BMW i3

oinkely · 01-12-2016 3:13pm

BoatMad wrote: »

Evcables.co.uk , type 2 to type 2 £114 pounds

Got my 32A cable from these guys. Good quality and fast delivery.

BoatMad · 01-12-2016 3:22pm

TBi wrote: »

From 114£. Can't find the one at that price.

Edit: sorry. I should have started with "thanks for the link"

http://www.evcables.co.uk/264/Type-2-Type-2-Charging-Cables

actually 112 pounds not 114 !!!!!

BoatMad · 01-12-2016 3:23pm

oinkely wrote: »

Got my 32A cable from these guys. Good quality and fast delivery.

yep , I buy a few J1772 connectors from them , good outfit , they will custom make calls by the way ( length colour etc )

cros13 · 01-12-2016 3:42pm

Last I checked the OEM cables from BMW were about €140. I was surprised as the Nissan charges more.

The things I like about the BMW cable are that it's self-coiling, rarely tangles and it's made of really high quality materials. I've been searching for a while for the OEM to see do they make longer cables.

KCross · 01-12-2016 4:13pm

cros13 wrote: »

Last I checked the OEM cables from BMW were about €140. I was surprised as the Nissan charges more.

The things I like about the BMW cable are that it's self-coiling, rarely tangles and it's made of really high quality materials. I've been searching for a while for the OEM to see do they make longer cables.

I bought a self coiling cable. A 5m self-coiling cable isnt really 5m from a practical perspective as you dont obviously pull it straight. You need a few extra metres to make the distance and you dont want it dangling between the charger and the car as there will be alot of strain on the ends.

Bottomline, you need to buy it long and that makes it rather bulky and heavy.

Mine was a 32A self-coiling. Maybe its heavier than the BMW one.

What is your experience of it from a length and weight perspective against a standard cable?

BoatMad · 01-12-2016 4:31pm

I find since I switched to a tethered EVSE at home, I almost never use the Type 2 anyway and it nows lives its like bag in the boot from day to day , it was used twice in the last 30 days

TBi · 01-12-2016 5:38pm

BoatMad wrote: »

http://www.evcables.co.uk/264/Type-2-Type-2-Charging-Cables

actually 112 pounds not 114 !!!!!

140£ for a 5 M 16A cable.

cros13 wrote: »

Last I checked the OEM cables from BMW were about €140. I was surprised as the Nissan charges more.

140? i'll definitely have to call them tomorrow! I thought it was around 200 yo yo.

This could be useful though.
http://www.evcables.co.uk/47/Type-2-EV-Cable-Holdster

BoatMad · 01-12-2016 5:51pm

caster wrote: »

Me too

Would you get the REx again if you were buying today? I get the feeling from the guys on SpeakEV, that its the popular choice mainly due to the reassurance of having the engine there for emergencies rather than any regular need.

I was thinking that it'd be an idea to start an i3 thread - glad to see its already in existence Not sure how many other i3er's there are here though ...

why in the name of god would anyone buy a Rex , its just not needed

cros13 · 01-12-2016 8:23pm

BoatMad wrote: »

why in the name of god would anyone buy a Rex , its just not needed

In fairness, when I bought my i3 there were no CCS rapids in the country.
If the BEV had 10% more range I would have gone with it. I actually changed the order from REx to BEV and eventually figured the math was so borderline I couldn't risk the BEV.

In the end CCS rapids are common enough that outside of the odd trip beyond the reach of the rapids and one occasion when three CCS rapids in a row were down I haven't had to use it. None of those situations would have resulted in worse than spending an hour or so on a 22kW or 7kW chargepoint.

The 34kWh REx comes with the added "feature" of a drastically reduced depth of discharge thanks to complaints from idiots in the US about not being able to do 160km/h sustained on the freeway on 3% indicated SoC, with the REx running like a demented lawnmower behind you.

jerryg · 01-12-2016 9:38pm

BoatMad wrote: »

why in the name of god would anyone buy a Rex , its just not needed

When you arrive down in Ballinasloe at 7.50 in the morning to find the rapid ccs is out I would have loved to have had a Rex then.Or that time in Gorey when the taxi driver who hogs the network was on I would have loved one then,but you are right for normal driving commuting the new i3 is just great but the long trips have to be well planned.I was the first to report the Ballinasloe charger down and its still down!
The next i3 with 25% more about 160 mile range will be a real deal breaker for me and will mean if a ccs is out you just go on to the next one.I hope I will have enough cash to buy one.

Yawlboy · 12-12-2016 10:41am

Hope its ok to ask an Insurance Question - My i3 was €430 last year with Zurich through Campion, they want €700 this year. I am not happy, can anyone recommend someone to me. My renewal is next week.

stesaurus · 12-12-2016 11:57am

Liberty was cheapest for me. A few people have mentioned Blue and going the 2 year route

TBi · 12-12-2016 12:02pm

On the topic of charging. It would be great if the car only set "charge with night rate" when you are home. I had the car plugged in in town yesterday for about an hour before i realised it wasn't charging.

Also does anyone know, if you set a departure time will the car charge to 100% even though you have set to use night rate only?

stesaurus · 12-12-2016 1:15pm

TBi wrote: »

On the topic of charging. It would be great if the car only set "charge with night rate" when you are home. I had the car plugged in in town yesterday for about an hour before i realised it wasn't charging.

Also does anyone know, if you set a departure time will the car charge to 100% even though you have set to use night rate only?

Could you try a test and see? set a departure time for during the day, maybe on a weekend when you'd be home

TBi · 12-12-2016 1:24pm

s.welstead wrote: »

Could you try a test and see? set a departure time for during the day, maybe on a weekend when you'd be home

I'll do that if no one can give me an answer.

TBi · 13-12-2016 3:30pm

Well i set a departure time and the car seemed to charge. So it seems it does override the charge settings.

stesaurus · 13-12-2016 3:51pm

TBi wrote: »

Well i set a departure time and the car seemed to charge. So it seems it does override the charge settings.

Did you set a departure a few hours in advance or just shortly beforehand?
A full pre-con would need a few hours to run correctly.
Was the car then showing 100%?

TBi · 13-12-2016 10:22pm

About an hour before heading off. Although I just checked and it's charging now when it should be charging off peak. Need to see what's going on.

cros13 · 15-12-2016 4:39pm

s.welstead wrote: »

A full pre-con would need a few hours to run correctly.

At least four hours before to perform battery preconditioning.

BoatMad · 17-12-2016 3:37am

cros13 wrote: »

At least four hours before to perform battery preconditioning.

i think you mean post-conditioning , EVs do not as a rule need Lithium pre-conditioning ( known as pre-qualification ) , though I suspect the charger is programmed for that as well.

I fail to see how top balancing would take more then a hour maybe two .

TBi · 17-12-2016 9:53am

BoatMad wrote: »

i think you mean post-conditioning.

Pre conditioning in i3 means warming or cooling the battery pack.

jhegarty · 07-01-2017 8:20pm

Have been looking at some 2014/2015 i3s in the UK as the price in Ireland seem far higher.

Only problem is that DC option seems rare , especially on the REX.

Some are listed with "Rapid charging, alternating current". Is that the standard AC charge or something better ?

TBi · 07-01-2017 9:32pm

jhegarty wrote: »

Some are listed with "Rapid charging, alternating current". Is that the standard AC charge or something better ?

Could be wrong but i think initial models had two options for ac charging. 3.6 or 7.2 kw. All newer models come only with 7.2. This could be rapid ac they mention.

jhegarty · 07-01-2017 9:53pm

TBi wrote: »

Could be wrong but i think initial models had two options for ac charging. 3.6 or 7.2 kw. All newer models come only with 7.2. This could be rapid ac they mention.

That would explain it. Was only seeing it listed on the older models.

Soarer · 11-01-2017 4:57pm

This little yoke is ridiculous value!

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You'd be caught for the VAT and stuff, but it's basically a new car for silly money.

Maybe put it on a rolling road until the mileage comes up?

cros13 · 11-01-2017 7:13pm

Soarer wrote: »

Maybe put it on a rolling road until the mileage comes up?

I find a good driving holiday 'round scotland usually does the job. If you bounce from coast to coast you can easily run up 600-700km/day Place is lousey with rapids as well.

Soarer · 11-01-2017 9:41pm

So what's the story with claiming VAT back on the UK side and paying it on this side? How would you calculate it?

cros13 · 11-01-2017 10:47pm

Soarer wrote: »

So what's the story with claiming VAT back on the UK side and paying it on this side? How would you calculate it?

You have to pay the Irish VAT in Ireland, then reclaim the UK VAT from the dealer yourself.

Whether you get the refund at all from the UK dealer is dependant on UK law. HMRC's guidance is that:

1 The invoice must show an address outside the UK for the purchaser

2 The vehicle must be exported from the UK within two months of purchase

3 The dealer must be notified at the time of purchase that the vehicle is going to be exported

If you are being charged VAT, mast sure you get written proof that the seller understood the car was being exported and agreed to refund the VAT.

Sometimes you can convince the dealer in the UK to sell you the car with the VAT 0-rated even without a VAT number. They would be potentially on the hook for the VAT so this can take a bit of convincing. You then declare the vehicle to Revenue and pay the Irish VAT on import.

jhegarty · 15-01-2017 4:18pm

Finally found a REX with DC charge , the good sat nav and park assist.

Deposit down and collecting Saturday.

So the country is gaining an i3 and the uk is getting back a 520i.

Soarer · 15-01-2017 9:55pm

Top work.

For the learned, if all things were equal (year, mileage, etc.), would an i3 be a better choice than a Leaf? Is their battery better at handling fast charges? Would the Leaf be better than it in any way?

Also, what are desirable extras that you'd look for in the i3? Harman Kardon, etc.?

BMW i3

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