Lots of info has been out about the forthcoming BMWi i3. But now that we’re actually a week or so away from launching, BMW is sending their Center personnel to training by way of large regional “Ride and Drive” events.

The i3 events are meant to address all the questions customers might have about the new i electric sub-brand, as well as to give the sales people the chance to experience first hand what an electric vehicle has to offer.

Here’s my take away of all the pertinent info without all the fluff.

  • The Range Extender’s fuel tank has been reduced from the EU’s 2.4 gallons to 1.9 gallons. Presumably because of EPA requirements, this is an ongoing story and still developing.
  • The Rex’s engine turnson when the battery’s state of charge reaches 5 to 6 percent.
  • The Rex will not charge the battery, it’s strictly used to supply enough power to keep the i3 going at speeds up to 70 MPH or there about. The i3 will not be limited to that speed, it’s more of a soft limiter.
  • There will be no Sunroof available for US cars for the immediate future.
  • Winter wheel and tire packages using the BEV’s style 427 and Bridgestone’s Blizzak 500 in a 19 inch diameter with a cross section of 155 are already available to BMW centers at a cost of roughly $1875.
  • The front compartment (Frunk) is not waterproof, so BMW highly recommends getting the accessory bag to keep the level 1 (110 volt) charger and mobility kit dry.
  • The BMWi remote app (Similar to My BMW Remote) will not be available to Windows Phone users, just Android and iOS.
  • The battery pack’s thermal management system uses R134a refrigerant to cool the battery.
  • BMW will warranty the battery pack for 8 years 100,000 miles against state of health issues once the battery no longer holds more than 70% charge. 10 years and 150,000 miles for i3s being sold in CARB states.
  • Individual battery modules can be replaced without replacing the entire battery pack. Each module weighs 55lbs/25kg making it easy for centers to carry modules in stock for ease of servicing.
  • The EV Federal income tax credit of “up to” $7500 applies to both the BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) as well as the Rex (Range Extender) versions of the i3. On leases, only $4875 is applied since on a lease, the car is not registered to you but the leasing company. Please check with your tax professional for qualification of said credit.
  • The level 2 charger from BMW is $1080 and can be financed with the purchase of the i3 along with the install quote from Bosch, BMW’s partner company.
  • “Alternate Mobility”, a program that allows a i3 owner to swap for a conventionally powered BMW a few times per year when needing to travel a greater distance than the i3 can manage is still coming but details were not available at the time of the ride and drive nor the time of this writing.
  • The i3 BEV weighs 2634 lbs and the Rex weighs 2899lbs.
  • 0-60MPH is attained in 7.0 for the BEV and 7.9 for the Rex.
  • Dynamic range mapping built into the Navigation Professional system shows the range on normal comfort drive setting as well as ECO PR and ECO PRO plus. Allowing the driver to plot out a route with range in mind.
  • The Level 1 (110 charger) charges from near dead to 100% in 20 hours.
  • Level 2 charger takes just 3.5 hours to get to 100%

More information like MPGe rating and final launch date is still forthcoming. Stay tuned for more in the coming days including the first i3 being delivered in the United States.