BMW i3

[surfingslovak]

I think the ugliness is universally proclaimed. It is not a bias. I suggest from your avatar you have significant bias.

Really? I don't think that you know very much about me or my reasoning process then. Your posts, on the other hand, manifest selective attention to facts. I don't have a problem with your opinion, I respect that. What I don't find particularly helpful are pointed generalizations without much data to back them up. Yes, the design of the i3 is controversial. Do I like it? Not sure, I haven't seen it in real life yet. I may not even buy one. The other things you brought up about handling and performance were off the charts.

 

[gameon]

people want to buy something reasonable for reasonable price but automakers just think about bottom line. Tesla or GM they are no different because all they think is bottom line (nothing wrong with that but consumer make tesla as company send from heaven or something, which makes me chuckle....apple was in same position few years back)

It is too early to throw i3 away but BMW is not interested in making i3 or i8 popular but creating models for EPA (in CA you need few models with high EPA by 2020 or something)

 

[TonyWilliams]

... for EPG (in CA you need few models with high EPG by 2020 or something)

What is EPG?

 

[qwk]

What is EPG?

I think he means CA compliance cars.

 

[gameon]

What is EPG?

EPA typo...you know it more details here...

http://www.epa.gov/carlabel/

 

[EVNow]

I think the ugliness is universally proclaimed. It is not a bias.

So anyone disagrees with you doesn't belong in this "universe" or may be you have your own "universe" ?

Repeat after me - "looks" are subjective.

 

[vfx]

I like the color!

 

[gameon]

So anyone disagrees with you doesn't belong in this "universe" or may be you have your own "universe" ?

Repeat after me - "looks" are subjective.

haha.. same goes about girl.. beauty for one & average for other

 

[ckessel]

Repeat after me - "looks" are subjective.

And I'm sure there are some folks that think Keith Richards is a handsome, healthy looking fellow.

 

[surfingslovak]

I found a longer and less heavily edited version of the video with Rory McIlroy and Gary Woodland. The second half has some driving range footage, and is more relevant and less promotional. It's available in HD.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

And I'm sure there are some folks that think Keith Richards is a handsome, healthy looking fellow.

And there are probably many who don't care and are only interested in his musical output.

The only problem is, of course, many people would not be familiar and association with a drug-ravaged old man might put them off.

 

[TonyWilliams]

EPA typo...you know it more details here...

http://www.epa.gov/carlabel/

It's not US government's EPA that requires the cars in California; it is the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Yes, BMW must comply with CARB - Zero Emission Vehicle mandates by building Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) or:

1) Buy the ZEV credits and pay a fine of $5000 per credit for cars not produced
2) Stop selling vehicles in California
3) Attempt to sue CARB into submission, which worked well in 2000-2003. The vehicle trade association(s) tried again in October 2012 to stop CARB-ZEV mandates, but lost... so far.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

haha.. same goes about girl.. beauty for one & average for other

And I’m sure that “girl”, or more likely woman, would say the same about say… well, why not you, to her female friends, if ‘the two of you’ ever were to meet…

They'd probably use the term handsome (or average), instead of beauty though.

 

[mhpr262]

As I was driving home from work this afternoon, I saw a production version i3 just a few miles east of Munich ... it was being loaded onto a flat bed, near one of the busiest roads around Munich. Ouch! There was no damage visible, so I hope it just somebody who brodered it ...

 

[rolosrevenge]

As I was driving home from work this afternoon, I saw a production version i3 just a few miles east of Munich ... it was being loaded onto a flat bed, near one of the busiest roads around Munich. Ouch! There was no damage visible, so I hope it just somebody who brodered it ...

Running an EV until it's dead should be done in testing. They were probably just doing some engineering tests.

 

[Ampster]

I saw one earlier today at the Alt Car Expo in Santa Monica, California. It looks better in person. I don't think it will compete with the model S but it is going after a niche for a lower cost shorter range market.

 

[vfx]

The I3 is a east coast 10 and a California 5.

 

[Discoducky]

The i3 is built from the ground up to be electric except it has near zero frunk storage, but has a ICE-looking nose and has very little trunk storage due to the *mandatory* space taken by the ICE engine and tank (NOTE: The ICE and tank are *NOT* mandatory, but the space taken up by them is NOT available when you configure the car to just be an EV).

Also, and I really hope this is fixed by production, is that the battery cannot be charged by the ICE while moving once it is below a certain level. The BMW personell I talked with explained that once the battery is close to depleted the car must remain parked for a "certain amount of time" before it can be driven again.

Let that sink in a bit....

Hat's off to BMW as it looks different and some find it's looks compelling.
Hat's off to making it nearly entirely out of Carbon Fibre (yes, they spell funny) and lighter than you think it should be
Hat's off for using a flat battery (supposedly as I really want to see the drivetrain in full cutaway)

But consumers are going to notice the lack of storage space as compared to a Leaf and limitations of the ICE as a generator as compared to the Volt

Really hope Nissan and GM are preparing ads which show these deficiencies by comparison OR BMW wakes up and makes significant changes to their chassis/drivetrain/REX strategy prior to launch.

 

[SanSerif]

The i3 is built from the ground up to be electric except it has near zero frunk storage, but has a ICE-looking nose and has very little trunk storage due to the *mandatory* space taken by the ICE engine and tank (NOTE: The ICE and tank are *NOT* mandatory, but the space taken up by them is NOT available when you configure the car to just be an EV).

If you order it with range extender, the REx sits alongside the electric motor at the rear of the car - no space is lost at under the bonnet for it. The "frunk" is small - maybe related to the short bonnet and the tiny turning circle which requires large angles of movement on the front wheels.

Also, and I really hope this is fixed by production, is that the battery cannot be charged by the ICE while moving once it is below a certain level. The BMW personell I talked with explained that once the battery is close to depleted the car must remain parked for a "certain amount of time" before it can be driven again.

Let that sink in a bit....

I've seen this on the internet elsewhere - but have been told by BMW that you can fire up the REx at any point below 80% charge or it will come on automatically at 20% charge (unless you over-ride and turn it off). Certainly this arrangement makes most sense - and any set up that allowed the REx to work only at 20% would massively reduce flexibility and be totally unnecessary from an engineering point of view. It could be down to different tax-breaks and different definitions of "EV" and hybrid in different locations (I'm EU not USA).

Presumably, the comment you report that it can't be driven for a while after depletion simply refers to the need to charge an EV!

Hat's off to BMW as it looks different and some find it's looks compelling.
Hat's off to making it nearly entirely out of Carbon Fibre (yes, they spell funny) and lighter than you think it should be
Hat's off for using a flat battery (supposedly as I really want to see the drivetrain in full cutaway)

But consumers are going to notice the lack of storage space as compared to a Leaf and limitations of the ICE as a generator as compared to the Volt

Really hope Nissan and GM are preparing ads which show these deficiencies by comparison OR BMW wakes up and makes significant changes to their chassis/drivetrain/REX strategy prior to launch.

I'm hoping it's a good car as well - particularly given that I've ordered one! Having now seen it in the flesh (but not driven it), I've been impressed (and a little relieved - ordering sight unseen is a bit of a leap).

I actually like the smaller size - one of the reasons I've not pursued my initial thoughts of the Tesla S is that it's simply too big for everyday use around the UK. I may be mis-remembering but I think it's something like 20cms wider than an E class Merc!

 

[yobigd20]

This may have already been answered before, but I am curious. Are states going to classify this car as an EV and be eligible for EV-only benefits or are they going to classify it as a hybrid since it will still be partially powered by gas?