Is coast to coast road trip by i3 possible?

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I thought about this, but for a different reason. In 2020, I'll be looking for a 2017 i3 to replace my 330e (which replaced a 2014 i3REX). The best prices and availability of used off-lease i3's is Southern CA. But, transporting an i3 from CA to Houston runs around $600. I thought about driving the 330e to CA and doing the lease turn-in there, and driving a REX back. I-10, so mountain passes are not so steep, once one is over El Cahon Pass in CA. Prevailing winds from the West. But, I added up the motel cost, meal cost and gas cost; compared to the transport cost and decided it was a dumb idea. Plus, I could get a BEV i3, which is really what I want.
 
Yes, its do-able. Just be sure to code your i3 first to enable Hold Charge...My experience here: http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4529

Note, that if I had to do it again, I wouldn't really recommend it....filling up the tank every 80 miles gets annoying (though was ok in this instance as my kids were toddlers and had to stop and pee often) and the seats aren't the most comfortable after 5-6 hours of driving...
 
People crossed the country in covered wagons...that doesn't mean it's the best thing to do. IMHO, use the right tool for the job, but in a pinch, yes, it works. It definitely wouldn't be my first choice. It will definitely take you longer than in an ICE or a hybrid designed for long-distance travel. Depending on the roads you travel, and the time of day, finding a convenient refueling station may be an issue. On a section of interstate I travel (a toll-road), yes, there are 24-hour stops along the way, but to ensure you could keep your SOC up, you'd be stopping more often than that 80-miles most of the time since their spacing varies from 10 to 40 miles apart with little consistency in their separation or the distance between them. Getting off the toll road means yet another stop, and then you may have to drive a bit to find an open station. You'll have a similar issue if you're looking for a CCS unit...and, if it is working, whether you can gain access to it may be a problem if someone else drove in in front of you (or is out to lunch or shopping and you have no clue when they'll be back), or it is blocked by some ICE that doesn't have a clue. Until there are lots of CCS units, and multiples all over the place (or they come up with an inductive roadway that will charge as you drive), EVs are best for fairly local travel. Careful planning and recognizing the ramifications means it is possible, but that doesn't mean it's convenient. I love mine for local travel and use it almost exclusively, but use my ICE on any longer trip which I find more comfortable and convenient and also will carry more. I really do like the torque and quiet of the EV, though, and look forward to when that will become a viable replacement for my ICE.

Think about an EV with enough battery capacity to take you say 4-500 miles, but when you get there, all you have is an EVSE, and god forbid, only 120vac! It could take a couple of days to refill the battery. At say 5-miles/hour range, a 500-mile battery would take 100-hours, or over 4-days. An ICE, maybe 8-minutes to refuel at a gas station and you're on your way. Even a level 2 EVSE would take nearly a day with most of the public ones, and finding a higher capacity one may not be possible. One of the 350Kw CCS units that are being prototyped (assuming the car could handle it) would make that viable, but that's not going to happen anytime soon, either. We're sort of in the same state as when cars were first showing up...people carried their own fuel with them...it wasn't all that safe then, and it certainly isn't today with our significantly higher speeds involved. AT least the roads are smoother, but there are a lot more vehicles on the road. You don't have to worry about spooking the horses, though!
 
uptongirl24 said:
Long distance trips are tiring. To make it a bit more simple, try some toll app like uproad or something. https://www.uproad.com/toll-point/benicia-martinez-bridge-toll-info-rates-cost-prices-and-how-to-pay also this info can help.
Did someone actually register to post this or the spam bots became so smart?
 
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