I need to drive over 150 miles one way routinely - Ideas?

Greetings -

Since leasing my i3 Rex my needs have changed and I now routinely have to drive over 150 miles one way. I've been renting cars to make this ride, especially since I often have to return the same day. This is getting very frustrating, and I've thought about turning the car in early, but the cost is very high.

I spoke with the dealer and asked if I could just keep filling the gas tank and continue driving. I asked the same question of the concierge service. I get different answers - one says "No Problem", the other says "No way". Clearly the known issue of a small battery reserve before the ReX kicks in is the contention point. The "No Way" answer says that the need to get where you want to go and return in a short time can create a problem in that the ReX will not only fail to keep the car running at highway speeds. The rep also notes that if the i3 reverts to the "limp" mode that limits speed, climate control and other things, and I still need more power there is a danger that the battery safety systems will slow the car further, or in an extreme case cause it to shut down. This was news to me and I didn't want to risk it.

I've contacted DVD in Motion and Code My Car to invoke a higher turn on point for the ReX, but given the conflicting information I've received I don't know if this is the best solution, and if it is, at what level of charge should I turn on the ReX?

Sadly, if I can't resolve this I'll have no choice but to terminate my lease at a pretty large cost.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Sounds doable but suboptimal. Try it out; set out one day with some spare gas and time on your hands, and see how it goes, you might be pleasantly surprised.
It depends on how fast you have to cruise, or rather how slow you can safely go, and whether there are any extended uphills, but the Rex should be able to hold a steady safe speed on the flat - call it a trot rather than a limp. Also consider that if you are to be running up the miles and going over your lease limit you could end up paying the premium.

If you code the car then you can turn on the ReX at any time below 75%.

Drive the first 25% charge on battery then turn on ReX and run it dry. The car will draw whatever power it needs from the battery so if it demands more than the ReX provides it's no problem because it's there in the battery.

Once you've run out of fuel you have about 60 miles or so to find another fuel station.

With sensible speeds and depending on ambient temperatures, achieving the 150 miles should be quite achievable.

You haven't said what is available at the end of your 150 miles - can you recharge the battery or do you have to come back on the ReX without charging? If you can't charge then just aim to keep 20% or so of battery charge and performance wont be affected.

500 mile days are easy in a REx, just switch on the extender at 75% and then pull over and fill up as soon as you run the tiny tank dry. If there is a gas station there great, but if not just use the two gallon can you keep up front in the frunk. If the SOC is below the set point indicated by the carat on the range bar on the drivers display, you can always put the car in P, set the parking brake and exit through the passenger door! This will allow the car to remember the initial set point and as you drive along it will eventually bring the charge back to that level. Exiting via the drivers door will shut off the car and erase your Rex SOC set point ratcheting your SOC downward on a long trip with many stops. Every other stop is at a gas station where you refuel the car and fill the auxiliary can for the frunk. If you make a habit of this, get some rubber gloves or carry a funnel since the cans tend to make a mess.

I have dvdinmotion so I have the restricted tank, coding will unlock another .5 gallon of capacity. I believe the car gets around 40 mpg on the REx.....

MPG using the REx is like many cars...it varies on how you drive from the low 30's up to maybe 40mpg. The CAFE requirement was that the REx assisted mileage couldn't be greater than the battery only mode. If you can afford the time to stop to refuel, yes, you can just keep going. Not the most convenient, but it is pretty economical, especially if you factor in the alternatives of renting a car. If it were a daily thing, I think it would get old quick.

You don't mention the year of your i3 - if it's a 2015 - you have fast charging. If it's a 2014, you may have gotten it as an option. If you have fast charging, Plugshare shows quite a few fast charging stations in North Carolina. (SAE Combo DCFC is compatible with the i3) http://www.plugshare.com Fast charging can re-charge the car fully in as little as 30 minutes. Time for a short coffee and pit stop.

I do 130 miles on a Monday morning and Friday afternoon. Starting with a full charge and full tank, I've usually got 40 miles to spare by the time I arrive.

I've got a European spec, so have rex hold by default.

SanJosei3 said:

You don't mention the year of your i3 - if it's a 2015 - you have fast charging. If it's a 2014, you may have gotten it as an option. If you have fast charging, Plugshare shows quite a few fast charging stations in North Carolina. (SAE Combo DCFC is compatible with the i3) http://www.plugshare.com Fast charging can re-charge the car fully in as little as 30 minutes. Time for a short coffee and pit stop.

Click to expand...

Note that DCFC will put the first 80% charge into your car in 30 mins, but a full 100% charge will take at least twice as long...... And what do you do if you are number three in line for that charger but have to be at work in an hour? Until the charging network is more built out, the range extender still can be very useful: gasoline fuels a lot faster per mile than DC.

Thanks for the replies -

My car is a 2014 with the fast charger option. Despite this feature my driving pattern is to drive 150-175 miles to my destination, and return back to my starting point typically in 2-3 hours after arrival. The destination has no charging options, not even 120V. So maintaining charge is critical.

From the information you've provided I believe that a strategy is:

- Get a DVD In Motion, or Code My Car product to allow me to gain control over the starting time for the ReX engine.
- When the car gets to 75% charge engage the ReX engine and continue using it until the gas tank drains.
- Refill tank and repeat until I reach my destination.

When it's time to return continue filling the tank as needed.

If I understand this correctly (did I accurately describe the suggested technique) the ReX will come on and attempt to maintain charge. Even if it falls short, by starting the ReX with a 75% battery charge I have the maximum potential to arrive at my destination, and return home, with some charge remaining. Is this correct? Also, can I use the ReX and continually refill it without problems? Is there a danger to using the ReX for such long periods (it may run for as much as 275+ miles on a 350 mile round trip without an opportunity to recharge the i3 battery?

While this isn't a typical event, it will likely occur as often as monthly. If this seems excessive then I'll go to plan B - return the car early and try to release it, if possible.

Your thoughts are very much welcome and appreciated.

You've captured it correctly and no problem running the ReX for that length of time a couple of times a month.

Lencap: You've understood correctly how to use the Rex on long journeys. In the UK, we can all turn the Rex on when the battery is at or below 75%. There doesn't seem to be any penalty (hill-climbing, for example) using the Rex when the battery is above 6% or so.
The only change I would suggest (and we do this now we've got the hang of it!) is to use the Rex until your range to home is around the same as the GOM says, and switch the Rex off. That results in you getting home with an empty battery, and minimises the Rex usage as much as possible. Even if your estimate is a bit wrong and the Rex helps you again at the end of the journey, you still get there with an empty battery.

Thank you for your help. I ordered the DVD InMotion Rex unlock package. Hopefully it will do the job. I've become spoiled with the i3 - so much better than my Leaf, and not as large as the Tesla. Seems about ideal. Now if I can get it to handle my driving needs all will be well.

It will also be good if you have the extra 1/5 gallon in the fuel tank unlocked. This can result in fewer fuel stops.

The DVD upgrade does not yet unlock the extra gas tank, but installation was a snap.

Tomorrow I plan to leave my home with a full charge, start the ReX at 75% capacity, drive until the fuel tank is empty. Refill the tank as needed to reach my destination, keeping the battery charge as high as possible until I reach my destination. Is that the right strategy?

If I can recharge at my destination, great, but if not I plan to leave the battery charge as high as possible even at the destination so I can return with the ReX support. I expect my roundtrip to be 350 miles.

Is the plan I've outlined appear reasonable?

Thanks again.

Let us know how this worked out for you! This is something I'll have to do once or twice a year so I'm very curious to hear about your experience!