Day 1 of Extended Test Drive

[MarkM]

Greetings all,

I picked up an i3 REX today for an extended test drive. It is pouring rain here in Boulder and downright miserable to be honest. Believe it or not we are talking about snow tonight with a possible accumulation of 4 inches! The car is silver and black and has the range extender. Unfortunately it doesn't have the automatic parking feature nor does it have the Pro Navigation system. Pretty big disappointment as I truly wanted to play with these features.

At first my wife was pretty excited about the car but as she saw my excitement rise for it I think her practical mode kicked in. She pointed out that with the price of the car even with the Federal $7500 and Colorado $6500 tax incentive I could at $33.5k get many cars without the limitations of the i3.

It is very hard to get around this logic.

I love the idea of an electric car but not sure if 80 miles is going to do it for me. I have yet to see the range extender kick in. Sadly there is the issue of buying the car and having to sink in another $1k to get 240 run to the garage and get a level 2 charger. The other big question is whether the electrical box will actually allow the addition of another 240 circuit. If I would have to upgrade the box that would certainly end this trek across the stars.

I don't know.. I like the car a lot. I just don't know if it does make sense. Perhaps if the other features were present and that demonstrated the true capabilities of the car it would be easier to convince here. As it is the car is outside right now charging with 110 connected. It will be sometime around 10:30AM tomorrow before it is charged.

Is this car mostly a hobby for most folks my wife asks?

Probably a fair question.

 

[Sparky]

I only drive 700 miles per month in my daily driver. I make my own electricity and wanted to cut down on pollution and oil consumption......perfect fit for me.

 

[I33t]

Any car CAN be a hobby. It's a choice. I like my BEV, but it isn't a hobby.

The basics are that if you need private transport, you need some sort of vehicle. If this vehicle fills your need for transport then the basics are done. If it doesn't, then look further, there are plenty of vehicle options.

Is your wife going to be daily driving this car, or does she have her own? I think it's fair to accept her advice if you share the car, but if you are the primary driver then the choice is mainly yours but you should not ignore her concerns completely IMO. See how you both feel about the car at the end of the test drive, and get your electrical box checked out so you know your options up front.

 

[stumbledotcom]

I live and work in a major city, averaging about 10 miles a day. Explains why I've used a BEV as my primary vehicle for the past year. I wouldn't call that a hobby. True, we're a two car household so I've got a 3-series for the occasional road trip. Still haven't figured out how to get an L2 charger installed at a reasonable cost in my condo's multi-story underground garage. But it's proven a minor issue. The combination of public, L2 or 3 charging and L1 in the home garage works just fine. Whether a particular vehicle makes sense for you all depends on your circumstances. A SUV with a V8 and 4-wheel drive would have too many limitations for my situation, for instance.

 

[Jeffj]

I'm just outside of Boulder (and yes, its snowing now). I have a REx with ~5500 miles on it. Picked it up on December 1, so I'm averaging about 950 miles/month. For me, its been great. My commute is small, about 7 miles one way, but with hills. So on a "typical" day, I use maybe 15% of the battery (25% in the winter). I regularly drive up to Indian Hills (south off of 285) and can easily make the round-trip without the REx kicking in now that the temps have warmed up. My experience here in Colorado is ~3.6 miles/kWh in the winter and 4.2 mi/kWh and climbing now that the temps have increased. Use that to figure your range (multiply by 18.8 kWh capacity). In the winter I pre-condition for departure in the morning, but drive home at night with no pre-conditioning. Now that its warm, I don't bother.

If your goal is 80 miles/day regularly, you won't get it out of the BEV here in CO (temps too low in the winter) but with the REx you can get that. You'll just be filling up the gas tank at least once a week (it only takes ~45 seconds to fill the tank once the pump starts). Realistic electric range for the REx is around 55-60 if you pre-condition in the winter.

I've been keeping pretty good track of what the car is costing on a per-mile basis, and I'm around $2.12/mile right now, with the number dropping each month as I put more miles on it and re-coup the down payment. My operating costs (95% of my charging is at home, and I'm averaging 95% electric miles) are ~$2.65 per 100 miles (e.g. between 2 and 3 cents a mile).

The car is great if it meets your needs. My wife has a Volvo SUV and we still have our 14 year old pickup truck for hauling and horse related stuff, so we always have an option for an ICE. As a result, the limitations of the car don't affect me. If you have another ICE vehicle and your commute/daily mileage is under 55 miles, then it'll be great. I would recommend the REx for Colorado, as a simple trip up any of the canyons just sucks the battery, and DCFC options here are pretty bleak.

 

[justanotherdrunk]

i regret getting the rex ... never have come close to needing it

dont care about auto parking

i lease a new/ different vehicle every 2 years so dont care about tax incentives

limitations? its a superior city car in every way ... especially the 1 pedal driving

if i wanna go far i use the other car

garage L1 120v charging works for me ... i occasionally hit a L2 or dc fast charge around town if its convenient

not a hobby more like a toy

 

[mlsstl]

To the OP, I was in roughly the same boat as you. I fell in love with the car immediately. It would have worked perfectly in my city routine -- I have a daily round trip to work of about 7 miles and have a number of regular around-town trips that take the total distance up to somewhere between 15 to 30 miles a day. We have a second car (new Subaru Outback) that would easily handle all road trips & luggage/passenger carrying duties with ease.

But... my wife, though she liked the car and thought it fun to drive, called it impractical ("toy" was actually her word of choice). I could have argued with her as she currently drives a Mini Clubman that I find a hassle to get in & out of and it has an uncomfortable ride on any roads that are less-than-perfect, but after almost 39 years of married life, I knew that would not have been a profitable move for me.

Fortunately both current cars are running well right now so there is no need to make any quick decisions. It will be interesting to see what finally replaces the Mini.

 

[barrychan]

Our car Rex or Bev.....should be a second car that use mostly running around town, work, shopping ( get topped up ) dinner, short trips etc

 

[PDXelectric]

Greetings all,

I picked up an i3 REX today for an extended test drive. It is pouring rain here in Boulder and downright miserable to be honest. Believe it or not we are talking about snow tonight with a possible accumulation of 4 inches! The car is silver and black and has the range extender. Unfortunately it doesn't have the automatic parking feature nor does it have the Pro Navigation system. Pretty big disappointment as I truly wanted to play with these features.

At first my wife was pretty excited about the car but as she saw my excitement rise for it I think her practical mode kicked in. She pointed out that with the price of the car even with the Federal $7500 and Colorado $6500 tax incentive I could at $33.5k get many cars without the limitations of the i3.

It is very hard to get around this logic.

I love the idea of an electric car but not sure if 80 miles is going to do it for me. I have yet to see the range extender kick in. Sadly there is the issue of buying the car and having to sink in another $1k to get 240 run to the garage and get a level 2 charger. The other big question is whether the electrical box will actually allow the addition of another 240 circuit. If I would have to upgrade the box that would certainly end this trek across the stars.

I don't know.. I like the car a lot. I just don't know if it does make sense. Perhaps if the other features were present and that demonstrated the true capabilities of the car it would be easier to convince here. As it is the car is outside right now charging with 110 connected. It will be sometime around 10:30AM tomorrow before it is charged.

Is this car mostly a hobby for most folks my wife asks?

Probably a fair question.

I think your daily driving requirements do come into play here. How far do you drive to work? How far do you drive for activities/errands? If you drive 80 miles round trip routinely and do not have L2 charging access, you may have a hard time reaching full charge and would rely on your REX more often. This takes away some of the advantages of the i3.

I would take an estimate of your driving habits over the past 6 months and ask how many times you have gone over 80 miles. Personally, I drive 18 miles round trip to work. On the weekends, it would be unusual for me to go over 30 miles in a day. Though I have owned it for a short period, I have yet to be afflicted with range anxiety. We do take 3 road trips per year and have a SUV for that.

Rather than a hobby, I find not stopping for gas tremendously practical.

 

[I33t]

Is the OP coming back?

 

[NoMoreGas]

Took delivery of REX 12/1/15. 5 day a week 55 mile commute round trip. Never needed REX except for occasional Washington, DC jaunt. PERFECT commuting car. Quiet, composed and peppy. Made it through zero degree winter with up to a foot of snow with no problem. If four people or fewer in family and routine commute needs are 60 miles a day or less, I can think of no better car. Cross shopped the Tesla and did not like the size or the suspension compared to the i3. Do have other cars (Subaru STi, MB Gwagen, Volvo C30) but use them less and less. Will probably sell two of the cars as the Volvo and the Gwagen are just sitting. Highly recommended. Very pleasant. In addition, since December 1 I have purchased NO GAS for my daily commute (yes, for DC) and the vehicle has been perfect. No warnings or issues. Have 5800 miles on it as of today. Do not get the 20 inch wheels.

 

[mlsstl]

Do not get the 20 inch wheels.

Just curious -- is this due to the "whoop-whoop" sound, a harsher ride, or something else? All of the i3s my local dealer has have 20" wheels.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Do not get the 20 inch wheels.

Just curious -- is this due to the "whoop-whoop" sound, a harsher ride, or something else? All of the i3s my local dealer has have 20" wheels.

First, the 20" wheels are only available with summer performance tires...if it snows where you live or regularly gets below 40-degrees F, you'll need a second set of wheels, sensors, tires for the winter. NOt a bad idea, but extra money if you weren't planning on it.
Second, shorter sidewalls are more prone to wheel and/or tire damage.
Third, the ride is stiffer.
Fourth, while not everyone experiences the sound, it is a possibility that you may have to live with until they can figure out what really is causing it and can implement a fix.

Some can't stand to see a tire in the wheelwell, and 'require' the largest one they can fit. Personally, I'm more practical, and the reasons above overweigh any desire for larger ones for me. Your feelings may dictate otherwise, and, those wheels/tires ARE more expensive to start with.

 

[i3an]

First, here in SF it's either sunny or foggy but never freezing, so 20" works for me.
Second, true: shorter sidewalls are more prone to damage, and my frequent flyer miles are the better for it.
Third, well yeah, that's a matter of taste, and stiff is fine by me.
It ain't broke! Don't fix it! I like my whoop-whoop!
True story: two dudes went out to check out my new wheels; the Anglo commented "Nice dashboard" to which his Hispanic buddy said "20-inch wheels — traveling' in style!". Something for everyone, i3 for president!