I feel I know the car pretty well :)

Thanks so much for your write up. I have to admit just knowing that the forum exists is a huge relief. I'm not informed as much as I thought I was about the ins and outs of EV driving. Also, I live in a province that is hostile to EV drivers and cars (link to an article). My local BMW dealer has good intentions, but they had never sold a new i3. In fact, I think the reason I got such a good deal on the car (I really low-balled them and was surprised to get the price I wanted) is because they had to order an "I" model for their showroom in order to get more "SUVs" available to sell. Long story short, I feel alone. I also hope to be able to help others as soon as I get more experience under my belt.

Article about a new $150 EV car tax in Saskatchewan (so sad): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-government-to-roll-out-150-tax-for-passenger-electric-vehicles-1.5977554

While I despise living in California, we have a great network for EVs and our dealerships are super prepared to handle service, parts, warranty and repairs. Once the ix models hit Canada and the US..your dealer and area will be better prepared. Thanks for the sad $150 article link, LOL!
 
Download the PlugShare app and find all of the places you can charge for free while dining, shopping, etc. Always tickles me and helps offset any range anxiety when I'm getting free electricity. Nobody ever comes out and pours free gasoline into the tank of my ICE car while I'm having lunch... :D
 
Fisher99 said:
Download the PlugShare app and find all of the places you can charge for free while dining, shopping, etc. Always tickles me and helps offset any range anxiety when I'm getting free electricity. Nobody ever comes out and pours free gasoline into the tank of my ICE car while I'm having lunch... :D

I know this likely was a no-brainer, but I had not done the filtering in PlugShare. And, there is a VW dealer between Regina and Calgary with free Level 3 chargers. I am planning a road trip to the Rockies and this is one stop I will be making for sure. What is the etiquette for a free charger? I mean - I want to be nice and recognize the VW dealer for the free power. Thanks all.
 
I am never not thinking about range. Even if I’m only driving a few kilometres to go to the store for bread. I often debate whether I should turn on the radio or not.


Give it time and the anxiety should decline!

I bought my i3 BEV in late 2014 – within months it was easy to tell how far I could really drive and what I'd need to do when the GOM (Guess-O-Meter) reads under 15 miles.

Having six+ years of driving an I3 BEV, I am so much more confident in the vehicle's range compared to the vague DTE (distance-to-empty) calculations of an ICE vehicle.

The things that will kill your EV range are: driving when ambient temperatures are below 60°F, long uphills, and heavy A/C or heater use.
 
Oh, two more thoughts to share...

The pedestrian awareness buzz coming out of the car was super cool at first. New soundscape for the future urban setting. Now, I wish it wasn’t a thing. The cabin would be so quiet without it.


Use Bimmercode.app to turn this off:
https://bimmercode.app


I must get the windows tinted


After tinting the driver's side window, I think the next most important one to tint is the windshield. The solar gain from the i3's huge windshield is significant.
 
I think the next most important one to tint is the windshield.

When I bought my i3, the first owner had it all tinted with high-end ceramic tint, including the windshield. I had to remove the windshield tint because it bothered my eyes. It's a plastic - plus a layer of adhesive, so not as clear/refractive as glass - and I could tell - was like looking through a slightly dusty/dirty windshield. Very slight distortion, and distant street signs I could read through my other car's windshield, were now too 'fuzzy' to read through the tint. With the side and back window tinted, and a window shade made for the i3, when parked, even in Texas triple-digit summers, the car doesn't get overly hot. Before you tint the windshield, at the tint place someone will have their car fully tinted. Ask to see the tint, park right beside that car, and go back and forth to judge the view clarity, and see if it bothers you.

W-Shade.jpg
 
Spamouflage said:
I thought I would capture my random thoughts with my new car. Most of you are likely experienced EV drivers and my musings will make you laugh I’m sure. So, here goes.

I am never not thinking about range. Even if I’m only driving a few kilometres to go to the store for bread. I often debate whether I should turn on the radio or not.

When I do play music from Apple CarPlay, I can’t figure out how to change tracks from the steering wheel. I use Siri, or the iDrive controls or I reach for the hard button on the instrument cluster. Weird.

There is no ambient lighting at all in this car. Nor do I have reading lights up front. The owner’s manual refers to both, but I guess it’s an option on the 2020 i3s (and I don’t have it). So dark in here.

The pedestrian awareness buzz coming out of the car was super cool at first. New soundscape for the future urban setting. Now, I wish it wasn’t a thing. The cabin would be so quiet without it.

I love the suicide door very much.

The trunk is big enough.

I must get the windows tinted,

I need to go on a road trip as soon as it’s safe to do so (no snow and less COVID-19 cases in Canada).

I’m glad I found this forum

The fact that you're obsessed about range tells me the issue lies within you and not the vehicle.

I forgot about range 2 weeks after so got my first EV 7 years ago.
 
Arm said:
Spamouflage said:
I thought I would capture my random thoughts with my new car. Most of you are likely experienced EV drivers and my musings will make you laugh I’m sure. So, here goes.

I am never not thinking about range. Even if I’m only driving a few kilometres to go to the store for bread. I often debate whether I should turn on the radio or not.

When I do play music from Apple CarPlay, I can’t figure out how to change tracks from the steering wheel. I use Siri, or the iDrive controls or I reach for the hard button on the instrument cluster. Weird.

There is no ambient lighting at all in this car. Nor do I have reading lights up front. The owner’s manual refers to both, but I guess it’s an option on the 2020 i3s (and I don’t have it). So dark in here.

The pedestrian awareness buzz coming out of the car was super cool at first. New soundscape for the future urban setting. Now, I wish it wasn’t a thing. The cabin would be so quiet without it.

I love the suicide door very much.

The trunk is big enough.

I must get the windows tinted,

I need to go on a road trip as soon as it’s safe to do so (no snow and less COVID-19 cases in Canada).

I’m glad I found this forum

The fact that you're obsessed about range tells me the issue lies within you and not the vehicle.

I forgot about range 2 weeks after so got my first EV 7 years ago.
You make a good point. It’s not like the range wasn’t a known fact so I shouldn’t be surprised or concerned. Oh well, I’ll get over it.
 
frictioncircle said:
Oh, two more thoughts to share...

The pedestrian awareness buzz coming out of the car was super cool at first. New soundscape for the future urban setting. Now, I wish it wasn’t a thing. The cabin would be so quiet without it.


Use Bimmercode.app to turn this off:
https://bimmercode.app


I must get the windows tinted


After tinting the driver's side window, I think the next most important one to tint is the windshield. The solar gain from the i3's huge windshield is significant.
I got the windows tinted and the car looks even better. My i3 is at the dealer right now as they can’t figure out why I’m unable to send remote commands to it. My other BMW is working fine, so I know it’s not my phone or the app.

I am surprised by how much attention this car gets. I had not thought of it before buying it. No flying under the radar with an i3 in Saskatchewan.
 
On this:

When I do play music from Apple CarPlay, I can’t figure out how to change tracks from the steering wheel. I use Siri, or the iDrive controls or I reach for the hard button on the instrument cluster. Weird.

I think the only way to control is from the round button in center console

On this:

There is no ambient lighting at all in this car. Nor do I have reading lights up front. The owner’s manual refers to both, but I guess it’s an option on the 2020 i3s (and I don’t have it). So dark in here.

There is a reading light front center on the roof, you have to press the light to turn it on/off

2018 i3s Rex here too

PS if you have that much range anxiety, long drives will be stressful for you. Just completed my first (@ 300 miles). Used the Rex a lot, in fact I don't think this car is viable for long trips without it. 2020 I think has more range (not 350 tho') than 2018, so that's a plus.

The cars is awesome thought, pros far outweigh cons, enjoy!
 
Welcome to the BMW i3 forum Spamouflage !!

The longer you own your i3 the more you are going to absolutely love it. It is so fun to drive and the styling on he inside of this car is super cool. BMW i3 is a very unique vehicle and those who have done the research understand the reason why they built them way they did and it was for maximum efficiency. There really are no other EV's that I think of that are like the i3 (materials, style, efficiency... ect). This car brings a smile to my face every time I get in and drive. It has a lot less maintenance to deal with and is one of my favorite cars that I own today. Enjoy !! :mrgreen:
 
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