A while back I wrote about giving up my daily driven E38 M Sport 7 Series for an all-new BMW i3. Let’s just say the experience has changed the way I view mobility so much that I just purchased another one.
Since acquiring the first i3 back in August, my daily commutes have been met with many thumbs up, lots of stares and the occasional parking lot discussion around where I charge it, what it’s like to drive and more importantly what it costs. Being the consummate client advisor that I am I would normally give my usual glowing overview about the BMW brand and its cars, but with the i3 I find myself explaining the i3 with more enthusiasm than I normally have. I also give greater detail about the many benefits of owning an EV.
The one topic that always gets the conversation flowing is how I charge it when I’m home and where the public stations are when I’m out. No doubt the lack of infrastructure is going to be a concern in the short term, but when I take out my iPhone and open one of the many apps I use to search for public stations, the person is amazed at how many there are, and it will only get better.
The ratio of gas pumps to internal combustion engines on the roads in the US are high, but the reverse is true about EVs. Charge stations are usually in parking lots, garages, or attached to businesses, like restaurants and professional buildings. But truth is they’re not where they need to be, like on major thoroughfares from DC to Boston, or San Diego to Portland.
Recently BMW took a huge step in correcting the lack of chargers by launching their infrastructure roll out for 2015.
At home, I have an Aerovironment Level 2 Charger so both our i3s will benefit from easy fast charging sessions. Typically charging a depleted battery takes 3 to 3.5 hours depending on state of charge. Since my wife arrives home much earlier than I do she can use charger prior to my arrival. In theory, we shouldn’t have any overlap in charging requirements ,but If there are I can easily have another EVSE (Electric Vehicle Service Equipment) installed.
So what attracted my wife to the i3?
The ease of driving the i3 with just one pedal for starters. Known as the “one pedal drive”, it allows the operator to simply drive the i3 by pressing on the accelerator to move forward or releasing it to slow down, even coming to a complete stop. This benefit is something I and many i3 owners enjoy daily.
Another drive aspect of the i3 that makes it enjoyable is the almost instant 184 ft-lbs of torque the electric motor delivers. Since the i3 weighs 2,799 lbs (BEV) to 3,064 lbs (REx), the power to weight ratio is very good.
From a cost perspective I love having us both in i3 because we rack up 25,000 miles per year between the both of us. Even though fuel costs are at an almost 8 year low, I don’t expect them to stay this way for very long. The costs for electricity in my area are $.13 per kw/h times 20kw/h to fully charge the i3 for each car. It’s easy to calculate what it costs me to operate each i3 for this many miles compared to conventional fuel costs in any given area. I’ve done the math numerous times and have compared what I used to spend on fuel each month for my E38 and Toyota 4Runner V8 Sport.
The costs to operate these thirsty V8s were substantial.
I did decide to keep my 4Runner since winters in NJ have become harder to cope with and no doubt just having two i3s would limit my ability to go skiing in the winter and head far south to enjoy the NJ Shores. Although I don’t expect my 4Runner to see much daily action, I do have a need for an SUV in my household, so until a suitable replacement comes along that can run on electrons, the 4Runner stays.
What it all boils down to is this: the i3 may not be the perfect solution for everyone with its limited range, but for my family and I and many with less than 80 mile daily commutes, the i3 could be an excellent driver with operating costs that are next to nothing, while offering the driving characteristics every BMW is known for.
And this is why there now resides two of Bavaria’s EVs in this household’s garage.
Congratulations on the new car there! I can’t wait to see more impressions coming from both of you, as you seem like a great couple! How are bigger cities in the United States concerning EV or hybrid lanes, parking spaces and such?
Thanks Vanja! Different states handle HOV/Green car lanes differently. California currently has the best policies and charging infrastructure. Here in NJ I can apply for a Green EZPAss if I needed it but I don’t need it for my daily commutes. As for parking I think you’ll find that most parking garages on both coasts that offer charging allocate the best parking spots for EV charging. In some cases even better than handicap spots. Since we’re still relatively early on in the EV adoption and take rate, all this will only get better with time.
Really like how you are always on point with the new models, info and ideas. I am rather interestingly engulfed with the idea of the BMW i3 really. It’s such a cool vehicle, but overall the main issue within my country is the charging. While it’s moving ahead in every direction really, still there are issues and not so many charging points. What’s the average trip duration you can do with it, in realistic (heat, air-conditioning, performance driving etc.) conditions what do you get now? Thanks!
I hear you about lack of infrastructure issues. It’s going to plague any region that’s adopting EV technology in the beginning. But hang in there, the time will come when EV charging stations are ubiquitous.
Under normal driving conditions with heat on, bluetooth audio, heated seats set to low I can see 62 miles in comfort mode. in ECO PRO and no heated seats I’ve sen 68 miles. In the summer time add another 10 miles to that.
On average, how long does it take for you to charge it in most situations then? Since we get a lot of government incentives (close to 10 000€) that means a BMW i3 is around 20 000€ for us over here.
In extreme cold like we’re dealing with now it could take 4 hours to fully charge. Slightly more if it’s outside. But usually in my garage it takes 3.5 hours to fully charge.
Those are great incentives to buy an i3, I would strongly recommend getting one!
In a way, you can either get that if my calculations are correct, or a BMW 116d with an M Sport package for a similar price. The cost of driving the BMW i3 is definitely way, way, way lower with the latter though. Any special equipment needed to utilize the charger in your garage then?
A 116D with M Sport is a compelling little car but if you’re looking for maximum efficiency and cost savings for a daily commute, the i3 is unbeatable.
The only special equipment needed is a level 2 charger (EVSE) of which I have the Aerovironment charger. I paid an electrician to come in and run 42 inches of conduit for the charger and to wire it all in to my panel with a 40amp breaker. He was done in 2.5 hours. Very inexpensive in my scenario.
For example, my usual commute would be around 100km on average where I would need to charge the vehicle. It would fit right in! I go there, leave it to be charged and finish my work, head back home. The only issue I can think of is the longer business trips which would require careful planning then. If I decided to let’s say, go to Germany it would take 5-6 charging cycles to be done during the trip. With some information that is currently available, each charge would take approximately 30min on public charging stations, which is not that of an issue as you need to stop every few hours. Any chance somebody can squeeze at least 150km on that? Without the rEX option included maybe?
If the trip is all highways then no. Although there have been some i3 owners tat have attained that distance on one charge without the REx. But i believe those trips were done locally. You have to remember, the i3 consumes more energy at highway speed and to maintain those speeds. The i3 is more of a city/local commuter. In the near future we will see more range from batteries.
Big grin!
A fact I was looking for but didn’t find was BEV and REx. I can see that the dark one is a REx, but can’t see the right side of the panda. Curious if you have one of each.
Paul, we decided to get another REx for her piece of mind. I would gladly have bought a BEV but happy wife happy life. ;)
A fact I was looking for but didn’t find was BEV and REx. I can see that the dark one is a REx, but can’t see the right side of the panda. Curious if you have one of each.
What I would really like to know is what is the difference in your power bill? Just straight difference from Non EV to EV? The cost seems pretty high compared to gas. I know its not depleted 100% everyday. But .13kw/hr X 20kw/hr = $2.60. You said it takes 3 hours so would that be $2.60×3=$7.80. Thats each car each day? $7.80 x 2 cars = $15.60. $15.60 X 30 days in a month is $468. Even if you cut that in half, $234/month is a lot for an economy car. Power can also cost more per kw/hr after you hit a certain point (at least it does in our city), which would raise the cost even more. Just the difference in your power bill would give us a good indication of real world day to day cost. Im interested in that.
i think your calculation is not quite correct:
electricity costs are 0.13 / kwh (not kw/h)
if it takes 20kwh to fully charge the car from empty then your cost is $2.60. you don’t need to multiply it by the time it takes to charge – that is already captured in the 20kwh. for example if your power output is 10kw, it will take 2 hrs to charge to 20kwh. if your power output is 20kw, it will take 1 hr to charge to 20kwh
That makes more sense. Thanks for the info. :)
Your math is wrong. It’s $2.60 per full charge, not per hour. A 240V Level 2 charger allows you to dump 20kW into the car in about 3.5 hours.
Your math is wrong. It’s $2.60 per full charge, not per hour. A 240V Level 2 charger allows you to dump 20kW into the car in about 3.5 hours.
The replies below are correct. I should have been more clear. It costs me $2.60 to fully charge each i3. Of which I rarely do since we don’t drive any of them to complete discharge. My utility bill went up roughly $80-$95 per month only. One of the reasons it’s so low is I also get to charge for free at work! A HUGE plus for me!
What I would really like to know is what is the difference in your power bill? Just straight difference from Non EV to EV? The cost seems pretty high compared to gas. I know its not depleted 100% everyday. But .13kw/hr X 20kw/hr = $2.60. You said it takes 3 hours so would that be $2.60×3=$7.80. Thats each car each day? $7.80 x 2 cars = $15.60. $15.60 X 30 days in a month is $468. Even if you cut that in half, $234/month is a lot for an economy car. Power can also cost more per kw/hr after you hit a certain point (at least it does in our city), which would raise the cost even more. Just the difference in your power bill would give us a good indication of real world day to day cost. Im interested in that.
How do the i3’s handle in the snow? Do you have snow tires, what brand? (from VT)
I can answer from my point of view. The one I have has all-seasons on 19″. They are decent in snow, unless it’s over 7-8″. I always tell people to get winter tires regardless. Our colleague Chuck has both the Nokians and Blizzaks and they are great.
As I stated in the article, I kept my Toyota 4Runner for really bad days in NJ winters. But with the Blizzaks mounted on 19s the i3 is very good up until 7 inches of snow. At that point the smooth undertray of the i3 begins to lift the car off its contact patches.
How do the i3’s handle in the snow? Do you have snow tires, what brand? (from VT)