I leased my BMW i3 Rex from Chapman BMW on Camelback in Phoenix, AZ, but was wary of driving it the one hundred miles to my home in Prescott. My sales agent drove it up and we signed the papers at my home.
I was due for a routine warranty maintenance that had to be done in Phoenix because there is no BMW dealer in my area. Depending on the outside temperature, I can typically get a charge of about 80 miles from my level 2 charging station, and the range extender motor scooter engine (Rex) can add about another 70 miles when the battery charge goes below 6%. However, many of us know that the actual mileage you get is also a function of how fast you drive, the topology of the terrain you're driving on, the mode you select for driving (Comfort, Eco Pro, or Eco Pro+). Rex relieves us of some range anxiety, but since my trip would be up and down some serious mountains on an interstate highway, some range anxiety still was with me. I suspected that the downhill drive (from about 5500 feet elevation to about 1500 feet elevation) would be okay, but I was clearly worried about the trip back up to my home even though my sales agent did it last Fall.
When I first started the trip, the speed limit is about 45 mph, so I selected Eco Pro+ to save a little charge. When I got further to the 65 mph and 75 mph speed limits, I changed to Eco Pro (governed to 76 mph) and drove at about 60-65 mph. Going down to Phoenix, my battery lasted for about 96 miles, so I only had about three miles to go on Rex to reach the dealer.
Chapman BMW then charged my i3 back up (at no "charge" to me!) and my wife and I started back home. One thing I was fearing was if I had to resort to Rex on a very mountainous and winding region, knowing that I could be forced to drive a 35 hp i3, that would probably limit my speed to about 40 mph. Again using Eco Pro driving mode for the entire trip, I managed to get 63 miles before being switched to Rex, and this occurred beyond the scary mountainous and winding section of the interstate. When I finally pulled into my driveway in Prescott, I had about a quarter tank of the 1.9 gallons remaining, showing about 18 miles left.
Whew! I made it! This will probably be the longest trip I'll take in the i3 since I have driven only about 2500 miles since I got the car in late September last year. The idea of worrying about gas stations every 65-70 miles to refill my gas tank for a longer trip that didn't leave four hours for charging would give me "gas anxiety." I'm hoping BMW increases the battery range with more efficient batteries in the 2017 model and that they can find a way to give us a larger gas tank and maybe a more efficient Rex. Since I'm leasing my i3 for two years, I may either decide to buy the one I'm currently leasing or lease again with the new model.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Thursday, February 11, 2016
My BMW i3 -- "Cradle to Grave" Carbon Emissions
A recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists (http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-full-report.pdf) describes the "Cradle to Grave" carbon emissions for battery-electric cars and shows that they are twice as good as conventional cars. This link goes to a pdf document that you can download. A more readable summary of this is found in a Green Car Reports article (http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102307_once-again-electric-cars-have-lower-lifetime-carbon-emissions?fbfanpage).
For those of us who are pro-electric-car proponents, this information might be useful when your friends ask questions about carbon emissions.
As those of us who own or are leasing a BMW i3, we also know that the car contains recycled and sustainable material.
Here's a link to BMW that gives you more information about sustainability in the i Family: http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/corporation/bmwi/sustainability.html .
Another interesting article describes the manufacturing process used when a BMW i3 is created: http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/bmw-leipzig-the-epicenter-of-i3-production-
For those of us who are pro-electric-car proponents, this information might be useful when your friends ask questions about carbon emissions.
As those of us who own or are leasing a BMW i3, we also know that the car contains recycled and sustainable material.
Here's a link to BMW that gives you more information about sustainability in the i Family: http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/corporation/bmwi/sustainability.html .
Another interesting article describes the manufacturing process used when a BMW i3 is created: http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/bmw-leipzig-the-epicenter-of-i3-production-
Saturday, January 16, 2016
My BMW i3 -- Range Extender Maintenance
The Range Extender is really a motor scooter engine that runs a generator to add charge to the battery. Of course, it also generates emissions when running, so most of us would like to avoid using it. However, it needs to run occasionally to maintain operation and to burn some of the premium fuel before it deteriorates. Kymco in Taiwan supplies the engine, shown below:
BMW has provided a way for this maintenance, an automatic cycling if the engine has not been run in the last seven or eight weeks. You are notified that this is happening on your display, and it takes about ten minutes to complete. If my drive is shorter than ten minutes, my experience is that the cycle was repeated.
While cycling the engine, the BMW i3 still runs from the battery. Here is what I received from BMW's concierge:
To ensure the functional reliability of the range extender, even during long periods of non-use, the range extender is automatically activated for approximately 10-15 minutes. This occurs approximately every 7 weeks. The vehicle will notify you when it will run maintenance on the range extender. Please note that a maintenance run is not possible if the battery is above approximately 75% or if there is too little fuel in the tank.
Even though this detracts from the zero-emission operation of the BMW i3, it is important to make sure the engine is exercised and some of the fuel is burned.
BMW has provided a way for this maintenance, an automatic cycling if the engine has not been run in the last seven or eight weeks. You are notified that this is happening on your display, and it takes about ten minutes to complete. If my drive is shorter than ten minutes, my experience is that the cycle was repeated.
While cycling the engine, the BMW i3 still runs from the battery. Here is what I received from BMW's concierge:
To ensure the functional reliability of the range extender, even during long periods of non-use, the range extender is automatically activated for approximately 10-15 minutes. This occurs approximately every 7 weeks. The vehicle will notify you when it will run maintenance on the range extender. Please note that a maintenance run is not possible if the battery is above approximately 75% or if there is too little fuel in the tank.
Even though this detracts from the zero-emission operation of the BMW i3, it is important to make sure the engine is exercised and some of the fuel is burned.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
My BMW i3 -- Carbon Footprint
The BMW i3, when not using the range extender (REx), is a zero-emission vehicle. But the electricity can have a carbon footprint if its generation uses coal. And what is the carbon footprint for manufacturing the car? Then what is the carbon footprint when REx is used?
APS is the electricity supplier for us in Northern Arizona. I contacted them and asked for what percentage of their generation is from coal, nuclear, and alternative energy sources. Approximately 35% is coal, 20% for natural gas, 28% for nuclear, 10% for alternative sources, and about 7% from improvements in energy efficiency. This isn't perfect, but the majority of APS energy is from non-coal.
I also read an interesting article about electricity generation worldwide at http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/electric-car-emissions titled "Shades of Green: Electric Cars' Carbon Emissions Around the World" that shows how each country's carbon emission is reflected in electric vehicles. Here's an interesting chart:
The United States is a fossil-heavy country, not the best for electricity and EVs.
Based on the chart above, the article then produced another chart that uses the data shown above to represent petrol car emission equivalents in MPGus that could be interpreted very much like MPGe for EVs:
From this we can see that the United States produces energy equivalent to an efficient regular-petrol car that can achieve abut 40 MPG, where Paraguay has 218 MPG.
The BMW i3 is manufactured in a very energy-efficient plant. Here is a quote from http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/corporation/bmwi/sustainability.html#production :
In 2014 - for the ninth time since 2005 - the BMW Group once again tops the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as the world’s most sustainable automobile manufacturer. Rather than become complacent, we were motivated to create new standards: the energy-intensive carbon fibre manufacturing process was set up in Moses Lake, USA, because it can be operated there using clean energy from one of the world's largest hydroelectric power plants – the Grand Coulee Dam. Furthermore, 100 % of the power used by the BMW i manufacturing plant in Leipzig is obtained from renewable energy sources. In addition, the energy consumption required to produce the BMW i3 in the Leipzig plant was reduced by 50 % and water consumption by as much as 70 %.*
*BMW i3 production when compared to the industry-leading BMW Standard.
In most cases, the range extender will not be used, but it does provide relief from "range anxiety." Since it is a small motorcycle engine with a generator that puts charge into the batteries (serial-hybrid), it does produce CO2 emissions of 13 g/km when running. When the BMW i3 is stopped, the engine does not run. In 2010, the average CO2 emission for cars in the United States was 255.6 g/km, so the REx is only about 5% of that when it is running. The Toyota Prius has a CO2 emission of about 90g/km.
APS is the electricity supplier for us in Northern Arizona. I contacted them and asked for what percentage of their generation is from coal, nuclear, and alternative energy sources. Approximately 35% is coal, 20% for natural gas, 28% for nuclear, 10% for alternative sources, and about 7% from improvements in energy efficiency. This isn't perfect, but the majority of APS energy is from non-coal.
I also read an interesting article about electricity generation worldwide at http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/electric-car-emissions titled "Shades of Green: Electric Cars' Carbon Emissions Around the World" that shows how each country's carbon emission is reflected in electric vehicles. Here's an interesting chart:
The United States is a fossil-heavy country, not the best for electricity and EVs.
Based on the chart above, the article then produced another chart that uses the data shown above to represent petrol car emission equivalents in MPGus that could be interpreted very much like MPGe for EVs:
From this we can see that the United States produces energy equivalent to an efficient regular-petrol car that can achieve abut 40 MPG, where Paraguay has 218 MPG.
The BMW i3 is manufactured in a very energy-efficient plant. Here is a quote from http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/corporation/bmwi/sustainability.html#production :
In 2014 - for the ninth time since 2005 - the BMW Group once again tops the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as the world’s most sustainable automobile manufacturer. Rather than become complacent, we were motivated to create new standards: the energy-intensive carbon fibre manufacturing process was set up in Moses Lake, USA, because it can be operated there using clean energy from one of the world's largest hydroelectric power plants – the Grand Coulee Dam. Furthermore, 100 % of the power used by the BMW i manufacturing plant in Leipzig is obtained from renewable energy sources. In addition, the energy consumption required to produce the BMW i3 in the Leipzig plant was reduced by 50 % and water consumption by as much as 70 %.*
*BMW i3 production when compared to the industry-leading BMW Standard.
In most cases, the range extender will not be used, but it does provide relief from "range anxiety." Since it is a small motorcycle engine with a generator that puts charge into the batteries (serial-hybrid), it does produce CO2 emissions of 13 g/km when running. When the BMW i3 is stopped, the engine does not run. In 2010, the average CO2 emission for cars in the United States was 255.6 g/km, so the REx is only about 5% of that when it is running. The Toyota Prius has a CO2 emission of about 90g/km.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
My BMW i3 -- Range Extender (REX)
I'm leasing an i3 that has a range extender, a 675-cc motorcycle engine in the rear of the car and next to the electric motor that runs an electric generator, providing power to the battery when the charge drops below 6% of its capacity. In other words, the BMW i3 REX is really a series hybrid.
Because BMW designed the i3 to meet California zero-emissions guidelines, this range extender can only be run in a limited way because the motorcycle engine does emit. This is why the gas tank for REX is only 1.9 gallons and why it can't run until the lithium-ion battery drops below 6%. As I understand from what I've read, European versions of this car do allow drivers to run REX at any time to add charge to the battery, regardless of its charge content.
Here are two pictures of the exposed rear of the i3, one with only the electric motor and the other with the range extender installed next to it:
Because the gasoline motor needs to run at times, BMW actually has designed it to be automatically turned on approximately every seven weeks, even if the i3 has adequate charge. However, that charge must be less than 75% for the maintenance run; if the car charge is more than that, the maintenance cycling will wait until it drops below 75%. The driver is informed on the display when the maintenance run is occurring.
I decided that I wanted to see how the range extender works, so I let the charge on my i3 drop below 6%. You can just barely hear the motor running, and the instrument panel changes to show that the REX is running. The picture below shows that the lower-left gasoline gauge is illuminated when the range extender runs. That gauge will be gray in normal operation.
I don't intend to use REX because my i3 will be used as an in-city car, but it's nice to know that extended range is possible.
The speed of the motor (and motor noise) will increase when the car goes faster, but if the demand for speed or power up a hill exceeds the capability of the 25 kW REX, the i3 will slow down. Regenerative braking can recharge the battery, even when the REX is running, and the motor will be turned off when the charge exceeds 6%. REX will also turn off when the car is stopped.
REX is rated by the EPA at 39 mpg (approximately a range of 74 miles), so a longer trip is possible with the car as long as you're able to stop for premium gasoline to refill the small tank.
But also remember that because the i3 uses regenerative braking and has three driving modes (Comfort, Eco Pro, and Eco Pro +) range can be extended depending on which mode you use and how much regenerative braking you can provide.
Because BMW designed the i3 to meet California zero-emissions guidelines, this range extender can only be run in a limited way because the motorcycle engine does emit. This is why the gas tank for REX is only 1.9 gallons and why it can't run until the lithium-ion battery drops below 6%. As I understand from what I've read, European versions of this car do allow drivers to run REX at any time to add charge to the battery, regardless of its charge content.
Here are two pictures of the exposed rear of the i3, one with only the electric motor and the other with the range extender installed next to it:
Because the gasoline motor needs to run at times, BMW actually has designed it to be automatically turned on approximately every seven weeks, even if the i3 has adequate charge. However, that charge must be less than 75% for the maintenance run; if the car charge is more than that, the maintenance cycling will wait until it drops below 75%. The driver is informed on the display when the maintenance run is occurring.
I decided that I wanted to see how the range extender works, so I let the charge on my i3 drop below 6%. You can just barely hear the motor running, and the instrument panel changes to show that the REX is running. The picture below shows that the lower-left gasoline gauge is illuminated when the range extender runs. That gauge will be gray in normal operation.
I don't intend to use REX because my i3 will be used as an in-city car, but it's nice to know that extended range is possible.
The speed of the motor (and motor noise) will increase when the car goes faster, but if the demand for speed or power up a hill exceeds the capability of the 25 kW REX, the i3 will slow down. Regenerative braking can recharge the battery, even when the REX is running, and the motor will be turned off when the charge exceeds 6%. REX will also turn off when the car is stopped.
REX is rated by the EPA at 39 mpg (approximately a range of 74 miles), so a longer trip is possible with the car as long as you're able to stop for premium gasoline to refill the small tank.
But also remember that because the i3 uses regenerative braking and has three driving modes (Comfort, Eco Pro, and Eco Pro +) range can be extended depending on which mode you use and how much regenerative braking you can provide.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Moto E Smartphone for Tracfone
For a while now I've been using a Moto E with my Tracfone account. I actually bought it from Amazon for around $100 and it is far and away the best phone I've had so far. Motorola has done a great job of offering a device that is a pretty pure Android (Kitkat), and it's much faster that the others I've used. Here's a link to specifications: http://tracfonereviewer.blogspot.com/2014/10/tracfone-moto-e-xt830c.html . Even though the internal storage is limited, the phone does have a slot for a micro SD card. When you purchase minutes from Tracfone, you get triple minutes, triple text messages, and triple data in megabytes.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
MY BMW i3 -- Storage
In my previous car, a 2007 Toyota Prius (2nd Gen.) I had a place where I could store lots of stuff -- in the back of the car and under the floor. The only thing I'm not satisfied with in the i3 is the lack of space for things that I like to carry with me. The BMW i3 has no such area since the electric motor and range extender occupy all of the space beneath the floor.
The "frunk" (aka the trunk in the front since the electric motor and range extender are in the back and under the floor) only has a small space that where you find the convenience (110-volt) charge cable and an electric air pump with a canister to seal a tire leak. BMW also alerts an owner to the fact that the area is not water proof and that "misting" can occur in the frunk from a car wash. The charge cable and air pump are in plastic bags because of this. On the passenger side of the frunk is the windshield washer fluid tank, and the 12-volt battery used for the car accessories is also to the left of it; that battery is recharged when the car is charged.
There is a small cubby-hole in both of the front doors where a few things can be stored, like umbrellas, ice scrapers, etc.
There is plenty of space in the rear for just about anything you might want to
transport in the car, especially if you lower the back seats. Lots of
room for luggage, etc. I also like the cover that hides the back of the car when the hatchback door is closed.
The glove box has a little space, but if you carry the BMW-supplied user manual and pouch there, not very much room left.
The area between the front seats has a small space for little things under the arm rest and just below it.
One could put some things in the back seats (either upright or folded down) if there was no need for people back there. But you just know an occasion will arise when you do need to put someone in those seats.
I'm using my i3 as an in-city car, so perhaps concerns about storage would not be very important. If only the back seats could be raised to provide some more hidey-holes for other things I've always carried in the trunk of my other cars.
The "frunk" (aka the trunk in the front since the electric motor and range extender are in the back and under the floor) only has a small space that where you find the convenience (110-volt) charge cable and an electric air pump with a canister to seal a tire leak. BMW also alerts an owner to the fact that the area is not water proof and that "misting" can occur in the frunk from a car wash. The charge cable and air pump are in plastic bags because of this. On the passenger side of the frunk is the windshield washer fluid tank, and the 12-volt battery used for the car accessories is also to the left of it; that battery is recharged when the car is charged.
There is a small cubby-hole in both of the front doors where a few things can be stored, like umbrellas, ice scrapers, etc.
The glove box has a little space, but if you carry the BMW-supplied user manual and pouch there, not very much room left.
The area between the front seats has a small space for little things under the arm rest and just below it.
One could put some things in the back seats (either upright or folded down) if there was no need for people back there. But you just know an occasion will arise when you do need to put someone in those seats.
I'm using my i3 as an in-city car, so perhaps concerns about storage would not be very important. If only the back seats could be raised to provide some more hidey-holes for other things I've always carried in the trunk of my other cars.
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