New owner... Considering a road trip

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loudog3114

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2019
Messages
11
I just got the 60ah w/ Rex, which I coded for HSOC and the larger tank capacity. But, having never driven it far (yet), I am wondering if anyone has some stats as far as how far you can get if you hold the SOC at 75% on the button, and cruise on the highway for an extended period. My HOPE, is that I can go 2-300 miles on one battery charge, and just top off the gas tank a couple times to make for as little waiting around to charge as possible.
 
The hold function expires when you shut the car off. So, say you started it at 75%, but it may have dropped to 70% because you were charging up a long slope, then stopped to fill the tank...when you turned it back on, 70% would be your hold value, not 75 where you started. Even if you don't shut the car off, when you open the driver's side door, it does it by itself. Some have gotten around that by sliding over and exiting the passenger's side - leaving the car in READY mode. Just remember to get back in the same way, or you'll reset the max hold value because it will then turn off.

But, depending on how aggressively you drive, and the roads you're on, people have driven their i3's many hundreds of miles without stopping to recharge. But, your 'effective' MPG is typically only in the 30-40 mpg range when holding at speed, so you may be stopping nearly every hour or so. That can be a problem, depending on the road or the time of day you are traveling. Run out of gas on the REx, your SOC drops, and that's your new start point when you refill. One station closed, or the interval to it a bit larger than expected, and it can throw off your whole plan.

Personally, on a long trip, I'd much prefer a hybrid to have a bigger tank. That wasn't chosen on the i3 because it was not part of its original design mission. It was designed as a city car where long range is not needed, so a big gas tank was not in the picture. You can use it like one, but need to understand the limitations.
 
Round trips from Huntsville AL to:
  • ~600 miles each way - Stillwater OK
  • ~600 miles each way - Coffeyville KS
  • ~120 miles each way - Nashville TN
The protocol:
  1. fill a 2.5 gallon, Briggs and Straton spare can and put in frunk
  2. make sure you have a patch kit and working, 12 V air pump
  3. top tires to maximum sidewall pressure, 51 psi
  4. fully charge overnight
  5. drive to 75% SOC and enable REx
  6. when on last quarter of tank, plan to refuel at next opportunity, ~1:15, ~70 miles
  7. leave highway and maximize regeneration (a complex subject)
  8. refuel, pee, and stretch (in any order)
  9. repeat until arrival
The spare gas can is in case a planned gas stop is closed ... especially important at night.

Bob Wilson
 
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