Disappointed with range

[kc1]

Again I bought into the BMW marketing nonsense, expecting 80-85. Even preconditioned, my wife's i3 shows maximum 60miles on 100% charge and is effectively <50-55 no matter which mode or how driven.

 

[Tomasz]

Again I bought into the BMW marketing nonsense, expecting 80-85. Even preconditioned, my wife's i3 shows maximum 60miles on 100% charge and is effectively <50-55 no matter which mode or how driven.

I find that the biggest factor is not preconditioning. It's climbing. And head/tail wind.

I drive mine to work twice a week, seventy some miles one way. I'm getting between 49 and 59 miles of electric range depending on wind. I've never seen (so far) more than 59 miles (and that was with solid tail wind), but remembering my experience from LEAf, I never expected more than 65 since I've got about 4000ft of climbing (and 4000ft of descents) between home and work. So if you live in hilly area, even if you recoup something on descends, the process is not 100% efficient and you loose tons of range.

 

[TheCyclist]

It makes a lot of sense that hills will make a big difference - as will speed - as wind resistance is proportional to the square of the speed. I think all of us are disappointed with the winter range, but it seems pretty consistent.

 

[ccjw33]

BMW used to claim the vehicle can run up to 99 miles with just EV version which I can never get close to it no matter how i drive. Now they change to 81 miles so I wonder if this false advertising will get them in the trouble if enough people complain about the range problem.

 

[websterize]

Three Ts to range: technique, temperature, terrain

 

[jasleinstein]

I agree with the first post. 80 to 90 mile range is a joke, but then I find many claims about the i3 by BMW are a joke. Our daughter and husband live thirty miles away. Aprox 20 miles of the trip is on the freeway. If I carefully drive the car to and from the freeway, then keep it on eco mode no faster than 59 MPH I can make it to a from our daughters house and home with less than 10 miles to spare (BTW when i specify miles I mean one half of one bar on the bottom of the screen, if I used BMW's calculation of miles available I'd stopped half way home to charge the car). If I have to use the fan for defroster at all, I will make it home with less than 5 miles of bar. Frankly the car is a fun little commuter. Around town we can buzz around, park with ease drive pretty freely, as long as we stay off the freeway, and drive less than 50 miles. With the replacement KLE the car charges quickly so it makes a couple trips a day possible.

 

[TheCyclist]

I have made 92miles on a full charge - in the summer - warm, dry, mostly rolling hills at about 50mph - some short stretches on "freeway" at 60mph. I was working very hard to never touch the brakes & spend as much time with the cruise control on as possible.

And the car was virtually brand new so the batteries were undegraded. I suspect if I had run no faster than 50mph I would have made 100miles. Or if I had turned off the Rex & run through into below zero [which I assume is possible in the electric only version].