10-19-2013, 09:36 PM | #1 |
Second Lieutenant
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Lease option
Wondering if you guys think BMW will offer any lease specials for the i3? For example, honda offers a lease for their Fit EV that's very cheap with unlimited miles and it also includes insurance, maintenance, and repairs.
I don't think BMW will do anything similar to that but do you think maybe they'll offer a lease with unlimited miles? Seeing that EV is new to them minus the active e which was released on a very limited basis, the I series are supposed to more "mainstream."
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10-20-2013, 11:47 AM | #2 | |
Tom Moloughney
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I can tell you with 100 certainty there will not be an unlimited mileage lease option, just as that is not offered on any other real production car. If anything, the lease mileage terms on an EV may be more strict. This is because high mileage will probably effect the value of an EV more than it does a conventionally powered car because that means the eventual battery replacement expense is sooner than it would be on a lower mileage used EV.
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10-20-2013, 06:17 PM | #3 |
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Battery life is more dependent on how many deep discharge cycles it has than mileage driven, especially with the controlled environment they provide for the i3. I'd be more worried about those miles since with a one-speed transmission, and the ability to turn many thousands of RPM, the bearings on the motor are probably the first part to wear out. Caught early enough, a bearing replacement could extend the life of the motor for a very long time, though. No idea how easy that task is, or if it was factored into the original design.
The good thing about the construction of the vehicle, is corrosion should not be a major factor in the body lasting. Normal car running gear is likely to require rebuild long before the body needs attention or the motor (and probably the battery!). |
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10-21-2013, 08:31 AM | #4 | |
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10-21-2013, 09:39 AM | #5 |
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I wonder if the car is sitting on the charger, if the vehicle's battery management system will turn on the heater or cooling functions. If it did, long-term on the charger may not be that big of an issue.
Guess we'll have to wait for the user's manual or reports from first adopters to see what the engineers have thought of for the thing. But, Europe doesn't tend to get that hot, and the first ones are coming next month...guess we won't know before they show up in the USA. I did read somewhere that you can tell the car to 'prep' itself, so it brings the battery pack up to best operating temp while still on the charger prior to you leaving. You can probably also have it condition the passenger compartment, preventing that big battery hit just after you started out on your trip. |
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