Expected date for release of the BMW i3REx ?

Does anybody know something about the expected release date of the BMW i3REx ?
I reserved already a production place for i3.
Until now I couldn't get information when the Rex model will be released.
The normal i3 will start at end of 2013 right !?!
My actual leasing car will end at February 2014.I hope that the REX will be ready that date.
If somebody has information about that would be nice to inform me ;-)

How did you reserve already production place for i3? No info have been out yet.
Rex will come out 2 months after i3.

BMW has not formally announced when it will be available however it has been widely assumed it will launch in September in Europe and be available in the US a couple months later.

There has been no indication of whether the REx option will be available at the initial launch of at a later date. My thoughts are the i3 will launch in the US in December or January and the REx will be available right from the start.

We'll get all the info in a couple months, as well as any pre-ordering instructions if BMW allows(I believe they will)

Sure you can already order / reserve production place for i3.
This makes sure that you will be one of first to get your hands on it ;-)
Is no real-order (because prices and many other details are missing) BUT
you get a place of production and you can choose if you will take that
reservation or they give "that car" to somebody else first ...
Here you see scan of mine:

"Sure you can already order / reserve production place for i3.
This makes sure that you will be one of first to get your hands on it ;-)
Is no real-order (because prices and many other details are missing) BUT
you get a place of production and you can choose if you will take that
reservation or they give "that car" to somebody else first ..."

Congratulations! However as you said it's not a 'real order', but non the less, pretty cool. BMW isn't offering that in the US yet, but there have been some dealerships that have taken names of customers to 'put them on the list' so they will get the first cars they get. I wouldn't run to a dealer and do that yet though. I believe in a few months(soon after they unveil the production model) there will be a formal pre-ordering process which will probably be online.

What you have done is not available for US customers. It is widely believed the i3 will first be available in Germany and then in the US a couple months later. That's great news you were able to get a spot in line though. Please post any additional information you get about your reservation here!

sure ;-) Happy that there is a forum for that cool car ...
we stay n contact and when you have news let me know here too ...

Nice day
Joachim

You better send us pictures, when you first get it then or when they invite you to look at the production model first

YashuV said:

You better send us pictures, when you first get it then or when they invite you to look at the production model first

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Yashu: We'll have all the pictures we want way before BMW delivers any cars. In a couple months they will reveal the production version and there will be all the pictures you need posted here. I'll be at the i3's first appearance and will certainly take and post more pictures than you can imagine

@Tom. That's super. I really can't wait to see the pictures of the last unchanged serial production of the i3.
Keep us informed , please ;-)

Other question to all the other people here in forum.

Do you know what is the expected "consumption" in kW for 100km of the i3. Are there already some details known ?!?
And what me interesting too:
How will be the situation when you drive the i3 as a business car ?!
When you have a special counter of the used energy for the car
which can then be offset against the odometer settlement with the company,
and do this corresponds to the requirements of the tax office?
Sorry for my bad english but I hope you understand what I mean ...

Thank you for all helpful informations concerning the "consumption" about i3.
Greetings from Munich Germany

Joachim

MucJoKer said:

Other question to all the other people here in forum.

Do you know what is the expected "consumption" in kW for 100km of the i3. Are there already some details known ?!?
And what me interesting too:
How will be the situation when you drive the i3 as a business car ?!
When you have a special counter of the used energy for the car
which can then be offset against the odometer settlement with the company,
and do this corresponds to the requirements of the tax office?
Sorry for my bad english but I hope you understand what I mean ...

Thank you for all helpful informations concerning the "consumption" about i3.
Greetings from Munich Germany

Joachim

Click to expand...

Joachim: I can't help you with the accounting aspects of this, but I *expect* the i3 to have a consumption rate of about 13kWh to 15kWh per 100km. Hope that helps!

TomMoloughney said:

BMW has not formally announced when it will be available however it has been widely assumed it will launch in September in Europe and be available in the US a couple months later.

There has been no indication of whether the REx option will be available at the initial launch of at a later date. My thoughts are the i3 will launch in the US in December or January and the REx will be available right from the start.

We'll get all the info in a couple months, as well as any pre-ordering instructions if BMW allows(I believe they will)

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, reports are starting to surface of a 2nd quarter 2014 release in the states:
http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2014-bmw-i3-to-start-in-low-to-mid-40000-range-says-bmw.html

Rather concerned that a couple of the First Drive reviews say the Rex won't be available from launch ..... this was said about a year ago but the story changed (especially from BMW dealer's here in the UK) as they said the Rex would just be a option box tick at launch.... no delay.

I wonder if new information was given at the First Drive event ....or these reviews just amalgamated old copy from a year ago.

Its funny only a couple mention it ...... not all...... but as it was more than one it makes you think there is something to it..

Anybody have anything more concrete.........

I didn't find anything about when the version with Rex will be launched.
I don't even think they know themselves.
One thing is for sure, it will not be available at the same time as the all-ellectric i3...

I just found an official press release by BMW France...

http://www.7pm-auto.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/CP_1698_Les_BMW_i3_et_BMW_i8_disponibles_d%C3%A8s_%C3%A0_pr%C3%A9sent_%C3%A0_la_r%C3%A9servation.pdf

They say that you can pre-order the cars and talk about launch date.

"La BMW i3 (tout électrique) sera
commercialisée dès la fin d’année 2013 tandis que la BMW i8 (hybride rechargeable) sera
lancée courant 2014. "

The BMW i3 (all-electric) will be sold before the end of 2013 where as the BMW i8 ( plug-in hybrid) will be launched in 2014.

Not a word about the i3 Rex... Why aren't they talking about it, even for an approximate launch?

MucJoKer said:

Other question to all the other people here in forum.

Do you know what is the expected "consumption" in kW for 100km of the i3. Are there already some details known ?!?
And what me interesting too:
How will be the situation when you drive the i3 as a business car ?!
When you have a special counter of the used energy for the car
which can then be offset against the odometer settlement with the company,
and do this corresponds to the requirements of the tax office?
Sorry for my bad english but I hope you understand what I mean ...

Thank you for all helpful informations concerning the "consumption" about i3.
Greetings from Munich Germany

Joachim

Click to expand...

The expected consumption would be 0.145kw/km for my neighborhood.
I owned a Leaf previously and got roughly 0.18kw/km.
This is my experienced guess.
i3 range in real world would be 100km realistically.
Without turning the ac off and driving like a granny.
Moderate speed so ppl wont tailgate with hate.

That sounds about right. It will probably be close to 0.18 KwH/km or better if you don't use the heat or A/C that much or you heat/cool the interior via the iPhone app. Makes a big difference.

My Leaf here in the States is averaging 4.5 miles/KwH (the battery pack is 24 KwH), but only averaged 3.4-3.6 miles/KwH during the winter months.

Mike74jcw said:

My Leaf here in the States is averaging 4.5 miles/KwH (the battery pack is 24 KwH), but only averaged 3.4-3.6 miles/KwH during the winter months.

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Indeed. I believe it's worth noting that the i3 will have 18.8 kWh of usable battery capacity per the spec the sheet, and the LEAF is around 21 kWh. That's about 10% difference in usable battery capacity.

surfingslovak said:

Mike74jcw said:

My Leaf here in the States is averaging 4.5 miles/KwH (the battery pack is 24 KwH), but only averaged 3.4-3.6 miles/KwH during the winter months.

Click to expand...

Indeed. I believe it's worth noting that the i3 will have 18.8 kWh of usable battery capacity per the spec the sheet, and the LEAF is around 21 kWh. That's about 10% difference in usable battery capacity.

Click to expand...

Bearing in mind the weight difference is this a concern .... or will it be an issue in the long term?
This is the stuff I'm struggling to get my head round at the moment.

Parker said:

Bearing in mind the weight difference is this a concern .... or will it be an issue in the long term?
This is the stuff I'm struggling to get my head round at the moment.

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Parker, I think that having a light-weight car in city traffic is going to make a significant difference in terms of handling. In that sense, I personally completely agree with some of these design decisions, including the usage of carbon fiber, highly efficient tires and aerodynamic wheels. What was saved in terms of battery capacity and weight, can be gained back in efficiency. It's going to be a wash in my opinion.

That said, while there are many people who find the LEAF and its range perfectly adequate, there are some who wish to have more autonomy. I know several people that have purchased a Model S as a result. Although I find it unwieldy and too large for city traffic or commuting, it's very attractive for road trips, especially since you can refuel for free at Tesla-provided superchargers.

If I had any feedback, it would be that BMW should consider offering a longer-range purely electric car. When you look at the cost and weight impact of the REx, a battery-only trim with about 30 kWh of capacity would seem possible, without adding more weight or cost than the REx. I think a surprising number of buyers would select this option, and many of those will opt for the smaller battery without REx today.

One of the problems BMW could have faced here is energy density. Adding 8 or 10 kWh to the pack would make it not just heavier, but also more voluminous. The good news is the capacity warranty. This will put a safety blanket under the performance of the battery and give buyers the assurance that the i3 will be able to perform at a certain level in the future. I would be careful and realistic when projecting the real-world range of the vehicle. Make sure that it can meet your use case when the battery has lost some capacity and when it's cold and rainy outside. If this is not the case, then I would consider getting the REx or explore charging opportunities.