Uneventful 110 mile drive today on 90% charge...

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eNate

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Really, that's all I have to report!

Decided to drive from Oakland up to Sonoma County to pick up a bike for my kid from a Craigslist ad. Mostly freeway and rural highway miles. I'm settling into a very "at peace" confidence in the i3's range estimates, particularly after watching the iDrive system make adjustments based on destinations I've plugged in for route planning.

With a couple of "just in case" charging stations along my route in my back pocket for the trip home, the car was predicting a meager 6 or 7 mile reserve. I mostly stuck to the limit, paced a slow moving Wide Load for a stint, and finished in front of my house with about 10 miles charge remaining. I'm really appreciative of how dialed-in and reliable the predicted range has been -- enough so that I had the confidence to drive off-route a little for a cup of coffee and an eclair at a well-regarded bakery in the area.

Yay i3! Nothing more to say.
 
Thanks for sharing.
Reminds me of when my wife asks, how was your flight? "uneventful"is far better than "I thought we were going to crash" :)
 
Just a reminder to those that may not realize like the OP seems to, unless you put a destination into the nav system, the range is an estimate assuming your next miles will exactly match those about 18 before. IF you put in a destination, the computer then can calculate in speed limits and elevation changes, giving a much more accurate estimate of your range on the trip. It will also help you find a place to charge and warn you if you'll need to.

The range trace on the display can help, too, even without a destination inserted, but that won't be as accurate as setting in a destination. Those need to be enabled, and only show on some range scales. IT will also give you an idea of the overall effect of changing ECO modes from COMFORT.

It's a good idea to read through the manual a few times to remind yourself of the functionality of the car. There's just too much to remember after only one read...you need to play with the car for awhile, get annoyed that it doesn't appear to do what you want, then read about how it does (or verify it doesn't).
 
jadnashuanh said:
The range trace on the display can help, too, even without a destination inserted, but that won't be as accurate as setting in a destination. Those need to be enabled, and only show on some range scales. IT will also give you an idea of the overall effect of changing ECO modes from COMFORT.


The range cloud is ominous. Normally it doesn't appear on my screen at the zoom level I use. But I work near the shoreline and live in the foothills, i.e. both locations where there aren't a lot of way out.

So when I do run down the charge, there's a "fog bank" looming just about at my destination. Not because I can't make it, but because the only real ways "out" are to the left or right, but not straight ahead (and into the Bay!).
 
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