BMW i3 (REX) Long Range Experiment (All Electric Vehicle)
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2021
- My wife and I decided to take our BMW i3 on our trip from Raleigh, NC to Orlando, FL, regardless of what challenges lay ahead. We love a good journey and we had a great time! Please subscribe for future interesting videos and thanks for watching this video!
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
i love watching people take road trips in their i3's! Mine is a 2014, and haven't taken it for long distances yet. 1) They are now making EV compatible travel Trailers in Germany! 2) Please consider joining the BMW i3 Southeastern group.
Thanks for the tip, Mark!
Mark, between picking up pennies and Pokémon, they don't have time, wierd lol.
Hey Dylan. Great video. I traveled 970 miles in a 2014 i3 Rex from Denver to Minneapolis. Shorter battery range, but I only used 15 gals of gas to travel that far. Super comfortable road trip car.
"It drives like a BMW" is so accurate even for this tiny little car. I laugh when I see my wife driving it because it's so small, but when you're in the car, it doesn't feel small at all. Totally agree it's a really comfortable drive!
So with the Rex if you keep gas in it, you wouldn’t have to worry about charging from a plug (in case I couldn’t find one nearby?)
The dealer won’t suggest it, but there’s plenty of real world examples that support just running on the range extender. It’s worked fine for us when we need it.
Comfortable ! Are you sure you are driving a BMW i3
This is everything I needed to know all in one video. Thanks! 👍🏾🙏🏾
Great insight I have a 2015 BMW i3 Rex love it!!!
Awesome video. The Chemistry between the two of you is amazing. Great team. Am an EV enthusiast and hope to own one very soon even though the charging infrastructure here (Kenya) is very limited. Green is the way to go.
Thanks for the incredibly kind comments, Conrad! I hope you’re able to get an EV soon and help justify your country investing more in the infrastructure! Cheers!
Thanks for the video report and for driving electric!!! Ray Cardona, Drive Electric Cincinnati 2011 Nissan Leaf, 2018 Hyundai Ioniq PHEV. Cheers and safe travels.
Up at 3 am to make a CZcams video? Now THAT’s dedication! Cheers.
You two made that trip fun. Awesome tradition with the pennies. And Walmarts, feels like you are driving around the same city, they are all the same. But good for restrooms and chargers.
Yeah, you quickly forget which Walmart is which when you’re thinking back. I’d love to see Electrify America expand beyond just Walmarts. Maybe they are but that’s the only place we’ve seen them so far.
Traveled from Vegas to Michigan and then Michigan to San Diego in my I3 REX. No problems at all, and charged almost exclusively at Walmarts. Had no worries, plus regenerative breaking helped me gain 28+ miles to battery in both my passes through Colorodo.
pokemon you gotta catch em all
Nice video. I love road trips, particularly in the US. Electrify America seems to be the way to go for the USA. Long journeys are really great in this car. I have one in the UK and quite often do 300 mile trips. The REX takes all the stress out of long journeys, because you're never going to have to be recovered due to a flat battery.
unless you run out of battery and gas by pushing the limit🤣
Thanks for sharing
That was a great video and I even discovered a couple of amazing audio tracks. Thanks 🙏🏻
I have to give my wife credit for finding the royalty-free tracks for this one. :)
@@xtremetoonz particularly Mulle- My New Me
@@xtremetoonz well done wife 👏🏻👏🏻
That drive looks awfully familiar to me! Thanks for taking along for the virtual ride!
Maybe we’ll make it all the way down to Miami next time! 😂
@@xtremetoonz just 4 more walmarts!
I enjoyed the trip with you both , I'm thinking of going electric now ✅️
Thanks for watching and glad we could help with inspiration!
Great car.👍🏼
Great video. Don’t see any of these in Nairobi Kenya but i really want to buy one.
Thanks Rajville!
Cool video.
On a long trip right now in our 2017 REx. Recoded Range Extender recently to maintain charge. This is so well thought out.
I wish EV vs ICE weren't so tribal. For us, the REx is perfect: 95% of our annual (24k mile) driving is on battery, 5% on gasoline.
We're probably about the same. We don't drive much during the week as we live downtown Raleigh and work from home so we can walk most places but those we do drive to are within easy battery range. Have fun on your trip and be safe!
Greetings from Germany. Just bought an i3 Rex with 60Ah. But no fast charging. Your vid was so nice... Will try a trip to the north sea, just about 350 km. So not like yours.
Have fun and be safe! We loved our i3!
I drove my i3 from Washington DC to Orlando on ONE charge! Now I did load the car on an Amtrak train between Lorton Va, and Sanford Fl. so 885 miles was done by a train but I think i still deserve credit.
I did do a DC to Jacksonville trip once. About 50% on gas and 50% on electricity. With a hotel stop in the middle near a mall that had free level 2 charging. Woke to 100% charge.
I’d say that’s pretty efficient driving! And here I thought drafting semi trucks was a good idea. 🤣
Great video! I watched you guys video because I’m think of taking my 2017 i3 Rex from Clarksville, TN to Locust Grove GA. I see that it can be done and made into a fun trip. Where did you go to get it coded?
Good luck!
I bought the OBD sensor and coded it myself. It was just shy of $100 for both the sensor and the app if I remember correctly and it was pretty easy to do. I would have recorded a video doing it but there were a few out there that were helpful and I didn't see the need to duplicate.
Real good that have a REx to remove the range anxiety. However i3's boot is too small for a family. I hope other cars add REx to their EVs too.
Important to see a video of the i3 making a long trip with little trouble…in the southeast no less, Walmart providing reliable charging. We’re on the other side of DC but nice to know we can make that trip. So many negative videos on trips…my goodness.
Especially after coding our car to enable the battery hold with the range extender, we're pretty comfortable planning longer trips. We'll do our best to not use gas, but having it available when needed is great. Thanks for the comment!
I live in Winston-Salem and need to have my 2015 i3 REX coded. Where can I get it coded to the original German settings in the area? Do you know?@@xtremetoonz
This is perfect for where I live (South Africa). There is almost no charging infrastructure here - fuel prices are also quite high.
Yes! Charge when you can but gas up when not! 👌🏼
Loved my '15 and '17 rex's, Put 100k collectively on them. Did a 1200 mile trip on my '17 - was great fun. I did encounter 11 chargers out of service or closed and that was annoying, rex was a godsend, also annoying was downloading a new app when I went to a different network. Had to move to better range vehicle to avoid all of the time at chargers - I did stay w/german built, well Austrian 😆
What are the maintenance costs like?
@@brocklanders6969 none. Only thing to worry about was oil change with rex models - is a moped motor so 1 qrt with tiny oilfilter. Biggest thing is tyres only lasting 15-20 k miles on EVs - instant torque everyone lobes has a cost. My local bridgestone kept 2 of each size in stock for me so I could avoid ordering and ship time.
@@nosoupforyou425 Thanks for the reply. Of all the EV, PHEV, and Hybrids -- this design to me makes the most sense. I wish the styling was a little more mainstream.
Austrian built? Gwagen?
@@stevenc5526 i-pace
Nice little clip. You two are definitely a 'glass half full' couple. Hey, my question to you concerns your reliability with your i3. I want one (don't NEED one!) and wondered what your experience has been like as far as repairs. How many miles on your buggy now? Thx.
Unfortunately (scan through the other comments for more info) we were in an accident with our i3 on Nov 2, 2022, so we don't have much history to report on in regards to reliability. Our experience during ownership was fantastic and we've actually light heartedly discussed getting another one. We didn't replace the i3 with another i3 at the time because they were fairly hard to come by (the particular model we wanted) and we ended up going the Tesla route. No regrets there, but we do miss our i3 and highly recommend it to others.
For real drafting behind the truck ( with significant reduction in consumption) you need to be much closer. Which is not safe obviously
Completely agree on the efficiency and safety. I wanted to use the car's adaptive cruise control as it would be better at avoiding a fast break situation 100% of the time vs my ability to hopefully react fast enough, though the adaptive is smart enough to not get too close. I had it dialed in as close as it would go. I did still realize some additional miles when I was able to draft for good portion of the leg.
3 car lengths behind it for like 5% improvement is excellent on long trips
Mine drove from Geneva (Switzerland) to Prague, approximately 1000 km (625 miles) with the 60Ah battery. All that in 12 hours, mostly on fuel of course. It came back to Geneva, also in 12 hours with the upgraded 120 aH battery (mostly on fuel).
Fun adventures! On a separate note, my airpods seemed to make their way to London from Miami (US), then to Prague this past week. I've been following their world adventures. Hoping they come home sometime. haha
@@xtremetoonz Near Prague there is the guy called Havrla who does the battery upgrade to 120 Ah. Excellent job btw.
Wow, 12 hours is about the same time it takes for an ice car. Rex is like a cheat code. With the influx of Chinese models offering 300+ miles of range, do you think a pre-owned i3 is still a good choice?
@@rlander I do still think a used i3 is a great option. So much flexibility and zero fuel needed for in town driving. We miss ours.
@@rlander My recommendation is to buy a cheap Rex and get the 120 battery upgrade. You will love it.
First stop at 106 miles cost $7.44. Works out to 7 cents a mile driving cost. Equate that to a gas powered car at $4/gal would equal 57 mpg? Time spent waiting for a charge with 6 stops could be a drag though.
Depends if you’re on a mission or a journey. We like a journey and enjoyed the stops. Maybe not all the time but now that we have our i3 coded, we can choose to use the REx to get us further and charge less. Granted, that means we’re burning fossil fuels and we prefer electric only, but we have the option and 95% of time we’re driving around town and EV only.
@@xtremetoonz Maybe everyone should keep quiet about the coding.Your government would love to find a new way to get your money by fines and pulling the "electric only" classification so the car needs a smog check.
LITHUM ftw!!!
I enjoyed your video… I’m considering buying an i3. Not that it’s my business, but I feel morally obliged to tell you and your wife that travelling with your knees up in an air-bag equipped car is VERY dangerous. In an accident all the bones in your ankles will be broken, your pelvis too and probably a leg bone or two as well. Look forward to more of your videos.
Great point! Appreciate the kind words and warning. I read that to my wife so hopefully it’ll stick. 🙏🏼😁
😅
There is an app available that lets you (amongst other things) engage the range extender whenever you like.
that will void warranty
it's a shame the US variant REX doesn't come on until 6% by default, it's going to hurt your battery going that low all the time
My wife always told me me, if you find a penny, give it to a friend and you both will have good luck. You must never spend or lose the penny, or your luck will be gone to.
As much as I love having an EV, having that little scooter motor in the back is what makes longer trips tolerable (even possible at all here in some parts of the west).
LOL @scooter motor! Totally agree that having that back up plan really is a good mix of EV for around town and making longer trips possible and mostly thoughtless (charging planning not really needed).
I just got a used 2018 i3 and the dealer said it cannot be charged with a level 3. Are there some that can be?
I don’t think your dealer person knows much about BMW i3s.
Level 1, plugs into a normal 110v Jack. This will take over night and make a day to charge the car fully. Very slow. You should have one of these chargers with the car. If you don’t, let me know and I have ours still I can sell you.
Level 2, uses the same plug size as Level 1 but will take 5-6 hours to charge the car.
Level 3 uses a larger plug type that the i3 accommodates so do course you can use level 3 and will take 30-45m to charge at a max of around 45kW. This is what we used in all of our charging on this trip.
Did 2017 have a sun/moonroof option?
Yes. We have a sunroof.
Unfortunate news to share, on November 2, 2022 a ride share driver (with a passenger) ran a red light and I barely had an opportunity to remove my foot from the accelerator much less avoid the accident. Our amazing i3 was considered a total loss but we didn't suffer any serious injuries. The dash cam of the accident is in my CZcams channel.
Wow, I'm sorry to hear about your i3 getting totaled in an accident. Thankfully, it's a relief to know you weren't hurt. What car did you decide on after the i3?
@@rlander We got a used Tesla Model Y and love it, but it’s definitely a different car from the i3.
What was the cost of the electricity for the drive and the delay for the charging?
It was about $6 and 30-45 minutes per stop/charge.
Thanks. I’m have an i3 with Rex but never done a long trip but willing to try that
Consider getting the OBD module and coding the Battery Hold and extra .5 gal of gas (if you're in the US). Being able to kick in the REx at 75% battery will give you more range before needing to charge. We haven't done a trip since I coded that but looking forward to that and probably another video.
Already done.
"hot swap" rental batteries. Back up the car to a robotized battery switch out in 5 minutes. Not your batteries, and the maintenance is not your worry.
Thinking of getting an i3 Rex. What year should I avoid?
I wouldn’t be the best person to ask that. I’d suggest joining one of the Facebook groups, maybe one of the Bimmer Code i3 groups as those members will tend to be more technical and analytical. My only beef with our model is that I can’t get CarPlay without a hardware upgrade.
Avoid it totally. The Rex is too loud and annoying. The ride is horrible in the snow and on windy days. You’ll want a Tesla every time you see one.
What trim level i3 has a sunroof??
I’m not sure what the trim level is as we bought used but yes, it has a sunroof.
What was the total spent on charging and fuel?
Unfortunately I didn't keep a log to have a specific answer for you, but total charging time was approx 35 minutes per stop and 7 stops each direction. The charging cost was around $6 per stop. Hope that helps!
@@xtremetoonz sure does! What an awesome trip! I’d be doing it from Jersey… one day
Would it be faster to just use the range extender and quickly stop at Gas Stations? :)
I'm learning some people will just run off the REx for long trips. Now that I have ours coded, we may do that, though I'll still stop for charging, just less.
Update, we’ve had a couple “long” trips where we used electric down to 75% capacity then ran the REx until we estimated the remaining 75% electric would get us the last leg. It’s worked great!
Yep, probably. I’ve got the 20 kwhr battery in my 2014 and would be doing 50 miles between charges. I get about 100 miles off the 9litre fuel tank with stops taking about 5 mins. Battery day to day, Rex for road trips works for me. Oh, and I can do 68 mph sustained on the Rex, not 50
How long a Rex will last before requiring a rebuilt?2000hrs
Good question but I’m not sure. Dealer would need to chime in on that I think.
lol...2000 hours??..what???Its a regular scooter motor...im sure they can easily get 50000 kms as long as oil changes were regular. MYTH that its supposed to be only used as emergency, otherwise BMW would not have enabled rex on anytime below 75%.
Dylan & Carla and your BMWi3 you look real nice guys, though your music sucks, try Meatloaf. I'm in South East Scotland 78 yr old disabled ex vet (paralyzed rt leg,) gave up my 3.0 'S' Type Jaguar in August now looking for an EV bit of a luxury as the bus stops right across the street and the railroad to Edinburgh just 5 minutes on the bus. our grocery store is just 2 doors down, yel, come agin now, yer hear.
What did this trip cost you for all those charging fees?
I don't recall. It wasn't that bad and certainly much less expensive than had it been gas fill ups.
What year is that?
2017
The best ev out there unfortunately bmw are ceasing production
Dylan & Carla still love you guys + i3 but sadly your music still sucks - take care of each other - come again now y' hear - come on over some day and drive an EV in bonnie Scotland
Just to be pedantic, if you have a rex it uses gas.
gasoline
GTFO? I prefer to use "Ghethayfoe". I think it's French