i3 Rex problems after 15days and 800miles

Hi everyone,

I've been absent from the BMW community for some time. In the past, I've had (2) e46M3s, (2) R53 Mini Cooper S, (1) R53 Cooper GP, (1) X3, (1) 335i, (1) 135i. Yes, I have a car problem. Point being, I'm a BMW fan as you can see.

I picked up a BMW i3 REX on July 1st. It's an electronaut edition. I was intrigued by the EV trend, and decided against Tesla in favor of my beloved BMW brand. I was super excited to pick up the car, and equally excited to put tons of miles on it gas-free. I was actually contemplating getting rid of my Panamera for the i3 and telling all my friends and family about it....After 15 days of ownership, I have to be honest and say I'm absolutely disappointed.

Let me start with the positives--
1) Interior dash/ controls. Simply beautiful. No EV on the market can compare. Not as nice as the Porsche dash/compartment, but really nice. Great job here

2) Styling. I like it. This is a subjective opinion. Sure, some think its butt-ugly, but I think its sharp

3) Weight. The car is really light. Makes the car handle and feel like a BMW.

4) Size. A bit smaller than I'd like, but love that its not the size of an aircraft carrier like a Tesla. Compared to my Panamera, so very refreshing to zip around in a smaller, more nimble car


The unfortunate negatives--
1) Skinny tires. Enough said.

2) CEL. Everyone knows this issue. I have it. The light has turned on and off then on, which scares me because it signals the car is not "stable". If there's a problem, just light it up and keep it lit! At least I know the car is consistently erroring

3) Windshield noise. This is a seriously let down. My old Merdedes G55 had better aerodynamics than the i3. Anything above 50mph, you hear the wind like crazy

4) Range. This is another let down. 80-100miles? Only if you drive with no fan, no AC, and under 55mph. I live in SoCal. Can't live without air, A/C, or drive 55mph. For those consider BEV vs REX, unless you can comfortably go the day with only 50miles, you better get the REX. The REX on the other hand is much more accurate. You don't lose 1-2miles every .5 travelled when using the gas generator. I feel it was deceptive to advertise these figures in an unrealistic setting... its like saying a V12 Ferrari gets 30MPG (all downhill).

5) Low-Cost charging function. This is my biggest gripe. Basically, this function does not work. I've been using the OEM factory provided 120V charger for the last 15 days and have never had this function work correctly. Doesnt work via the app, doesn't work via the vehicle settings menu. After sending pictures, videos, and emails to iConcierge, I finally got an answer to this problem today.... The answer is this function does not work with the factory supplied 120V charger.. uh, WTF? Why did you provide a charger with the car if the charger is not compatible with one of the most important functions of the car? Any EV owner knows, the key is to charge during the super-off peak time of 12am-6am (your local Electric company times may vary). So, let me repeat..... the charger from BMW, does not allow the Low-Cost timer to work. Really?


For me (speaking just for me), being a loyal BMW fan... I left the brand for about 6-7 years as I didn't like the recent M3 (e90?), M5 (e60?). I've been in Porsche Cayennes and Panameras for the past 6-7 yrs. Now, I understand one may argue that a Porsche and BMW are not in the same market segment. I was really excited to get back into a BMW with the interesting, cutting edge CF shell, EV, etc.... but if I'm honest, it's been a huge disappointment. Especially the way this charging fiasco has been handled. To hear that final answer/response from BMW... was a bit shocking. Every current i3 owner who uses the supplied 120V charger, has this problem. We are unable to use the charge timer. I expected a better answer... like "we will re-code the algorithm with there findings, thank you" or "we'll ship you a level2 charger, which solves the problem"...... but no.

So for me, its a disappointment that a $50K car has all of these issues. It's not like its a $15K Hyundai, because then, you got what you paid for... I expected more, and expected them to protect the brand better. Truthfully, I was so irritated that I wasn't getting an answer from BMW that I asked them to take the car back.... and now after getting this answer, it kind of makes me insist on giving the car back.

Anyway, I'm sure I will get flamed by all i3 fans here. I really wanted to get excited again about BMW, with this new platform and all. I'm just one guy, so I'm sure nobody cares.... but if you're an i3 owner, try plugging in the car tonight with you 120V charger and see if you experience the same error. If you do, ask yourself, is this what I paid for?

Since it could take up to 19-20 hours to recharge a fully depleted i3 from 120vac, it does not make much sense to try to do it in a small off-peak window, it typically, just won't happen, so why try? Most people want it fully ready and fully charged each day, and that just may not happen if you only relied on the included, emergency use unit. I do not think any of the EV's sold come with 240vac units as part of the base price...but, for many people, they are MUCH more convenient. Depending on where you live, you may be able to get Chargepoint to install one, and then pay them to recharge it, which may end up less expensive depending on what it may cost to install your own unit. You'd spend LOTS more for a TEsla, and still have to put in your own EVSE, and if you wanted to recharge that vehicle in a timely manner, may need to upgrade your whole power panel in the process to get an EVSE much larger than that required for the i3 to get a charge in similar timeframes.

As I said on the other forum - Don’t really understand why you should be so disappointed. You knew it had Skinny tires the CEL issue is well documented as a software error, not sure about the windshield noise but I never noticed it all the time I drove the car, and the range was known before! Ive no knowledge of the ‘low cost charge function, but it appears other have posted about this.

Just curious, are the skinny ties an issue or just esthetics? Also, could the windshield note be the wipers or from the side-windows? Still waiting on my Rex so no way of testing myself.

Hi popsmuf,

that charger issue is a weird one. I would say perhaps a lawsuit worthy one...
For the rest: one could argue that the i3 is not going to be everyones new best friend. Although I have to say that our i3 serves us admirably. And ours makes far less wind noise than the venerable G. Did you make a testdrive in another i3 before buying? If you didn't notice the windnoise then, it could be the rubber seals or fit of the side windows are not up to standard, there are known cases of this happening.

Hope you get things resolved and/or returned. Regards, Steven

I test drove three different i3s at two different dealers before putting down my deposit. The first of the three was as noisy as a soft-top Miata at speed. Above 70 the noise was really terrible. We checked that all windows were up. Below 45, there was very little noise. It was close to a deal killer. The other two were virtually free of all wind noise even up to 80. The last two were nearly as quiet as my Lexus ES hybrid, which is about a quiet as it gets. My guess is that one of the windows or doors or rear hatch in your i3 is improperly installed and this is a problem your dealer should be able to find and fix.

With regards to the low cost charging, the included EVSE is already near the low end (KW) of charging, so it would not make much sense to worry about when you are paying for such little power. We are talking about a power level comparable to a hair dryer (both in the 10-15 amp range of 120V, less than 2 KW). The savings missed should amount to less than a dime per hour of charging, depending on your time of day rate differential. This is a very interesting issue, really, but a completely non-important one (unless, of course, you are trying for the most-anal-of-the-year award ).

bxb40 said:

Just curious, are the skinny ties an issue or just esthetics? Also, could the windshield note be the wipers or from the side-windows? Still waiting on my Rex so no way of testing myself.

Click to expand...

The actual tire's contact patch is what determines how well it can hold the road...the taller tires used on the i3 have essentially the same contact patch as a more typical 16" diameter tire that is considerably wider. Being narrower has a significant impact on the drag verses a lower/wider one...IOW, they chose the size for a distinct reason. Now, whether you like the look or not, that is an entirely different issue - my thoughts, you can't see it from inside, and if you care about how your car looks, you wouldn't be buying an i3 anyways! I personally find it a non-issue, but that may or may not be true for others.

What may be the bigger issue long-term is whether you wanted to go with a different tire...right now, the only one that makes them is Bridgestone - you have a choice of an all-season, a summer tire, and, (I hope before winter) a winter tire (they're available in most other markets, and would be required in parts of Canada, so I expect them to show up in the USA market, too). Luckily, the price isn't horrible, and TireRack has them, so you're not limited to just the dealer even though Bridgestone does not show them on their USA website (at least the last time I looked). The tires, in the sizes used by the i3, were developed specifically for the i3, and thus, probably limit its market, at least initially until a bunch get sold and used to open up a viable replacement market for others to try to fill.

popsmuf is new to the EV lifestyle, and it may not be for him, or he may just need a little help from us in adjusting to it.

Suffering the routine of plugging in when we get home in exchange for not wasting time at a gas station is a lifestyle change we have all adopted. Takes a little while, but we adjust. Accepting that the compact, dealer provided, occasional-use EVSE is a nicety that we keep in our vehicles in order to gain a bit less than 5 miles of range per charging hour plugging in at a friend's house is another. Accepting that the EV lifestyle also entails the installation of a $600 EVSE that charges at five times the rate of the occasional-use EVSE is simply the next hurdle he must either accept or reject in deciding whether or not the EV lifestyle is his thing.

That said, if his daily driving needs are 29 miles or less, he can recharge this capacity in the 6 hours he has available at the lowest rate, and there is no good reason for BMW to restrict him from doing so. I'd like to know if this is a USA only thing, or if our friends in Europe also face this limitation with the included EVSE.

There is another thread about the delay charging issue
http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1170

i3 seems to have a complex logic, and not simply turn on and off at the specified time.

Since you are using 120v, can you use simple timer?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-15-Amp-Outdoor-Plug-In-Mechanical-Timer-with-2-Grounded-Outlets-49827/204209979

Faults should be fixed, but get a proper charger who uses the brick?

Keep in mind that the amount of power delivered is the product of the voltage available and the amps delivered. In the USA, the included EVSE is 120vac*12A. Assuming the actual amperage of the one included where the supply is 240vac*12A, it will provide TWICE the available power, and at 240VAC, the built in charger in the vehicle is more efficient.

The limit is not a BMW thing, it is the fact that the USA uses 120vac, and most circuits are 15A. Code says you need 125% of a constant load item, so 12A is the limit of what you can plug into one if you want things to last and meet code on a 15A circuit (it goes to 16A if it was a 20A receptacle and the device could supply that much). Most people would be very annoyed if the included occasional use EVSE came with a 20A plug that could provide more input power to the vehicle, as most homes do NOT run the minimum 12g wire and install 20A receptacles on them - FWIW, a 20A receptacle will take a standard 15A plug, but has one T-shaped slot to allow a 20A plug to fit in, should you have one.

So, to get the same capability as the rest of the world, we'd either have to change the entire electrical infrastructure (never going to happen), or install a 240vac EVSE, which is easier to get the maximum output to recharge the i3 at it's current maximum rate.

Personally, I've not tried to select off-peak charging on my i3, since it's not readily available to me here, so I cannot comment on how or if it works. But, the intent of the occasional use EVSE is just that, a backup to a more robust system for daily use. I tried mine to verify it worked, but quickly realized that I needed to either stop at a public charging point or buy my own to be a long-term viable option. Now, if the DC fast charging network got a local station, I might find that viable, and then top off with the occasional use device at home...I doubt that will happen in the near-term.

Would a level 2 charging station be an option for you? If cost was an issue, I might be able to get you into a CPUC trial, which would result in either a free or at least subsidized station. Would that be potentially a solution for the main issue you have experienced? Just out of curiosity, it sounds like you were on time-of-use (TOU) rate schedule with your utility?

MikeS said:

As I said on the other forum - Don’t really understand why you should be so disappointed. You knew it had Skinny tires the CEL issue is well documented as a software error, not sure about the windshield noise but I never noticed it all the time I drove the car, and the range was known before! Ive no knowledge of the ‘low cost charge function, but it appears other have posted about this.

Click to expand...

Yes, I knew about the skinny tires.... but didn't get to drive at highway speeds for a long duration during the test drive.... did you?
...

So I wanted to update the community from these last couple days. From BMW NA's perspective, nothing has changed. I'm told now that they will include "literature" to inform the buyers that the included charger will have this error.

My dealership has been very proactive and is stepping up to offer up a solution to the charging problem. Big kudos to them.

Spoke to the App manager and gave my last 2cents to the BMW iConcierge was to pass along my recommendation regarding this charging fiasco. I told him that BMWNA should include a Level2 charger with every car, and not a wall-mounted one. Be smart about it and attach a pigtail with the NEMA 15-40 plug so that we can use the existing RV and Tesla infrastructure. Every Tesla owner has a NEMA 15-40 plug in their garage, and a lot of public gathering places (malls, hotels, etc) are doing the same. If BMW gave us all this type of Level2 charger, we would all have a larger access to the 'young' EV infrastructure.

I hope the light bulb turns on at Corporate and they initiate a campaign to send out this type of complimentary charger to every existing i3 owner. I don't like to be that guy who complains all the time, but I felt this should have been better thought out. Hopefully my complaints will result in something positive for all i3 owners.

ultraturtle said:

... if his daily driving needs are 29 miles or less, he can recharge this capacity in the 6 hours he has available at the lowest rate...

Click to expand...

Forgot to point out that popsmuf can get almost three times that level of charge in the 6 hour window at the lowest rate and save some bucks were he to accept that the included Occasional Use Cable (OUC) is for occasional use and install a proper a proper 240 volt, 30+ amp EVSE like most EV owners. We install proper EVSEs for the same reason our ancestors started building garages instead of stables - horseless carriages started becoming more practical transportation than horse-drawn buggies. EVs are simply a more practical transportation solution than ICE vehicles when given the proper support equipment. Most of us happily take responsibility for our decision to make the transition and pony up the ~$700 DIY, or $1,000+ professional installation cost for a 7kW+ EVSE. Like a garage, or even a paved driveway, the EVSE does not benefit just this vehicle, but every future EV you purchase. Want to add a NEMA 15-40 pigtail and receptacle to the mix for flexibility? Great idea. Many have.

From the BMW USA website: "You can also use the Occasional Use Cable (OUC), provided with each BMW i vehicle, to top off your battery by plugging into any 120-volt dedicated (standard household) outlet. Using the OUC, the BMW i3 reaches a full charge in around 20 hours."

BMW never had any intention for the Occasional Use Cable to be a primary method to charge the car.

popsmuf said:

MikeS said:

As I said on the other forum - Don’t really understand why you should be so disappointed. You knew it had Skinny tires the CEL issue is well documented as a software error, not sure about the windshield noise but I never noticed it all the time I drove the car, and the range was known before! Ive no knowledge of the ‘low cost charge function, but it appears other have posted about this.

Click to expand...

Yes, I knew about the skinny tires.... but didn't get to drive at highway speeds for a long duration during the test drive.... did you?
...

Click to expand...

Of course I drove the car over its full range before I bought it.

MikeS said:

Of course I drove the car over its full range before I bought it.

Click to expand...

You are lucky, my dealership is refusing an extending test drive after multiple requests.

popsmuf said:

MikeS said:

As I said on the other forum - Don’t really understand why you should be so disappointed. You knew it had Skinny tires the CEL issue is well documented as a software error, not sure about the windshield noise but I never noticed it all the time I drove the car, and the range was known before! Ive no knowledge of the ‘low cost charge function, but it appears other have posted about this.

Click to expand...

Yes, I knew about the skinny tires.... but didn't get to drive at highway speeds for a long duration during the test drive.... did you?
...

Click to expand...

I still do not understand the issue with the skinny tires, popsmuf. Is it aesthetics or the highway driving is not up-to-par? How about purchasing two rear 175 size tires (~$160 each. keep the 155s as spares, just in case) and mounting them on the front? Might decrease the range a bit but improve whichever issue you have with the tires.

Contact patch is what determines the primary grip, and a large diameter tire that is narrow will have the same (or better) total contact patch as a smaller diameter, wider one. There is no big detriment to going larger in diameter if the vehicle is designed for it...narrower means less wind resistance, which, on an EV is a big deal. The higher profile also means that it can absorb bumps better. If you're buying an i3 for autocross, you're buying the wrong car!