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      08-07-2014, 05:05 PM   #1
JasH
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Question REx version extra weight?

My dealer told me the REx version of the i3 is an additional 250kg over the normal i3.

I read a review which stated the difference was 150kg.

Does anyone have a definitive figure for this please?
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      08-07-2014, 06:29 PM   #2
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Confirmed in a second review. REx adds 120kg. Dealer must be mistaken.
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      08-07-2014, 08:51 PM   #3
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The REx adds weight, decreases all-electric range, max cargo capacity, and max acceleration. And, it adds a muffler, oil and spark plug changes, and does let you go further before recharging...so, the decision to get it or not is a bit more complex than you may think.
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      08-08-2014, 12:02 PM   #4
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It does not reduce cargo capacity. But I prefer the non REx version anyway.

Too many downsides, just for the range. I have other cars for range.
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      08-08-2014, 05:04 PM   #5
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It does not decrease the volume of cargo, but because of its weight, it does affect your max load, at least a little: 937/915 pounds, nowhere near what the whole assembly weighs, but then you also end up with larger tires, and you're carrying around more weight all of the time: 2634/2864 which affects your overall efficiency and performance, even if you never get to the point when the REx turns on.
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      08-11-2014, 08:03 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasH View Post
I have other cars for range.
Other than the obvious observation that the REx eliminates the need for an additional vehicle, an often overlooked reality of the REx is that it will always give you the capability to drive more electric miles than the combination of a BEV and an ICE.

Consider a 100 mile drive under conditions that will only allow for 72 miles of electric range. A REx will make that drive 72% electric / 28% gas. The BEV/ICE combination will make that drive 0% electric / 100% gas.

For a great many people, the REx is a more "pure" EV than the often touted BEV/ICE combination.
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      08-11-2014, 11:43 AM   #7
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Yes, but far too many negative downsides of the REx version, especially considering that it would add little benefit in my case.

Weight
Cost
Huge tax disadvantages (0% BIK vs 5% BIK for REx in UK)
Servicing
Tiny fuel tank anyway
Hugely inefficient to generate electricity from petrol
Cannot keep the batteries charged sufficiently to maintain an 80mph motorway speed anyway.


Far better in my cse to keep the i3 light and pure, and to use any of my other cars when range is required.
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      08-11-2014, 02:29 PM   #8
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I respect your choice.

I keep forgetting that as EVs become more mainstream, they appeal to the larger group of folks that appreciate spirited acceleration and smooth/quiet drivetrain more than the economy and desire to reduce our impact on the earth's resources that early adopters sought in order to get the movement started.

At least some of your miles will be electric. Too bad more of them will not.
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      08-11-2014, 05:30 PM   #9
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It's one thing to take the REx on a round-trip that uses up both the battery capacity and the fuel, and it's a totally different thing to try to treat it as an ICE with repeated stops to fill the gas tank and no opportunity to recharge the batteries to their full state. Expecting the i3 to treat you the same as an ICE on say a 200+ mile, one-way trip is just not realistic, especially if those miles contain some strenuous sections (long grades, high average speed, the need for comfort features (like in the middle of winter - who wants to be bundled up heavily for that trip?)). If your daily intended use exceeds the BEV's, but does not exceed the REx's, it might be worth the added expense and backup capabilities. Otherwise, it's just one more thing that needs maintenance that will affect overall operating costs, purchase investment, and complexity, not counting that it weighs more and detracts from the overall performance and economy verses the BEV. BMW foresaw that need, and at least in some markets, offers the rental of a more suitable vehicle. Of course, that's always an option to arrange for yourself, but as in my case, and I think this will be fairly common, my i3 is not my only vehicle, so I can pick and choose when and which one I choose for the intended task at hand. As an only vehicle, a REx may or may not suffice for all of your needs.
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      08-11-2014, 06:36 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jadnashuanh View Post
...Otherwise, it's just one more thing that needs maintenance that will affect overall operating costs, purchase investment, and complexity, not counting that it weighs more and detracts from the overall performance and economy verses the BEV.
As is the "one more thing that needs maintenance that will affect overall operating costs, purchase investment, and complexity, not counting that it weighs more and detracts from the overall performance and economy" -- the extra ICE vehicle that you would have no need for should you purchase the REx.
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      08-11-2014, 06:45 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jadnashuanh View Post
...as in my case, and I think this will be fairly common, my i3 is not my only vehicle, so I can pick and choose when and which one I choose for the intended task at hand.
We're not all rich, trust fund babies. Many of us need to make do with a single vehicle, and place a higher priority on driving electric miles than we do on bragging about owning a "pure" EV.
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      08-11-2014, 07:17 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jadnashuanh View Post
Expecting the i3 to treat you the same as an ICE on say a 200+ mile, one-way trip is just not realistic, especially if those miles contain some strenuous sections (long grades, high average speed, the need for comfort features (like in the middle of winter - who wants to be bundled up heavily for that trip?)).
You've read countless accounts of folks on the mybmwi3 forum driving for hundreds, even thousands of miles on the REx with no issues, as well as the one or two that admittedly pushed it beyond the REx's capabilities. None have suffered. I don't get it. Are you saying that a BEV can do better? Does the BEV's brief 9 mile span of ability to accelerate at maximum power after depletion of 72 miles of EPA range up to 81 miles of EPA range negate the REx's ability to travel thousands of miles beyond that point with no restrictions other than an average speed of 75 mph or so? The BEV's option beyond 81 miles is a flatbed tow truck.

I simply do not understand your perspective. If I had to drive 200+ miles every day in the dead of winter, the Prius Plug-In, not the i3 REx, is the obvious solution. Most of us drive less than 40 miles per day in less than arctic conditions, so an i3 REx would be ideal, assuming we might need to drive 200+ miles every now and then, and are willing to put up with a gas stop on the way.

Beauty part is that the REx eliminates the need for an additional vehicle. An often overlooked reality of the REx is that it will always give you the capability to drive more electric miles than the combination of a BEV and an ICE.
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      08-11-2014, 10:08 PM   #13
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I drive my BEV for most of my trips, because my ICE just wasn't getting fully warmed up most times, and the efficiency just was lousy, plus, the worries about the battery, oil dillution, muffler degradation. It works fine for a longer trip, and gets much better efficiency than running around town - I've driven it over 1,000-miles in one day with no issues; something that could not have been done with the i3, Rex or not, nor could it have been carting 3 women and their luggage to a wedding for a week. So, proper car for the proper situation. The i3 REx, if you can't stop to recharge, and are driving a longer distance isn't really getting much better mileage than my ICE and you'll be stopping about every hour or two to refill - maybe sooner, since if you're traveling the US interstate system, you may not find service stations at your desired range. Travel out west, and you may not actually find a service station within your REx only range after the batteries are discharged enough to require the REx, especially late at night. Keep in mind that once you've gotten to the point where you require the REx to continue, the i3 really isn't all that efficient - maybe 80-miles on a couple of gallons of gasoline. Some nice diesel engines can easily beat that as can some gasoline ones. It's only when it is running on the batteries, unaided where it really shines. Now, if you're lucky enough to have a network of DC fast charging stations along your route, I'd reconsider. That may happen (it's getting close in the UK) in the USA, but it will be a long time yet, depending on where exactly you want to go. I did buy that option, so if the network develops, I may consider longer drives in the i3. Until then, I'll use my ICE when appropriate.

If you're willing to make enough concessions and preplanning things - just hope that one of the stations or charging stations isn't either closed, malfunctioning, or already occupied by someone else that just got there and will be for 3+ hours while their car recharges! Except during a gas shortage, when was the last time you had to wait more than a few minutes to get to a pump? Then, maybe 3-4 minutes later, you're ready to drive off, ready to go, in the case of my ICE, maybe another 500-miles, only stopping for food or a rest stop.

So, it all depends. The i3, REx or not, was designed as a city, commuter car. You can dig a ditch with a hand spade, but it isn't the best tool for the job. Use it as you wish.

Keep in mind that the entire area of the UK is less than the size of Texas in the USA, and is MUCH more densely populated - what would work there, may not be anywhere near as good of a solution as in parts of the USA. I live just outside of the NE USA megalopolis, so it's not all that far to population centers, but the USA hasn't put as much effort into building up EV power charging infrastructure, so the viability of EVs can vary a lot from one area to another. Ever driven E-W across Texas? You can go over 100-miles from El Paso going east before you come to another town and from El Paso to Houston is nearly 800-miles - lots of nothing in between. It's a different world than Europe.

Last edited by jadnashuanh; 08-12-2014 at 12:37 AM..
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      08-18-2014, 01:37 PM   #14
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copied from my technical data

BEV
Weight, unladen, according to DIN/EU: 2634/2799

REX
Weight, unladen, according to DIN/EU: 2899/3064
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      08-18-2014, 03:28 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ultraturtle View Post
You've read countless accounts of folks on the mybmwi3 forum driving for hundreds, even thousands of miles on the REx with no issues, as well as the one or two that admittedly pushed it beyond the REx's capabilities. None have suffered. I don't get it. Are you saying that a BEV can do better? Does the BEV's brief 9 mile span of ability to accelerate at maximum power after depletion of 72 miles of EPA range up to 81 miles of EPA range negate the REx's ability to travel thousands of miles beyond that point with no restrictions other than an average speed of 75 mph or so? The BEV's option beyond 81 miles is a flatbed tow truck.

I simply do not understand your perspective. If I had to drive 200+ miles every day in the dead of winter, the Prius Plug-In, not the i3 REx, is the obvious solution. Most of us drive less than 40 miles per day in less than arctic conditions, so an i3 REx would be ideal, assuming we might need to drive 200+ miles every now and then, and are willing to put up with a gas stop on the way.

Beauty part is that the REx eliminates the need for an additional vehicle. An often overlooked reality of the REx is that it will always give you the capability to drive more electric miles than the combination of a BEV and an ICE.
Under this circumstance (usually 40 miles/day plus 200+ mile trip occasionally), the Volt would be the better option.
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      08-18-2014, 04:05 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
Under this circumstance (usually 40 miles/day plus 200+ mile trip occasionally), the Volt would be the better option.
except it's a Volt
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      08-18-2014, 05:06 PM   #17
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except it's a Volt
Ignorance is SUCH bliss.
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      08-18-2014, 05:48 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin_Genius@BMWMtLaurel View Post
except it's a Volt

Exactly. Although the better response would have been, but it's not a BMW. The i3 drives fantastic. And the volt, not so much. But the other electric cars also don't drive very well.
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      08-18-2014, 09:54 PM   #19
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It all depends on your expectations and perspective...the Volt is a very different car than the i3 in both design and design goals...if it meets your needs, it may be the perfect car. It certainly wasn't for me, but that's just me.
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      08-19-2014, 07:56 AM   #20
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Well it is a very interesting discussion as to what is best indeed. In my case I already have a Prius plug in. My driving in it is 80% EV even though you only have a EV range of about 14 miles (12 to 15 miles actually). I bought the i3 Rex even though most of my driving: as I am retired, is going to be within the range of a BEV except living in the mid west the charging infrastructure is really spotty. My i3 will be used mostly on trips in the area well within 40 to 50 miles each way, so I got the rex because many times I would have to charge up just to get home, yet the rex will usually get me home needing to only contribute 5, 10 or sometimes 20 miles past the range of the BEV.
I also plan on keeping the Prius, as we like to go on vacations of 600 or 700 miles each way and with the current infrastructure for charging I would never want to drive the i3 Rex that far the way you would have to recharge the Rex/gas every 60 or 65 minutes, it just isn't piratical or even safe in my book, because of the way the Rex is set up in the USA. If we had the European Rex operating configuration it would be no problem in my opinion to go much further on the REx, but in the US as currently designed it is not safe.

Now having said that, I bought the DC fast charging as I think infrastructure in my area will probably start be built much faster now. Additionally I am hoping BMW US will eventually fix the Rex functionality and then I woill be willing to take longer trips in it. In the mean time long trips will be reserved for the Prius.



So I agree with ultraturtle, at least for me the Rex will get me more EV miles overall in the i3 even though I will still have a ICE/plugin hybrid that I can take on long trips.

Last edited by mindmachine; 08-19-2014 at 08:01 AM..
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      08-19-2014, 09:59 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
Ignorance is SUCH bliss.
you've driven a Volt, right? I tried parking one and almost wanted to give up, the windows are SO high in that thing! Understeer is a huge concern as well
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      08-19-2014, 10:48 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mindmachine View Post
it just isn't piratical or even safe in my book, because of the way the Rex is set up in the USA. If we had the European Rex operating configuration it would be no problem in my opinion to go much further on the REx, but in the US as currently designed it is not safe.
Just curious, what is the difference between Euro and US Rex cars?
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