According to Consumer Reports in an April 2015 article, the BMW i3 is the "most energy-efficient yet." (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/06/bmw-i3-electric-car-review-road-report/index.htm)
The body is made of carbon fiber, the outer panels are plastic, and the chassis is aluminum. All of this drastically reduces the weight of the car but without sacrificing rigidity and safety. You can view some videos of the production process by going to http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2013/09/bmw-i3-production-video-series.html .
The BMW i3 is also very aerodynamic, further improving the energy efficiency. A fully concealed underbody prevents wind turbulence under the car, while
aero-flaps improve the aerodynamics of the wheel arches and side sills
behind the front wheels. This reduces wind resistance and the car’s
energy consumption, extending the range. The drag coefficient of the car is 0.29. The car with the lowest drag coefficient of any production car is the Tesla at 0.24; the BMW i3's rating makes it only 20% higher.
Environmentally, the interior is made of 25% recycled materials and any wood (optional) is from renewable natural fibers. The textile upholstery is made of up to 100 % recycled polyester,
produced using 34 % PET. A further 25 % recycled plastics are used in
the exterior.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
My BWM i3 -- Lease and Delivery
I decided to look into leasing a BMW i3 with range extender and found that the monthly fee was very reasonable for a 24-month lease. There are no BMW dealers in Prescott, so I contacted Chapman BMW in Phoenix. My upfront cost for the lease was about $7000, but this included state sales taxes, first month payment, auto license, etc. The monthly lease fee is $291.70. The MSRP for the car was $48,200.00.
This is a typical BMW with lots of gizmos that include parking assist to automatically park the car without assistance and to warn you if you get too close to objects at any time. The range for the battery is somewhere around 80 miles, and the range extender kicks in when only 6% of the charge remains, giving you another 80 miles. Of course there are also things like navigation, satellite radio, rain-sensing windshield wipers, cruise control, blue tooth and USB connectivity.
About 25% of the plastic is recycled, the body is a fiberglass/plastic composite, the chassis is aluminum. The tires are selected to maximize mileage.
Of course, air conditioning, heat, cold and hot weather will affect the charge on the battery, and I plan to make additional posts as I find both positive and negative points when driving an electric vehicle.
I was wary of driving the 100 miles from Phoenix to Prescott, so my advisor at Chapman BMW, RC Cashatt, drove it up for me. He had to resort to the range extender for the last part of the trip which limited his power and speed up the mountains, but he had no problems with the drive. Based on this, a drive down the "hill" to Phoenix would not be a problem.
Included in my lease was a free level-2 charging station (BMW i Charging Station) that can charge my battery in about 8 hours as compared to a standard AC connection that requires about 16 hours for a full charge. The charging station will need to be installed, and I'll include details and comments on this when it's put in.
Here are some pictures of my BMW i3:
I'm really excited about this car and look forward to adding more details over the next two years!
This is a typical BMW with lots of gizmos that include parking assist to automatically park the car without assistance and to warn you if you get too close to objects at any time. The range for the battery is somewhere around 80 miles, and the range extender kicks in when only 6% of the charge remains, giving you another 80 miles. Of course there are also things like navigation, satellite radio, rain-sensing windshield wipers, cruise control, blue tooth and USB connectivity.
About 25% of the plastic is recycled, the body is a fiberglass/plastic composite, the chassis is aluminum. The tires are selected to maximize mileage.
Of course, air conditioning, heat, cold and hot weather will affect the charge on the battery, and I plan to make additional posts as I find both positive and negative points when driving an electric vehicle.
I was wary of driving the 100 miles from Phoenix to Prescott, so my advisor at Chapman BMW, RC Cashatt, drove it up for me. He had to resort to the range extender for the last part of the trip which limited his power and speed up the mountains, but he had no problems with the drive. Based on this, a drive down the "hill" to Phoenix would not be a problem.
Included in my lease was a free level-2 charging station (BMW i Charging Station) that can charge my battery in about 8 hours as compared to a standard AC connection that requires about 16 hours for a full charge. The charging station will need to be installed, and I'll include details and comments on this when it's put in.
Here are some pictures of my BMW i3:
I'm really excited about this car and look forward to adding more details over the next two years!
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