1700 miles in 48 hours -- 120 Ah BEV...

[eNate]

I've considered the i3's heat pump a bargain, especially since it was included in early BEVs as part of the base cost. $150 seems to me to be incredibly underpriced considering other manufacturers are charging $700 and $1500 for the option.

The downside of course is it's one more system to break, it's a little bit of added weight, a small amount of added expense, and if the battery capacity is sufficient then is a heat pump really necessary to enhance the EV ownership experience?

I had a heat pump on my 2017 and believe it may have been responsible for a handful of instances at 11pm where my car had absolutely no heat for the entirety of the drive, only to begin working again the next day. I don't know for sure -- I took it in for service with this complaint, only got a "unable to duplicate / updated software" in return, and after that it only happened once again in maybe 18 months.

So I wasn't dead set on having it in my 2021, but not against it either. But on paper a heat pump is perfect in my climate, considering I often drive at night, but mainly on occasions where I need to maximize my range, which is basically never. Even on this 1,700 mile trip, the temps were so warm I was probably using A/C and not heat, even at 3am.

 

[tjsean0308]

I've considered the i3's heat pump a bargain, especially since it was included in early BEVs as part of the base cost. $150 seems to me to be incredibly underpriced considering other manufacturers are charging $700 and $1500 for the option.

The downside of course is it's one more system to break, it's a little bit of added weight, a small amount of added expense, and if the battery capacity is sufficient then is a heat pump really necessary to enhance the EV ownership experience?

I had a heat pump on my 2017 and believe it may have been responsible for a handful of instances at 11pm where my car had absolutely no heat for the entirety of the drive, only to begin working again the next day. I don't know for sure -- I took it in for service with this complaint, only got a "unable to duplicate / updated software" in return, and after that it only happened once again in maybe 18 months.

So I wasn't dead set on having it in my 2021, but not against it either. But on paper a heat pump is perfect in my climate, considering I often drive at night, but mainly on occasions where I need to maximize my range, which is basically never. Even on this 1,700 mile trip, the temps were so warm I was probably using A/C and not heat, even at 3am.

I've had zero issues with the heat pump in my 18 and honestly not seen anyone with a heat pump specific failure. There have been compressor issues, but my impression is that's been more on the non heat pump REX models. For me it's been a key part of making shoulder season airport runs possible and while a bigger battery is certainly nice. That adds weight too, so there is a diminishing return to factor for when just adding battery to accommodate for the less efficient overall car.

 

[user 8033]

A good number of i3 owners seem to have ordered their cars, but I get the vibe that the heat pump is probably a regional optional based on the climate. For example, I don't recall seeing any of the Las Vegas i3's with the heat pump option. But it's not really needed here either in this desert environment, where a super bad morning would be in the 30s, but then that high intensity sun comes up and you don't need heat or AC after that on those winter days.

I'll probably come to regret not having the heat pump if I move back to a cold climate zone, but so long as I stay here in the desert or otherwise on the Pacific coast, as some of you have been pointing out, I'm probably best off with less moving parts.

I just looked at the Vegas and Henderson BMW dealer inventories, appears the last of the i3's have now been sold. So glad I got the Tera world leather. Owning a dog and having cloth seats are a bad mix. The dog doesn't ride in the car, except for vet trips, but you still transfer a lot of dog hair from your clothing. Not to mention my wife shedding all over the cloth seats all the time.

 

[eNate]

...I get the vibe that the heat pump is probably a regional optional based on the climate. For example, I don't recall seeing any of the Las Vegas i3's

That's been my observation, but I was surprised to find this i3 in San Antonio had it as an option. Totally unexpected. And when I was Kia eNiro shopping a couple of years ago, the only dealerships that even had the option to order the heat pump were in the Pacific Northwest or in the Northeast region.

I just looked at the Vegas and Henderson BMW dealer inventories, appears the last of the i3's have now been sold. So glad I got the Tera world leather. Owning a dog and having cloth seats are a bad mix. The dog doesn't ride in the car, except for vet trips, but you still transfer a lot of dog hair from your clothing. Not to mention my wife shedding all over the cloth seats all the time.

There are still i3s in transit. Some dealerships post them early, others only as they get them. The last of the HK audio optioned i3s are arriving now; all other options are still available so there ought to be more "loaded" i3s popping up over the next month or so.

There is one full loaded i3 (Tera leather, tedh, sunroof, HK, 19", no heat pump though) in Alexandria VA. I have no idea why it's still on their lot, other than I haven't seen it advertised on any of the main three car websites. I had a back-and-forth with a salesperson there; I didn't get the impression they were looking for a markup, though they have a high doc fee.

This might have been the car for me except for driving it home. Virginia is a bit far, but compared to San Antonio, only an additional 1,100 miles to Oakland -- another day of driving? It would have been nice having the new leather seats (they're different from the 2017 version), I could go either way on the heat pump, but now that I've got my car set up, I'm really liking the lighter colored interior.

Speaking of which, here are some photos of the two cars post-interior swap. https://photos.app.goo.gl/sZYiZMahN83jaA8E7

 

[user 8033]

Nice, I've got the dark oak in the 2021 too. Me and my wife go at it because she likes to throw her cellphone up there by the display panel. I've already warned her, she can do it in the 2020 Deka with a silver dash, but not the new one.

 

[eNate]

Lol, I think that wood may have better durability than the finish on the painted trims.

I certainly prefer the dark/light contrast I've got going in the new car. In the dark 2017 Tera, I was thinking the eucalyptus would be a good candidate to lighten up the ambiance.