The story behind the REx Lawsuit

There's been dozens of articles on the internet covering the class action lawsuit against BMW and the i3 REx. None of them tried to really explain the problem, and how it came about, so I took a crack at it.

It's long, but it's thorough so grab a drink and have a seat!

http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2016/06/bmw-i3-rex-lawsuit-howd-this-happen.html

Thanks Tom. Great summary which I think is comprehensive and clear. Maybe BMW should use this as an explanation for their customers and staff!

Tom, great analysis, but I feel you are an easy grader: I would have gone with 10% BMW, 10% CARB, 50% Dealers and 30% Customers. In particular your evaluation of CARB's counter-productive approach to BEVx is enlightening. This whole episode reinforces my conviction that in the long run BMW should take control of the iDivision back from the dealers and sell it directly through company-owned stores with a company-trained salesforce, as their existing dealer network has ICE in its blood and has totally botched the rollout of the i3.

yea great story

and to further the irony

i shoulda got the bev

the rex for me is a complete waste since i have never come close to actually needing it

This is a great review.

From my perspective, the biggest lapse was that we were not provided any guidance on what to do when the i3 is close to or enters "low power mode." We get there about once a month. Sometimes, it's during mountain driving, but it can also happen with strong headwinds on the highway with just moderate grades. (For example, we've hit "low power mode" going less than 55 MPH westbound on the I-580 pass near Livermore, where the headwinds can be brutal.) We now know - when the charge is low and we will be hitting a hill or other strain - we can just find a safe place to pull off the road and let the Rex charge the battery for a couple minutes, and then we're fine. I just wish this type of practical guidance on how to manage "low power mode" had been in the instructions somewhere (original dealer training, separate meeting with the "i3 genius", or the owner's manual).

Thank you, excellent write up and a great deal of good information. My personal opinion is that this entire lawsuit is utter and complete bs. Assuming BMW didn't have to remove the SOC hold because of regulation this would be an absolute non-issue. As you wrote even now it is a matter of consumers understanding what they are getting.

i3an said:

Tom, great analysis, but I feel you are an easy grader: I would have gone with 10% BMW, 10% CARB, 50% Dealers and 30% Customers. In particular your evaluation of CARB's counter-productive approach to BEVx is enlightening. This whole episode reinforces my conviction that in the long run BMW should take control of the iDivision back from the dealers and sell it directly through company-owned stores with a company-trained salesforce, as their existing dealer network has ICE in its blood and has totally botched the rollout of the i3.

Click to expand...

I get what you're saying, but I also feel for the dealers. BMW has so many models, with so many different powertrains to begin with, then they have these new electric cars to also deal with. I think corporate dropped the ball on the initial rollout. They really didn't provide nearly enough support for the dealerships. That has changed, but I was amazed to see how brutally unprepared the dealers were at launch, and for the majority of the first year. I literally had dozens of client advisors from all over the country emailing me with questions about the i3.