A Trip to the Grocery — Worst Range Yet

[websterize]

Copyright BMW

Unfavorable conditions, indeed: an air temperature of 10ºF (–12ºC) and 20 mph to 30 mph winds, with gusts around 45 mph, appears to yield a ~40-mile range.

I preconditioned with a departure time set before heading out on the balls-freezing errand.

 

[i3Tim]

Copyright BMW

Unfavorable conditions, indeed: an air temperature of 10ºF (–12ºC) and 20 mph to 30 mph winds, with gusts around 45 mph, appears to yield a ~40-mile range.

I preconditioned with a departure time set before heading out on the balls-freezing errand.

I did my three day test back in January on Long Island. It was cold and the range was awful. That pretty much ended my interest in getting an i3. I thought it was a very well designed car, but the battery range is just not good enough in a cold climate.
It would also be a lousy choice economically, at least here on LI with our high electric cost and no off-peak pricing. $5 to drive 50 miles is no bargain, my TDI wagon is more economical.
I guess I'll be waiting to see what the next generation of EVs can do...

 

[user 1536]

So why does the range seem to be far more variable on the i3 than it does on other cars like the Leaf or Volt?

 

[jadnashuanh]

I've not spent any time on VOlt or Leaf forums, but I've heard they have similar situations. One guy posted that had owned both, and felt the i3's battery performance was on par or better than them. If I remember, the Volt is advertised for 35-miles, and one guy said in a really cold situation, he got 17, or half, so if that's an indication, the i3's performance is better. At least on the Volt, they have a significantly larger ICE to power things when they run out of battery (and their new one gets a bigger battery and ICE). I think the i3's battery management, both temperature and charging/discharging is more sophisticated on the i3, and should help maintain long, reliable life.

 

[BrianStanier]

So why does the range seem to be far more variable on the i3 than it does on other cars like the Leaf or Volt?

We had a Leaf for 3 years. There is no difference in the range variation, if anything the i3 is better if you use preconditioning. It's the weather not the car.

 

[websterize]

It's the weather not the car.

Agreed. Extreme cold is kryptonite to EVs, not just this one.

 

[hamgolfer]

From extra cold Rochester NY -5 this AM.

I forgot to set the departure time last night as the car lay charged, plugged in but at 10F in the garage.
This AM, I remembered just a half hour before departure. Instead of preconditioning as I usually do this close to departure, I set the departure time for just 25 minutes later. Guess what? The battery seemed to have been warmed enough that it did not cut down on the acceleration and the range did not drop precipitously as I drove.

Key lesson: If you are plugged into an EVSE, use departure time rather than preconditioning.

 

[Cheezmo]

Don't forget wind too. When I first got the Leaf, the range loss on really windy days was the first thing that jumped out at me. Cold + very windy is a bad combo.

 

[user 1536]

There is no difference in the range variation, if anything the i3 is better if you use preconditioning. It's the weather not the car.

That's certainly not what I'm seeing from the posts in this forum.

 

[CMYK4Life]

I had a Leaf before the i3 and the same thing happens. Cold is bad for range.

This is why I got the REX. I hated having an engine at first... but this winter has been brutal and the REX has been clutch. 900 miles so far and only 10 gallons purchased... and 6 gallons of that is because I took it on a long trip once. I love BEV's but until one with a larger battery is available for those of us in the COLD climates I am forced to 'go REX or stay home' in the winter...

 

[Anonymous]

I love BEV's but until one with a larger battery is available for those of us in the COLD climates

There is already a long range EV available. The Tesla Model S has a much larger battery. No one is forced to buy an EV with a gas range extender. While the Tesla might have been out of the desired price range, it does exist.

Back to the point of the OP, my Smart ED range shrinks from 140km in the summer to 60km in adverse conditions (-25C and windy).
My range experiences blogged:
http://mysmartelectricdrive.blogspot.ca/2014/03/range-experiences.html

 

[DR61]

Interesting article from last year about impact of cold on EV's:

http://www.plugincars.com/electric-car-drivers-report-cold-weather-impact-129218.html

 

[eloder]

It definitely varies by car. From these reports, the smart electric drive hits higher ranges in cold than the i3, and that's pretty crazy given the range/mpge/cost difference of the two cars in normal conditions.

I'm wondering how much weight and engine power is a factor, even if mpge/efficiency is lower in ideal weather.

 

[jadnashuanh]

A lighter car should go further per watt than a heavier one. But, not all of the energy consumed in an EV is used to propel it, creature comforts, computer controls, lighting, regeneration settings, and the obvious, driver skill can be a significant factor as well. An i3, with a significantly higher power motor than most other EV's, COULD use a lot more per mile, but again, not unless you use it. THe quality of the drivetrain can make a difference. Since the i3 can easily go faster than many other EVs, IF you use it, you'll take a hit. Warming the car up can take a bit hit on range, and in multiple short trips with a gap in between when it can require nearly the same power to warm it up again can be a major factor. Having a heat pump verses resistive heating, can make a big difference. WHere you set your thermostat, can make a big difference.

 

[Anonymous]

It definitely varies by car. From these reports, the smart electric drive hits higher ranges in cold than the i3, and that's pretty crazy given the range/mpge/cost difference of the two cars in normal conditions.
I'm wondering how much weight and engine power is a factor, even if mpge/efficiency is lower in ideal weather.

My Smart ED is adversely affected by cold just like any other vehicle. However, because the cabin is so small, and the heater so powerful (5KW) it heats up fast. Plus the heated seats are extremely effective. The battery pack is conditioned (heated/cooled) and due to the small size of the pack, it doesn't take too much power to bring it up to temperature. If I leave the car out in -20C all day without a plug, for the first 8km of driving the power is reduced to 75% of maximum, after 8km, the pack is heated such that I can drive on full power. This is similar behavior to other electric cars such as Tesla which controls regen and power output in cold conditions.