BMW 330e

bk

Any opinions on the BMW 330e plug-in hybrid?

Yes, yes, I know that a BEV. It is for a family member who might be interested. Currently drives a 330d and is thinking of changing. Mostly does very little day to day driving (maybe about 3 to 4km) but drives Cork the Dublin and back every weekend.

How is it's MPG on the motorway?

unkel

There's a huge thread on it on the main motors forum. My own view: superb value for money (about the same price as a 318d auto) and you get serious performance: 0-100 in 6s and 250km/h

You get the free home EVSE of course and you could hook it up at night and do all your local driving for (nearly) free. But as most people in here would agree - the savings are a bit mickey mouse and you have to hook it up every night. But you get a good feeling that you are not only zero emissions but that you don't pollute your local area with cancerous diesel particles

Coefficient of drag is excellent (0.26) so motorway consumption should be very good (but not quite as good as a diesel)

goz83

Just tell him to buy a Tesla. Problem sorted

zilog_jones

Not too many on Spritmonitor, but fifteen 330e owners are averaging 5.78 l/100km (49 MPG): https://www.spritmonitor.de/en/overview/6-BMW/37-3er.html?fueltype=6&powerunit=2
Better on average than the 330d (don't know which year though)

US EPA rates it at 5.3 l/100km "highway" (53 imp. MPG), which wouldn't be too far off reality at speeds around 100km/h.

Of course with PHEVs, fuel consumption will vary wildly depending on how much EV mode driving you do.

I have a Prius Plug-in, and have halved my running costs compared to my previous diesel ('02 Peugeot 406). My commute is 14km (round trip) and I do about 12,000 km a year, about 30-40% electric-only driving. Never going back to a diesel! The 330e has a slightly higher EV range than mine.

VRT is also very low if buying used from the UK, and will be in band A1 for tax (€170 per year).

thierry14

What's it's range in ev mode?
How much new?

carsfan2

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=98481326

I started this thread and subsequently bought one. Very happy with it.

Gumbo

thierry14 wrote: »

What's it's range in ev mode?
How much new?

Guy in work has one.
45km I think but depends on speeds as the engine kicks in above a particular speed I believe.

mickdw

I've long been interested. Couldn't do a deal yet. There was a 4k dealer contribution up to March but I believe there are new deals coming for 172.
Dealers are absolutely taking the piss price wise on demo and prereg cars.
There is 7500 government grant (5k seai grant and 2.5k vrt rebate)

bk

Thanks for all the info guys.

BTW sorry she actually currently has a 318d at the moment not a 330d!

Unfortunately it doesn't sound like it would be for her. Yes it is great that you get 330 like performance for 318 prices. But she isn't really interested in performance so that wouldn't make a difference for her.

And as the VAST majority of her driving is long distance motorway, then it sounds like this would end up with worse fuel economy for her then a Diesel And would be concerned about the reduction in boot space, when she considers the 3 series to already have a pretty small boot!

Don't get me wrong, sounds like a fantastic car and option for someone with a longer daily commute and less frequent long distance motorway driving. Good to see BMW start to do some EV in their mainstream cars.

She has actually expressed interest in Tesla. Visited a Tesla showroom in the US two weeks ago. Obviously model s far too expensive, but she is keeping an open mind about the model 3. But obviously depends on price, range, looks, interior and perhaps most importantly when it is available. I don't know if she will wait two years for one. But she might end up getting a new BMW today and look again at Tesla in 3 years time.

zilog_jones

I think the 330e will still return better fuel economy on average compared to the 318d. Even with something like Cork-Dublin you can utilise the EV mode when driving in the cities - low speed, heavy traffic driving is where diesels are at their worst.

Still might be hard to justify with such a short commute though, and I don't know about boot space in the 330e. It's not great with my Prius (less space than standard Prius, no spare wheel space), but at least it's still a hatchback so I can fold down the seats and fit my bike in or whatever.

bk

zilog_jones wrote: »

I think the 330e will still return better fuel economy on average compared to the 318d. Even with something like Cork-Dublin you can utilise the EV mode when driving in the cities - low speed, heavy traffic driving is where diesels are at their worst.

Would it, I'm not so sure, but would love to be wrong?

She currently gets 53mpg from the 318d

She does about 3km a day, then about 530km Cork to Dublin once a week. That is about 21km city driving per week, versus 530km motorway.

I see reports of 46mpg for a 80mile trip on another forum, and 40mpg on motorway driving here on another thread here on boards.

So 40 to 45mpg motorway driving seems to be the reality and that would be quiet a step down from 53mpg (plus more expensive petrol).

Given that 96% of her driving is motorway, I don't think like it would add up for her.

Again, sounds like a great option for some people. Just that she, like myself, have an unusual usage pattern, that EV's aren't well suited to quiet yet (obviously based on what is available in Ireland and ignoring lovely Tesla's).

ELM327

As much an EV fanboy as I am, I don't think a weekly 530km trip is suited to most currently available mass market EVs.
You could do it as a one off (eg I have done a few 500km, 700km etc trips in my leaf) but not weekly.

A Zoe ZE40 could do 530km with one charge stop and if you had the q90 model (the 43kW AC fast charging) that would be a 40 minute stop. Other than that, there's not much out there short of a tesla.

MaceFace

I done about 280km in my 330e yesterday, starting with an empty battery. Driving from West Clare through Limerick to North Kildare with a few stops.

Got about 41 mpg.

zilog_jones

bk wrote: »

Would it, I'm not so sure, but would love to be wrong?

She currently gets 53mpg from the 318d

Is that trip computer, or real measurements? The trip computer could easily be off by 2-3 MPG.

Average here is 53 MPG (imperial) based on 31 users:
http://www.fuelly.com/car/bmw/330e

Again you can see fuel consumption varies wildly between different users, so it's hard to tell really. I'd also say the sample size is too small.

Average for the 318d here (don't know age, so guessing it's an F30):
https://www.spritmonitor.de/en/overview/6-BMW/37-3er.html?constyear_s=2011&exactmodel=318d&powerunit=2
That's about 48 MPG, but again may not match her driving.

She does about 3km a day, then about 530km Cork to Dublin once a week. That is about 21km city driving per week, versus 530km motorway.

But that 530km won't be 100% motorway - there's still the journey to the M8, and the journey off the N7 or M50 or whatever that could be done in EV mode. It's probably not enough to bring it up to fuel consumption levels comparable to the diesel though. I'm surprised how bad it apparently is at motorway speeds.

If you are seriously considering a PHEV, maybe the new Prius Plug-in (out next month) is an option? Of course it's not a BMW, but quite upmarket for a Toyota. EV range is around 40km, and 60 MPG at motorway speeds is actually achievable.

KCross

zilog_jones wrote: »

Average here is 53 MPG (imperial) based on 31 users:
http://www.fuelly.com/car/bmw/330e


Average for the 318d here (don't know age, so guessing it's an F30):
https://www.spritmonitor.de/en/overview/6-BMW/37-3er.html?constyear_s=2011&exactmodel=318d&powerunit=2
That's about 48 MPG, but again may not match her driving.


If you are seriously considering a PHEV, maybe the new Prius Plug-in (out next month) is an option? Of course it's not a BMW, but quite upmarket for a Toyota. EV range is around 40km, and 60 MPG at motorway speeds is actually achievable.

I'm surprised the 330e is so "bad". Its not a lot better than most Hybrids. I would have expected a PHEV to beat every hybrid with ease. I had it in my head they were 100+ mpg cars. Must have dreamt that one or else it was NEDC crap I read.

Even your PHEV Prius doesn't appear to be that much better than a standard Prius and yet you have the slight inconvenience of plugging it in every night and getting a charge point installed? Am I wrong?

ELM327

KCross wrote: »

I'm surprised the 330e is so "bad". Its not a lot better than most Hybrids. I would have expected a PHEV to beat every hybrid with ease. I had it in my head they were 100+ mpg cars. Must have dreamt that one or else it was NEDC crap I read.

Even your PHEV Prius doesn't appear to be that much better than a standard Prius and yet you have the slight inconvenience of plugging it in every night and getting a charge point installed? Am I wrong?

NEDC MPG is 124mpg for the 330e so I'm guessing it's NEDC crap you read! :pac:

bk

zilog_jones wrote: »

Is that trip computer, or real measurements? The trip computer could easily be off by 2-3 MPG.

That would still be 50 to 51mpg, which would still be far better then 40mpg.

zilog_jones wrote: »

But that 530km won't be 100% motorway - there's still the journey to the M8, and the journey off the N7 or M50 or whatever that could be done in EV mode. It's probably not enough to bring it up to fuel consumption levels comparable to the diesel though. I'm surprised how bad it apparently is at motorway speeds.

Most of it would, she is pretty near the motorway at both ends. Maybe 10km of that wouldn't be on the motorway.

Cork to Dublin really is one of the more challenging trips for EV's in the country. Relatively long, clear, uncongested road where you can easily put the foot down heavy.

zilog_jones wrote: »

I'm surprised how bad it apparently is at motorway speeds.

I'm not, basically off the battery, it is acting like a regular 2l petrol car that also has to drag extra battery weight, electric motor and charging port, etc.

zilog_jones wrote: »

If you are seriously considering a PHEV, maybe the new Prius Plug-in (out next month) is an option? Of course it's not a BMW, but quite upmarket for a Toyota. EV range is around 40km, and 60 MPG at motorway speeds is actually achievable.

She wouldn't, it would be a downgrade that I don't think she would be willing to make.

Interestingly she went into a Lexus dealer, she previously had a Lexus that she absolutely loved and would be quiet happy to go back to them. When he heard the type of driving she does and the MPG she currently gets, he pretty much turned her away there and then saying that they couldn't come close to matching that!

bk

KCross wrote: »

Even your PHEV Prius doesn't appear to be that much better than a standard Prius and yet you have the slight inconvenience of plugging it in every night and getting a charge point installed? Am I wrong?

PHEV's are great for people who have a typical 50km per day commute. Most of the daily commute can be on EV and thus the mythical NEDC MPG.

But for people like me and the person I'm asking about, who have very little daily driving, but lots of long distance driving at the weekend, PHEV's still don't seem to make sense.

Perhaps i3 style range extenders or big battery BEV's only start to outperform Diesel then.

zilog_jones

KCross wrote: »

Even your PHEV Prius doesn't appear to be that much better than a standard Prius and yet you have the slight inconvenience of plugging it in every night and getting a charge point installed? Am I wrong?

I'm averaging 3.67 l/100km or 77 MPG:
https://www.spritmonitor.de/en/detail/756704.html

Maybe about 35% of my driving is in EV mode (I forget exactly).

56 MPG is about the average for the standard petrol hybrid 3rd gen Prius, and is pretty much what I'd get if I didn't charge it. With motorway driving it'll do low 50's if I stick to the limit, or up to 60 MPG if I stick to 100km/h - the 4th gen Prius/2nd gen PHV is substantially more efficient at high speeds. The majority of my driving out of town is not motorways (e.g. N20).

No charge point needed for me, it only charges at 10A anyway so I just use a 13A socket (in a storage unit behind my underground parking space, i.e. I pay for it). Totally worth the one minute per day I spend plugging it in/out . I believe the new Prius PHV has a 16A charger, and so does the 330e.

It looks like the 330e is just less efficient as a hybrid. I don't know too much about how it works in comparison, but Toyota in general seem to have the edge here. Being about 200-300kg heavier doesn't help either.

zilog_jones

bk wrote: »

I'm not, basically off the battery, it is acting like a regular 2l petrol car that also has to drag extra battery weight, electric motor and charging port, etc.

Again, I don't know how enough about the 330e powertrain, but if that's how it works then they're doing it wrong! The Prius PHVs (and probably Outlander too) still work like normal petrol series-parallel hybrids when the battery state of charge is low, and will just maintain a low SOC - so they'll still deliver hybrid-like fuel economy even if you're not plugging in.

TBi

zilog_jones wrote: »

Again, I don't know how enough about the 330e powertrain, but if that's how it works then they're doing it wrong! The Prius PHVs (and probably Outlander too) still work like normal petrol series-parallel hybrids when the battery state of charge is low, and will just maintain a low SOC - so they'll still deliver hybrid-like fuel economy even if you're not plugging in.

I think the main difference is that the prius (and lexus) has a very efficient Atkinson cycle petrol engine, so when it's running on petrol it can get close to diesel MPG. The 330e (and outlander/VW GTE cars) use normal engines which are not as efficient. The engine in the 330e is exactly the same as the 320i so as efficient as that in normal operation.

EDIT: the atkinson cycle engine is also the reason why the prius and Lexus rev so high when accelerating. This type of engine has very little torque, compared to regular petrol, at low RPM. The electric motor is used to fill in this torque at low RPM.

bk

zilog_jones wrote: »

Again, I don't know how enough about the 330e powertrain, but if that's how it works then they're doing it wrong! The Prius PHVs (and probably Outlander too) still work like normal petrol series-parallel hybrids when the battery state of charge is low, and will just maintain a low SOC - so they'll still deliver hybrid-like fuel economy even if you're not plugging in.

The difference is the Prius was built from the ground up as a Hybrid. The 330 is primary a Diesel car with a battery and motor banged in it.

330e weight: 1735kg
318d weight: 1410kg
Prius 2017 plug-in: 1526kg (8.8 kWh battery)

An extra 200kg over the Prius plug-in and 300kg over the Diesel.

The Lexus hybrids have similar poor performance. 45mpg seems normal for them!

You can't just stick a battery in a typical ICE car and expect great performance.

Having said that, the 330e does have other advantages, including great acceleration and other performance metrics. 330 type performance at 318 prices makes it very attractive to people who like speed and handling. It is a car tuned to this rather then outright fuel economy like a Prius.

For a person who does a lot more city or mixed driving and likes BMW type handling, speed and performance, then it is a great bargain for that type of driver, even though it doesn't have anywhere close to Prius type fuel economy.

I suppose there is always the i3 for the more fuel economy minded.

Having said all that, I don't think the 330e will be anywhere close to good enough once the Tesla Model 3 hits. BMW will need to significantly up their game then to compete.

A full BEV 3 series will be required.

TBi

bk wrote: »

The Lexus hybrids have similar poor performance. 45mpg seems normal for them!

Most of what i read about lexus hybrids (specifically the IS300h) is that they get low 50's and upwards. However i really think this is due to driving style. Owners of Prius drive for fuel economy, owners of lexus drive fast. I commute to work with someone who has a 2l diesel. He gets 45mpg and i get almost 37mpg in my 2.2L petrol on the same drive. With a diesel i can get close to 60MPG just due to driving style.

bk

TBi wrote: »

Most of what i read about lexus hybrids (specifically the IS300h) is that they get low 50's and upwards. However i really think this is due to driving style. Owners of Prius drive for fuel economy, owners of lexus drive fast. I commute to work with someone who has a 2l diesel. He gets 45mpg and i get almost 37mpg in my 2.2L petrol on the same drive. With a diesel i can get close to 60MPG just due to driving style.

Well I was reading 40 to 45mpg for motorway driving for the IS300h on the web in general. Maybe 50mpg is more mixed?

Obviously it is hard to compare between different peoples driving styles and different commutes. But if she is typically getting 53mpg in a 318d, that would indicate a middle of the road driving style (not too fast, not too slow).

Similar seems to be about 45mpg for the IS300h according to owners of it. Fuelly says 44.7mpg

There is no point in me telling her that she will get 60mpg if she drives like a Prius owner, when she has always been a BMW/Lexus person and driven like one.

I think that fact that a Lexus dealer was turning away an otherwise easy sell (previous Lexus owner who loves them and actually preferred the interior to her newer 3 series) says it all. I'd assume he knows the reality better then anyone.

TBi

Possibly. I don't own an IS300h so cant really comment. But if you look at fuelly then the average mpg for a 318d is 46-48mpg. Very close to the is300h. Possibly someone who gets 53mpg out of a 318d will get similar out of an is300h. I am thinking of purchasing an IS300h. If i can convince the better half...

Although if she is going to get a BMW again i'd recommend the automatic gearbox. That is a thing of beauty!

EDIT: BTW i don't recommend she get a Lexus. Hybrid efficiency is only average for short distances (<10km) as the engine doesn't get up to operating temperature and the hybrid system doesn't work to it's full potential.

zilog_jones

TBi wrote: »

EDIT: the atkinson cycle engine is also the reason why the prius and Lexus rev so high when accelerating. This type of engine has very little torque, compared to regular petrol, at low RPM. The electric motor is used to fill in this torque at low RPM.

The 2ZR-FXE is about equally 20-25% down on power and torque compared to the Otto-cycle 1.8 version of the same engine (2ZR-FE, found in Avensis, Corolla, Verso, etc.). I think the high revs are also a lot to do with the continuously variable transmission trying to keep the engine at its most efficient - personally I'd be doing similar in a manual in the same situations. Mine's pretty quiet at motorway speeds when not accelerating hard, doesn't go above 2000 RPM.

bk wrote: »

Well I was reading 40 to 45mpg for motorway driving for the IS300h on the web in general. Maybe 50mpg is more mixed?

Obviously it is hard to compare between different peoples driving styles and different commutes. But if she is typically getting 53mpg in a 318d, that would indicate a middle of the road driving style (not too fast, not too slow).

Similar seems to be about 45mpg for the IS300h according to owners of it. Fuelly says 44.7mpg

44 MPG is the average on Spritmonitor too (76 users). The IS300h is significantly bigger than the Prius, with a bigger ICE (2.5 vs. 1.8) - and now it's a generation behind the Prius in terms of hybrid technology.

TBi wrote:

But if you look at fuelly then the average mpg for a 318d is 46-48mpg. Very close to the is300h. Possibly someone who gets 53mpg out of a 318d will get similar out of an is300h.

I'd say not - hybrids traditionally do much better where diesels are worst, i.e. city vs. motorway driving. I was getting terrible fuel economy (high 30's-low 40's) with my Peugeot 406 diesel because of the amount of city driving I do. It would easily do 55 MPG on the motorway, but my average ended up around 43. The 4th gen Prius is much better in this respect, but the Lexus hybrids are still on older tech.

carsfan2

OP I think your wife is not suited to 330e based on what you have said and her regular journeys. The fuel returns are very user specific.
I average 52 mpg in mine but do more shorter trips and plug in every night and more at weekends.
Long journeys crucify the mpg in it.
I love my 330e but think of it as a relatively cheap performance car with cheap running costs. If I was regularly on the motorway network doing long journeys I would have picked something else as diesel is still cheaper in this country.

bilasy

Apologies if this was covered earlier, I just owned G20 330e 2121,
My query every time I charge the battery to 100% the KM range is different sometimes it gave me 49 KM range on Full charge and today it gave me 17 KM, is that normal? Also any tips or advice?
Thanks a million in advance

whippet

The quoted range will depend on the temp outside (the EV range will decrease when it’s cold outside)

I have a G20 330e also and the lowest I’ve seen on start up with a full battery has been 38km on a very cold day so 17km does not sound right.

Also - aircon / heating / heated seats / heated steering wheel all zap the battery range. On cold mornings use the app to precondition the car while it is plugged in and that means that your range won’t be affected by having to heat up the car initially.

Gumbo

bilasy wrote: »

Apologies if this was covered earlier, I just owned G20 330e 2121,
My query every time I charge the battery to 100% the KM range is different sometimes it gave me 49 KM range on Full charge and today it gave me 17 KM, is that normal? Also any tips or advice?
Thanks a million in advance

Based on the previous driving session.
Cold weather and if you just turned on the climate control etc

My own BEV was extremely cold this morning, power restricted and no regen for the first 10 minutes due to the battery being so cold.

bilasy

whippet wrote: »

The quoted range will depend on the temp outside (the EV range will decrease when it’s cold outside)

I have a G20 330e also and the lowest I’ve seen on start up with a full battery has been 38km on a very cold day so 17km does not sound right.

Also - aircon / heating / heated seats / heated steering wheel all zap the battery range. On cold mornings use the app to precondition the car while it is plugged in and that means that your range won’t be affected by having to heat up the car initially.

Thanks for the input, the car is literally 4 days old so I’m still getting used to the idea, since my last post the 17 KM dropped to 15KM ( stationary, not plugged but 100% battery) that figure then changed to 20, 22 then around 10 am became 27Km before I drove.Not sure if any of this make sense! But I’m sharing my experience for the sake of discussion
Also which app are you using to check your car BMW connected or my BMW?
In your experience at which speed does the petrol kick in?

whippet

That does not sound right with regards to range - this morning my car is showing 42km @ 100%.

I’m using the My BMW app. It might be worth talking to the dealer to see if there is an issue with the charging settings. How are you charging it ?

With regards to ‘petrol kicking in’ ... it all depends on how you drive for most of the time. In standard Hybrid mode I have driven at 80kmh using EV and I think over 90mph in Electric mode - never really tested it. But is how you drive will dictate that more so - accelerate harshly and it will use petrol. I can go a week or two with out using a drop of fuel.

Sport / Xtraboost will use the petrol motor as primary

bilasy

whippet wrote: »

That does not sound right with regards to range - this morning my car is showing 42km @ 100%.

I’m using the My BMW app. It might be worth talking to the dealer to see if there is an issue with the charging settings. How are you charging it ?

With regards to ‘petrol kicking in’ ... it all depends on how you drive for most of the time. In standard Hybrid mode I have driven at 80kmh using EV and I think over 90mph in Electric mode - never really tested it. But is how you drive will dictate that more so - accelerate harshly and it will use petrol. I can go a week or two with out using a drop of fuel.

Sport / Xtraboost will use the petrol motor as primary

I charge using dedicated home charger, I think using the 12 mA ( as per instructions) yesterday after charging it showed 50 Km range , today morning once I started the car it came down to 42Km range
I drove on the M50 25 Km back and forth ( total 50 Km) on hybrid ecopro mode returned home with 1 Km to spare.

With regard to speed , I’m confident that up to 100km still electric, Also didn’t use fuel yet and that’s day 5 using the car, however worth mentioning the fuel tank( as per my BMW app) was 75% range 335Km now became 72% range 342 Km ( not combined)
I’m wondering if the extra km were gained by using Hybrid Eco pro
Will give the technician a call , btw in good weather day what’s the max range you got on 100% charge?

whippet

That’s sounds normal enough what you have quoted now ... the Max I’ve seen displayed is 49km on 100% charge ... but remember the range will change based on the type of driving, speed, braking etc .. so don’t get too hung up on it.

bilasy

whippet wrote: »

That’s sounds normal enough what you have quoted now ... the Max I’ve seen displayed is 49km on 100% charge ... but remember the range will change based on the type of driving, speed, braking etc .. so don’t get too hung up on it.

I think the maximum range I got on a full charge was 52 Km , spoke to technician in Joe Duffy, he said he gets 58KM in a good day( he drives same G20 211)if temp is around 1 degree battery capacity drops by 60% and if below 10 drops by 40%, according to him it’s normal that I get 17 km range on a very cold day. So I guess time will tell!

MarkN

You’re not interrupting the charge by opening the car and without driving it or anything are you? The range you describe isn’t temperature varied range, it’s too severe a drop.

bilasy

MarkN wrote: »

You’re not interrupting the charge by opening the car and without driving it or anything are you? The range you describe isn’t temperature varied range, it’s too severe a drop.

No nothing like that , the technician happens to drive the same year model and that’s what he said., so I don’t know, also I don’t know anyone who owns 330e or similar, that’s why I’m here.

MisterDrak

I generally get a max figure of 48km on a 100% charge, and a low (cold weather ) of 35km. As mentioned above, heated seats and any climate control will immediately reduce the range.

The Extraboost feature is cool, however when going for blast, do have the petrol engine warmed before for a few minutes before.

Generally a great car, and loving the experience so far...

whippet

have you tried charging it at another charger - I had issues with what was like a battery leak - as in the car would loose range as it was plugged in. It did give an error on the dash and BMW were at a loss as to what the issue was - turned out my charger on the wall needed a software upgrade and there wasn't anything wrong with the car

bilasy

whippet wrote: »

have you tried charging it at another charger - I had issues with what was like a battery leak - as in the car would loose range as it was plugged in. It did give an error on the dash and BMW were at a loss as to what the issue was - turned out my charger on the wall needed a software upgrade and there wasn't anything wrong with the car

Good point, I always use the home charger ,I tried charging it 30-40 mins at public ones, EO installer returning next week, May be will run it by him.

GavRedKing

Looking at 2020/2021 330e's at the moment and I'm pulled towards a few for sale with the M Sport Pro Packs.

Any other "must haves" on these?

bilasy

GavRedKing wrote: »

Looking at 2020/2021 330e's at the moment and I'm pulled towards a few for sale with the M Sport Pro Packs.

Any other "must haves" on these?[/quote

Wireless charging tray

Ludikrus

Hi,

I've owned 171 330e M-sport for about a year now and I'm really happy with it. I was a good candidate for this car, low mileage, very short commute etc. I also got a home charger installed. Since the pandemic started and I'm working from home my mileage is now ridiculously low. All I do is short school runs, supermarket and so on. For almost a year now I've only driven the car in full electric mode. Which is great except I'm wondering if this might not be great for the car?

I took it for a good spin a few weeks ago with electric turned off, just to give the engine a drive! Maybe someone who knows more about these cars can tell me if that's necessary or not? Even when things return to normal, the electric only range of the car will comfortably cover my requirements (office is 4km from my house). My wife has a bigger crossover/suv which we will use for longer trips with the kids.

mickdw

I be inclined to use the engine a couple of times a week regardless. Most would have the engine come in for acceleration even on a short commute. If you dont trigger the petrol engine at all, you could use the mode that retains battery charge and make the car drive on petrol the odd time. I figure this has benefits in keeping everything fresh. You dont want petrol left sitting in a tank, and all engine components sitting still for lengthy periods. Getting abit of heat around the engine bay, keep everything free and in working order can only be good.

Kramer

Petrol "goes off" too - it becomes gummy & it's not recommended past 6 months or similar. I'd be using most of what's in the tank every few months & diluting then with fresh petrol. No need to fill it, 10 or 20 litres should do.
The BMW PHEV tanks are pressurised to mitigate that issue but no harm to freshen up the fuel every few months.

Pentax

Hi All,

Im looking for some advise on the G20. I have been looking to buy a 3 series for some years and Im now finally in the position but I can t decide which engine variant I should go with on the G20.

I cant decide between the 330e, 330i or the 320D. I like a fun car and I have always had diesels but with the way the government is going it might be time to move away from the diesel.

I like the sound of the 330i but I have no idea what the real life MPG is like or how it will hold its value as its a combustible engine.

And the 330e sound like a good option but only if you plug it in all the time otherwise your just carrying around loads of extra weight. The boot space is small.

Cheers

John

whippet

I have my g20 just a year now and I love it.

I have a home charger so it is doing about 90% of driving on EV .. school runs etc.

I have the MSport plus and it is quick when you want it to be and even though I live rurally it’s not overly harsh on the backroads .. does not tramline anything like a previous gen MSport model.

Boot space is small .. but how often do you use it ? For a summer road trip I’ve invested in some OEM roof bars and a box.

Over all I love it .. charge it regular and you’ll get the benefit of EV

When we were changing the other car earlier this year we went for a new Leaf as we had seen the good side of EV .. so now have the best of both worlds

Kramer

Pentax wrote: »

Im looking for some advise on the G20. I have been looking to buy a 3 series for some years and Im now finally in the position but I can t decide which engine variant I should go with on the G20.

I'd be 100% in the 330e camp. The estate version looks good & is obviously far roomier/more practical than the saloon.
If you're not looking at brand new, the G30 530e is worth a look too. More used choices & likely more affordable options available as it was released in 2017 vs 2020 IIRC for the 330e.

Pentax

whippet wrote: »

I have my g20 just a year now and I love it.

I have a home charger so it is doing about 90% of driving on EV .. school runs etc.

I have the MSport plus and it is quick when you want it to be and even though I live rurally it’s not overly harsh on the backroads .. does not tramline anything like a previous gen MSport model.

Boot space is small .. but how often do you use it ? For a summer road trip I’ve invested in some OEM roof bars and a box.

Over all I love it .. charge it regular and you’ll get the benefit of EV

When we were changing the other car earlier this year we went for a new Leaf as we had seen the good side of EV .. so now have the best of both worlds

Thanks Whippet,

Do you have a wall charger or do you just plug it into a normal 3 pin socket. Do you know if the wall charger has any benefits over a normal 3 pin socket.

From your experience what has been the real MPG/range for each driving mode -

Hybrid (fully charged) -
Battery Only -
Petrol Engine (Battery flat) -

My wife regular (2 a month) completes a 100mile one way trip to see her parents. What is the car like for that type of journey and would she need to charge it again before heading back, another 100miles.

Thank you in advance.

Pentax

Kramer wrote: »

I'd be 100% in the 330e camp. The estate version looks good & is obviously far roomier/more practical than the saloon.
If you're not looking at brand new, the G30 530e is worth a look too. More used choices & likely more affordable options available as it was released in 2017 vs 2020 IIRC for the 330e.

Hi Kramer,

I would love the estate put they are serious money. I have also considered the 530e as there is some really good value out there at the moment but I think the car is very big and not a fun as the 3 series. What do you think?

Thank you

Pentax:)

MisterDrak

Pentax wrote: »

Thanks Whippet,

Do you have a wall charger or do you just plug it into a normal 3 pin socket. Do you know if the wall charger has any benefits over a normal 3 pin socket.

From your experience what has been the real MPG/range for each driving mode -

Hybrid (fully charged) -
Battery Only -
Petrol Engine (Battery flat) -

My wife regular (2 a month) completes a 100mile one way trip to see her parents. What is the car like for that type of journey and would she need to charge it again before heading back, another 100miles.

Thank you in advance.

Hi Pentax,

I got a G20 330e from Joe Duffy back at the end of January, and loving the experience so far. The secret to getting the max efficiency from the 330e is a proper installed wall box. For the first week I was on the 3 pin plug in charger , hanging out the front window of the house, this would normally take 7-8 hours to charge to 100%, which effectively eliminated several fully electric trips during the day.

The installed wall box supplies 3 time the wattage (I think), and is installed directly from the fuse box, so the charge time is around 2 hours, so I can do several fully electric trips during the day. The combined usage from last 6 months is 1.4 Lt per 100Km, and could have got better if i avoided the back road blasts...

Spent just over €100 on petrol since Jan, so a massive saving for me, however virtually all of my trips are short, and within electric range. 95% of the time leave the car in Full electric mode, and only use the xtraboost when I want to have some fun.