About to buy an i3. Will it be ok in winter driving?

I'm going to buy an i3 today. Love the car! Not sure if I'll get the BEV or the REX.

My main concern is winter driving. I live in Utah, and I'm nervous about driving it in the snow. Are snow tires a necessity?

Also, would you recommend the BEV or REX?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

Yes to winter tires in Utah.

And the white BEVs are the fastest.

websterize said:

Yes to winter tires in Utah.

And the white BEVs are the fastest.

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Haha, white BEVs eh?

So is it miserable in the snow without snow tires? It looks like snows are pretty pricey.

The 20" Sport wheels only come with Summer tires and there are no All Season or Winter tire options available for that unique wheel size. So if you buy an i3 with the 20" sport wheel option, you'll have to buy 19" wheels along with the 19" snow tires and swap out the whole set for the winter. That's what I did. It will set you back $1,900 or so for the four tires, wheels and TPS.

If you don't get the 20" wheels, then all you need to do is buy 19" winter tires. They are available from Bridgestone (Blizzak) and Nokian (Hakkapeliitta R2). I have the Blizzaks and last winter they performed great.

http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2014/11/bmw-i3-tires-get-ready-for-winter.html

http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2014/02/bmw-i3-wheels-and-tires-what-you-need.html

A pic of my Blizzak tires:

ANY vehicle will be safer with winter tires when the temperatures drop. Tires and the driver are more important than which wheels are driven. Stopping and turning and getting started is more a function of the tires verses the drive configuration for a car with winter tires verses which wheels are driven.

Because the i3 has maximum torque at start-off, you have two choices when the roads are slick, use a light foot (true with any car in the snow or ice), or, switching the mode to one of the Eco modes will dampen the throttle's reaction to your press. The traction control does a pretty good job.

Of the two winter tire brands that are available, The Nokian has been specializing in winter tires since they were founded, and may be the better choice. One car magazine in December did a 7-brand winter tire comparison, while the model of Blizzak wasn't exactly the same, the one they tested came out in the middle at #4, while the Nokian Hakkapolieta R2 (sp?) came out first. The R2 has synthetic diamond dust in the rubber compound for improved grip on ice.

jadnashuanh said:

ANY vehicle will be safer with winter tires when the temperatures drop. Tires and the driver are more important than which wheels are driven.

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I completely agree. How much do the Nokian's run ballpark? I'm getting the 19" wheels.

Someone recently posted about these, and they said the Nokians cost $20ea more than the Bridgestones. You have to shop around, as they list for more than that difference.

BEV or REX should depend on the following:

1. Your daily lifestyle and how far you need commute
2. Charging infrastructure around you

To expand on ASUN's post, when you consider how far you drive typically each day, on cold winter mornings, your range would be reduced. You could minimize that range reduction by preconditioning (heating) your battery pack prior to departing. But this would require being able to charge at 208-240 volts on a circuit with at least a 30 amp capacity which could supply enough power to both precondition and charge your battery pack (and the cabin, if you want to depart in a warm car). If your charging circuit has insufficient power, your battery pack could actually discharge a bit while preconditioning.

If you could use your i3 as intended within the BEV's range, a BEV would be less expensive to buy, would require a bit less maintenance, would be a bit more efficient (lower weight, heat pump heater), and would likely be a bit more reliable. But if a BEV's range would be insufficient more that you desire, then a REx would solve that problem.

alohart said:

To expand on ASUN's post, when you consider how far you drive typically each day, on cold winter mornings, your range would be reduced. You could minimize that range reduction by preconditioning (heating) your battery pack prior to departing. But this would require being able to charge at 208-240 volts on a circuit with at least a 30 amp capacity which could supply enough power to both precondition and charge your battery pack (and the cabin, if you want to depart in a warm car). If your charging circuit has insufficient power, your battery pack could actually discharge a bit while preconditioning.

If you could use your i3 as intended within the BEV's range, a BEV would be less expensive to buy, would require a bit less maintenance, would be a bit more efficient (lower weight, heat pump heater), and would likely be a bit more reliable. But if a BEV's range would be insufficient more that you desire, then a REx would solve that problem.

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Thanks so much for the responses. This is exactly what I was looking for. Have REX owners been dissatisfied with their vehicles? The extra range feels like it would come in handy, but my commute is 17.5 miles each way so I might be fine. There are chargers at my office that I can plug into, and at my house I would probably just use a standard outlet to charge the i3.

Does the above seem like a good fit for the BEV, or should I go for the REX?

erea77 said:

Thanks so much for the responses. This is exactly what I was looking for. Have REX owners been dissatisfied with their vehicles? The extra range feels like it would come in handy, but my commute is 17.5 miles each way so I might be fine. There are chargers at my office that I can plug into, and at my house I would probably just use a standard outlet to charge the i3.

Does the above seem like a good fit for the BEV, or should I go for the REX?

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Even on the coldest day, the BEV should get you there and back without issues, even as the battery pack's capacity ages and diminishes.

Whether you need or want the backup additional range of the REx, is entirely dependent on whether you want to take an occasional longer trip in the i3, or would take a different vehicle. Being able to recharge at work means you'd have the full range to do a fair number of errands on the way home, too.

BTW, the charger is IN the car when dealing with EVSE's...a CCS unit, on the other hand, IS a charger, since it outputs high voltage DC verses being a fancy acv on/off switch to the car for its onboard charging capability. You could call an EVSE a charging station, by not technically a charger.

If, for chance, your batteries were nearly fully depleted at home, the OUC EVSE that comes with the car could take as long as 19-20 hours to fully recharge the vehicle. Probably not enough time to fully charge it before you needed it the next day. But, more than enough to get you there so you could use their level 2 unit. Depending on the wiring at that unit and it's capacity, it could take anywhere from 3.5-6 hours to fully recharge a depleted battery, but probably not much more than an hour for your normal commute.

BEV, hands down. And you'll likely get a better deal on one than with a REx because of perceived range anxiety. Aim for 15-20% off MSRP before incentives.

This is the best time of year for deals.

Only You can really answer the choice to make between BEV & Rex. If You NEVER, travel more than 30 miles from home winter and Summer than you would probably be ok with the BEV, for peace of mind while Utah develops a better charging infrastructure and for those days when you might want to travel further afield, or forget to charge overnight or are to busy to wait for a charge somewhere, or have a heavy right foot ( this car is a hoot to drive!) Then Get a REX - you will find it easier to sell on when that time comes.
Check my Sig block for my personal stats which equate to 92% electric & 8% Rex, in a country with a more developed fast charge network than the majority of the US (California excepted).

PluviaPlumbum said:

Only You can really answer the choice to make between BEV & Rex.

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Agreed! I have an REx because it worked best for me, no or very limited public EVSEs and some long trips that would have required the wife's SUV if I couldn't drive my i3. The i3 is way more fun to drive!

Get snow tires if you can and you won't regret it. I see many people favoring the Nokians. These are great snow tires but I wouldn't rule out Blizzaks because they came in 4th place in a review. I have run Blizzaks on a few different vehicles and they are great snow tires, even if they aren't #1. Also consider wear and efficiency, since the Nokians are softer they will wear quicker and affect driving (battery) efficiency.

It would be difficult to find a more appropriate use case for a BEV than yours, assuming that your commute and the ability to charge at both home and work completely describe your needs. Why spend several thousand dollars more for a REx that you would never need? However, if you might want to drive to Park City or other places away from SLC, then you'd probably be happier with a REx until the charging infrastructure improves.

Thanks everyone for the insight. I ended up leasing a laurel gray REX today with the Mega World trim. So far I love it, although the charging thing is going to take some getting used to.

I'm really concerned with the light grey cloth floor mats that come with the car, I have some cardboard down for now, but has anyone purchased aftermarket rubber mats?

weathertech

They gave me the i3 ones because no one in the dealership could figure out which where the front and which were the rear. Sort of a test case. They look great. Like you I wanted the pretty but very light carpets out before winter.

erea77 said:

Thanks everyone for the insight. I ended up leasing a laurel gray REX today with the Mega World trim. So far I love it, although the charging thing is going to take some getting used to.

I'm really concerned with the light grey cloth floor mats that come with the car, I have some cardboard down for now, but has anyone purchased aftermarket rubber mats?

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As Jeffj posted the Weathertech laser fitted floor mats are an amazing fit. Only mats I use for winter protection.

BEV under that setup.