Bmw i3 Range verses 2015 nissan leaf

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markbb99

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2014
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8
I have a Nissan Leaf and I am considering lease a 2015 BMW i3 BEV. Has anyone owned a Leaf before the owner a I3. Are there any differences in range. I known EPA rate the I3 at 81 and the Leaf at 84 but EPA range doesn't always match the real world range. Also I live in New England what kind of winter have you gotten. Does the Eco Pro setting help?

Mark
 
It depends. There are a couple of people here that owned a Leaf previously. The two eco modes can save power, but they come with some conditions. For the most part, if you're very conscientious, you can achieve nearly similar economy by just being more careful and selecting your options. The eco modes dampen the accelerator pedal so you'll accelerate slower with the same input verses comfort mode. It also minimizes the climate control operations. This forces you to accelerate slower unless you really floor it. Some people like driving with lots of clothes on in the winter, and essentially turn the heat off (the car will detect the windows fogging, and turn it on, regardless, up to a point).

Second thing is whether you can regularly set a departure time. This preconditions the battery, and you have the option of warming the cabin. Done while connected to the EVSE, you'll maximize range (you can precondition the cabin without being hooked to the EVSE, but not the battery pack). As my handle indicates, I live in Nashua, NH and have had my i3 through last winter. The vast majority of my use is for shorter distances (the reason I bought it), so I did not really worry about maximum range or setting a departure time. I've seen the computer suggest a max range of more than 90-miles in the summer, but I've also seen it as low as 50-miles or so in the winter. The range estimate is based on your last 18-miles of travel along with some current battery temperature and voltage level, so, depending on the trip you have planned, may not represent your real capacity. For example, since most of my trips are short and in the winter, the heat may have to crank up to max for them, it is not anywhere near representative of someone driving 20-30 miles to work. I've driven as much as 10-miles and not had the estimated range to empty change (and once in awhile, it could go up!) because of the type of driving I'm currently doing verses what I had been doing.

Your worst hit is lots of short trips where the car can cool off in between and you crank up the heat. The BEV is more efficient than the REx because the BEV has a heat pump verses the REx only having resistance heating. If it is super cold, the heat pump isn't very efficient, so even the BEV may need to use its resistance heating, and the difference with the REx is not as great. The REx adds weight, so your range verses the BEV is lower, but then, you'll have the REx to back you up. My use pattern wasn't worth the extra money, maintenance, and complexities to justify adding the REx. Your use pattern may want it.

IMHO, the i3 is more efficient than the Leaf in what it does. And, it's a lot more fun to drive.

There are lots of threads where people talk about how the battery range changes in the cold. While you may not need it, if you select a destination and use the nav system, it takes into account the terrain, the speed limits, and the current traffic conditions, and the range estimate will be more accurate.
 
I had a Nissan Leaf and routinely took it on a trip which left me about 14 miles left on the range.

In the i3, I seem to get slightly better left over range. However, the difference is only 1-2 miles. So, having driven the Leaf for over two years on standard trip, and the i3 for six months, I would say the range is about the same.

However, the REX keeps me from having range anxiety.

With respect to drive, handling, options, and look, the i3 is the clear winner.

Also, the i3 charges much faster.
 
I also have a Leaf before the i3. Mine was a 2013 model so the MKII with heat pump etc. I'm managing better range from the i3 which, given it has a smaller battery, is pretty good. I can easily get 5miles/kW in the i3 whereas I struggled to get more than 4.5 in the Leaf. Best trip distance so far was 76 miles with 14 remaining on the GOM at the destination. Mine's a BEV i3.
 
I got out of a lease, and took a big financial hit, on a 2014 Leaf SL after the IIHS released this study because I value the use of my legs.

After the report was released, Consumer Reports dropped it's recommendation.
 
The newest Leaf has a larger battery, but the recharge time is quite a bit longer than the i3's - up to 6-hours needed on certain models with the optional, larger battery. Given the size of the battery, it appears that the internal charging circuit is not as large as on the i3, meaning that the i3 will always charge faster than the Leaf, and given the i3 has a 170hp motor verses the 107hp on the Leaf, not counting the i3 is lighter, no contest in fun factor. MPGe is essentially the same on the newest version of Leaf to the i3.
 
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