Guess what Mad_Lad got this time?

Soarer

Soarer wrote: »

Cheers Mad_Lad.

So on a bit of a long journey, the ideal would be...
Start with 100% battery and full tank.
Set the car to turn on the REx at 75% (or whatever). can't set it to turn on, you have to turn it on manually or it comes on automatically when the battery reaches 6.5%
If you can't make it on one tank of juice and battery charge, top up the car with petrol to maintain the slow rate of battery discharge.
Once within EV range of your destination, switch off REx.

Sound about right?

I usually never let the battery run down, I don't like driving with the Rex on in slower traffic or in town.

You'll get the hang of it after a while.

You can create short cuts for menus in the car, for instance, if you're in the menu for where it shows the Rex menu you can press and hold one of the number buttons you'd assume are for the radio, it stores that so you now only have to press say, No.1 and you're instantly in the Rex menu so you can turn it on and off easily without fumbling through menus.

If the battery runs low then you can top up on DC for a few mins and head off again.

I love the idrive, it makes touch screens seem really ridiculously stupid in cars.

You can also get a 32 amp 3 phase charge lead which when connected to a 3 phase slow charge point will charge the 94 ah i3 from 10-90% in about 2hrs 20 mins. Not so slow for us 94 ah i3 owners, it also means far less time needed hanging around at fast chargers.

mordeith

Soarer wrote: »

So to bring this back on thread....
You have the REX, you're tootling up the motorway, your battery runs low and the REx kicks in. Can you still sit at 120 (ie. will the REx rev enough to top up the battery quickly enough?), or do you have to reduce speed to allow for charging?

This happens to me occasionally when I've forgotten to charge at home. At 7.5% battery the Rex kicks in. There is no noticeable drop in power. The car will still easily tip away at 120kph. Only thing I've noticed is there is a slightly less instant response to the acceleration but still far more than a conventional ice.

DrPhilG

I've never seen a drop in power because as others have said, I don't let it go that low.

But if you're booting down the motorway at 120kmph and 7%, you will not maintain that battery level IMO. Even at 100km in typical Irish weather you will just about maintain the battery %.

If I'm doing a long trip and I know I'll use the full tank, I'll turn it on at 70% and use the petrol first. But you will find that at prolonged high speed the 70% will gradually drop down and only catch up again when you slow down.

So if you're doing 120, hit 7% and the REx comes on, if you continue doing 120 then IMO you will eventually drop the battery to the point where it limits your power.

Soarer

Jaysus, I'd forgotten the Dr had an i3 too!

Think we need an i3 owners' list!

DrPhilG

Soarer wrote: »

Jaysus, I'd forgotten the Dr had an i3 too!

Think we need an i3 owners' list!

I think I've noticed half a dozen new i3 owners either here or on Facebook since I switched in October.

The REx is a no brainer for Ireland because of the sh*tty network.

ELM327

unkel wrote: »

The REx is a 2 cylinder 650cc 33BHP small motor bike engine

Max it can do is 110km/h indicated, so the real speed is less than that (I don't know how much less) without the help of the electric motor, but a tiny bit of headwind and you will be overtaken by Nissans driving at LeafSpeed :pac:

Linky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmCOdHZF91Q

Max speed in EV mode is an indicated 154km/h. That's not great either. But I guess adequate for most owners.

So you'd reccomend a leaf with a tesco value battery over an i3 rex for the same money?? :eek::eek:

Shefwedfan

Soarer wrote: »

Your e-golf is a lovely looking motor actually. Surprised it hasn't sold yet!

The market is poor at the moment.....no major rush to sell it to be honest. Every couple of days the Misses comes in and decides she wants to keep it.....so who knows what will happen:p


Phil has the newer model at decent money which might be worth a look....the doors and no back windows would rule out the i3 for me. Also I don't like the 4 seater, even if I hadn't kids I don't think I would go for it.

Soarer

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Phil has the newer model at decent money which might be worth a look....the doors and no back windows would rule out the i3 for me. Also I don't like the 4 seater, even if I hadn't kids I don't think I would go for it.

That's exactly my conundrum.
I'd get over the 4 seats (only 4 in the family and have the Prius if we need to haul an extra a$$). The doors and windows are the big f-up IMO.
Which is why I'd want the tinted glass and sunroof.

#FirstWorldProblems

I've never lost power in the 94Ah at 120 Km/h with the cruise on and even at 4% battery , lowest I saw, Winter and wet roads. Charge got back up to about 8% again when load was reduced.

Again, use the Rex before the battery gets very low and then use battery on slower roads and town.

unkel

Deleted User wrote: »

Again, use the Rex before the battery gets very low and then use battery on slower roads and town.

I wasn't aware you could do that. Sounds like a good plan if you know you're not gonna make it on battery power

So, you can switch the REx on at any time?

ewj1978

As long as its under 75% afaik. Just set a button on the dash to enable it so you don't have to go through the menu ( but even that takes 3 seconds).
I drove from Naas to Youghal yesterday with my new car and wanted to test it.
Thats 212km.
After 127km motorway @120kmph and 28km @~100kmph the rex kicked in at 6% and took me the remaining 57km home.
Non-stop. No range issues.
Had over a half tank of fuel saying 75km range when i got home.
love the car.

To answer questions on mine. Yep. €25k landed. Rex from a BMW main dealer in the UK.
Only gripe I have is the app.
what do people use?
also cracked the windscreen coming back from the VRT today but autoglass are on it next Tuesday.

Gumbo

Soarer wrote: »

I think I've put in on record before that there are one or two things about the i3 that slightly irritate me. But even with those annoyances, I find myself still really wanting one...approx. 12 months after my test drive!

I'm planning (hopefully) to upgrade the car in the next few (possibly 6) months.
Teslas are too rich for my blood unfortunately, so they're out.
Same goes for Niro/Kona. Wouldn't buy them anyway if I'd the money tbh.
Ioniq is a good car, but would want the SE from the UK. So a hen's teeth job.
e-Golf is a bit too saucy for the range given.

So that leaves me with a Tekna L40 or an i3 REx from the UK.
I've been back and forth in my head for weeks/months, and always seem to come back to the conclusion of....if I'm to spend ~€25k on a car, the only one I think I'd regret buying is the i3! That might change in the depth of winter when I have to open the kids' door in the pi$$ing rain! But at the minute, that's where I am. Fupp sake!
I'd be fairly particular as to what I'd want in the car too (the majority of the following)...
LED headlights
Tinted rear windows
Leather interior
Big screen
Reversing camera
Sunroof
Harmon Kardon Audio
Anything but the ugly wheels.
Could have a long wait on my hands!

So to bring this back on thread....
You have the REX, you're tootling up the motorway, your battery runs low and the REx kicks in. Can you still sit at 120 (ie. will the REx rev enough to top up the battery quickly enough?), or do you have to reduce speed to allow for charging?

I’ll sell you mine next year. I’ll be due a change then.

Gumbo

ewj1978 wrote: »

jumping in to show my new motor.
2016 94AH Rex.

Lovely colour. Welcome to the i3 club.
Are you on Facebook?

There’s a good bmw i3 UK group that has loads of info and tips. There’s an Irish group too but it’s like a ghost town.

Gumbo

ewj1978 wrote: »

As long as its under 75% afaik. Just set a button on the dash to enable it so you don't have to go through the menu ( but even that takes 3 seconds).
I drove from Naas to Youghal yesterday with my new car and wanted to test it.
Thats 212km.
After 127km motorway @120kmph and 28km @~100kmph the rex kicked in at 6% and took me the remaining 57km home.
Non-stop. No range issues.
Had over a half tank of fuel saying 75km range when i got home.
love the car.

To answer questions on mine. Yep. €25k landed. Rex from a BMW main dealer in the UK.
Only gripe I have is the app.
what do people use?
also cracked the windscreen coming back from the VRT today but autoglass are on it next Tuesday.

What’s up with the app?
Mine works perfect?
Pre conditioning, location, sending destinations to the sat nav etc
I also get the pop up on my phone if I have a calendar alert set on the phone telling me when to leave.

unkel

unkel wrote: »

I wasn't aware you could do that. Sounds like a good plan if you know you're not gonna make it on battery power

So, you can switch the REx on at any time?

Only from 75% charge and below.

DrPhilG

ewj1978 wrote: »

to answer questions on mine. Yep. €25k landed. Rex from a BMW main dealer in the UK.
Only gripe I have is the app.
what do people use?
also cracked the windscreen coming back from the VRT today but autoglass are on it next Tuesday.

As kceire says, I have no issues with the app. There is an older version that people reckon is more reliable but I've got both and they both work fine.

Great price on the car. What spec do you have inside?

KCross

ewj1978 wrote: »

also cracked the windscreen coming back from the VRT today but autoglass are on it next Tuesday.

Careful on the windscreen, according to cros13...


https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=105866192&postcount=651

I'd be asking autoglass if they have done one already, before you let them at yours.

mordeith

App used to be a bit flaky for me but settled down now. One issue is sometimes I send the climate control and I get a report back saying it can't be started (but it actually has).

You can also set the programmable remote key to either turn on the climate control or lights which is handy.

n97 mini

unkel wrote: »

The REx is a 2 cylinder 650cc 33BHP small motor bike engine

Max it can do is 110km/h indicated, so the real speed is less than that (I don't know how much less) without the help of the electric motor, but a tiny bit of headwind and you will be overtaken by Nissans driving at LeafSpeed :pac:

Linky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmCOdHZF91Q

Max speed in EV mode is an indicated 154km/h. That's not great either. But I guess adequate for most owners.

Ampera has sort of the same issue, but to a lesser extent. The ICE is 90bhp so even with a flat battery 120km/h on the motorway is doable. But going up extended inclines where battery assistance is needed, and will eventually run out, will result in a "Decreased propulsion power" message. Not gonna happen here, but a possibility in the US.

Really wish the 2nd generation was sold here. 80km battery only range, 7.2kw charging, 5 seats in a conventional layout and a slightly bigger ICE. Oh and it's quicker to 60 mph than the i3 Rex in the dry (still FWD). Such a shame GM mothballed the plant.

unkel

n97 mini wrote: »

Ampera has sort of the same issue, but to a lesser extent. The ICE is 90bhp

90BHP is at least something. You might say just about adequate. Not unsafe.

33BHP on the other hand is nothing. I'd even call it dangerous if you are driving at top speed (about 105km/h) and there literally is zero acceleration possible

I remember driving a '79 45BHP Renault R5 in the 80s (that's the lowest powered car I have ever driven), which was about half the weight of the i3. And it was slow. But at least back then many cars were slow

Now I am the first to admit I would prefer to drive a 33BHP car at low speeds, rather than having to wait for a flat bed with an EV with an empty battery (or wait for hours at a fast charger), but still, the REx on its own is really only an emergency system (unless you apply it while it still works in conjunction with the electro motor)

ELM327

unkel wrote: »

I wasn't aware you could do that. Sounds like a good plan if you know you're not gonna make it on battery power

So, you can switch the REx on at any time?

Once you don't have the US one.
That was what caused the issues, in the US you cannot switch on the Rex, here you can below 75% SOC.

punisher5112

I've moved so have a commute of around 84km each way, realistic I'm looking at next 2 years hopefully have some money together and get a loan.

Realistically what sort of money am I looking at and which i3 would suit best?

Buying new wouldn't be an option unfortunately.

ELM327

I think with that commute you'd need the 94ah rex, mininum.
If you're not limiting yourself to i3, the leaf 40, Ioniq, Kona are all good options.

punisher5112

ELM327 wrote: »

I think with that commute you'd need the 94ah rex, mininum.
If you're not limiting yourself to i3, the leaf 40, Ioniq, Kona are all good options.

I would home charge and not looking at using network and work isn't an option as nothing supplied.

ELM327

punisher5112 wrote: »

I would home charge and not looking at using network and work isn't an option as nothing supplied.

Then I would try and get the largest range possible or a 94ah rex i3, should have enough range even in winter, but if it doesn't you have the fallback of the rex

Soarer

Just kinda wondering out loud again.

If you were to buy a REx, the need for the DC prep would pretty much disappear wouldn't it? I mean, why would you sit for half an hour charging when you could throw a fiver of petrol in and rock on?

Or is that overly simplistic?

Mickeroo

Soarer wrote: »

If you were to buy a REx, the need for the DC prep would pretty much disappear wouldn't it? I mean, why would you sit for half an hour charging when you could throw a fiver of petrol in and rock on?

I'm pretty sure Mad Lad has made that exact point in every post he's made since he's got one, so I think you're spot on there.

Soarer

Mickeroo wrote: »

I'm pretty sure Mad Lad has made that exact point in every post he's made since he's got one, so I think you're spot on there.

So what you're saying is Mad_Lad is overly simplistic? :P