[BrokenVert]

Hello! I picked up my i3 yesterday and its very nice. I just wanted to let everyone know how surprisingly loud the REx in the i3 is. Lets just say that it isnt what you would expect from a green and electric car.

Its nearly as loud as my catback 135 at idle.

[bozola]

You traded your 135 vert for an i3? Cool!

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by bozola

You traded your 135 vert for an i3? Cool!

Nope. Still have the vert, its been retired to weekend duty. Been commuting in an ActiveE for the past few years.

View post on imgur.com

[MikeSI3]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

Hello! I picked up my i3 yesterday and its very nice. I just wanted to let everyone know how surprisingly loud the REx in the i3 is. Lets just say that it isnt what you would expect from a green and electric car.

Its nearly as loud as my catback 135 at idle.

I suggest you take it back to the dealers as when I took 2 different REXs out for a test drive the REX engine was barely audible unless it was working extremely hard!

[jadnashuanh]

Really loud is subjective...being electric driven, any added sound can become the primary sound. But, from other reports, most say it is not very noticeable - but, definitely audible.

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by jadnashuanh

Really loud is subjective...being electric driven, any added sound can become the primary sound. But, from other reports, most say it is not very noticeable - but, definitely audible.

As loud as my catback 135 isnt subjective.

[jadnashuanh]

Get a sound pressure meter, measure the two, then you'll have a real indication...the human ear is notoriously lousy at judging sound levels.

[tommolog]

There are three power levels on the renege extender. On the lowest level it's pretty quiet and you cannot hear it at all from inside the cabin, even with the radio off. Once it needs a bit more power and kicks into the next level, you can definitely hear it running but the noise is just a low hum and you can mute it out by playing the radio. The highest level of operation will be needed to maintain highway speeds and is definitely louder than a regular gas car's engine. It sounds pretty much like what it is, a motorcycle engine at high rev.

It also shuts off when you are driving under 15mph unless the SOC os critically low and then it will quickly get it up to 6% and shut off. I guess BMW (knowing it's loud) doesn't want people to hear it running while the car is being driven at low speeds! I've driven mine about 100 miles with the range extender running so far and it's working exactly as I hoped it would. The noise doesn't bother me, I just want to get to where I need it to take me!

BrokenVert: Has your check engine light come on yet? It seems to be some kind of software bug on the US models. Just about everyone with a REx has had the light come on now, It doesn't seem to be anything to worry about though. I suspect there will be some kind of software update to fix it soon.

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by tommolog

There are three power levels on the renege extender. On the lowest level it's pretty quiet and you cannot hear it at all from inside the cabin, even with the radio off. Once it needs a bit more power and kicks into the next level, you can definitely hear it running but the noise is just a low hum and you can mute it out by playing the radio. The highest level of operation will be needed to maintain highway speeds and is definitely louder than a regular gas car's engine. It sounds pretty much like what it is, a motorcycle engine at high rev.

It also shuts off when you are driving under 15mph unless the SOC os critically low and then it will quickly get it up to 6% and shut off. I guess BMW (knowing it's loud) doesn't want people to hear it running while the car is being driven at low speeds! I've driven mine about 100 miles with the range extender running so far and it's working exactly as I hoped it would. The noise doesn't bother me, I just want to get to where I need it to take me!

BrokenVert: Has your check engine light come on yet? It seems to be some kind of software bug on the US models. Just about everyone with a REx has had the light come on now, It doesn't seem to be anything to worry about though. I suspect there will be some kind of software update to fix it soon.

I noticed the power settings thing. But mine just seems to be stuck on the high setting. It works perfectly I just wasn't expecting it to be so loud.

Also yes the CEL came on Sunday and hasn't gone out. It didn't throw a code though and I assumed that the light came on as an indication of the engine running.

[Efthreeoh]

An instant, powerful, and violent chemical reaction that makes a loud sound, interesting...

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

An instant, powerful, and violent chemical reaction that makes a loud sound, interesting...

No need to be a jackass.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

No need to be a jackass.

Seriously, what did you expect from a vehicle that has an engine in it?

Let's just call the i3 what it is, a fuel-efficient, alternate-placed carbon emissions vehicle. There is nothing green about it. There is no such thing as "Green"; it's just a made up term to make people feel better because someone (the same people who coined the concept of "Green") has convinced them that they should feel guilty for being alive and impacting the planet. If you want a car that saves you money by using less fuel, then good on ya. But to think it's helping the planet is purely hypothetical-based nonsense.

[BrokenVert]

I have no idea what you're trying to say man. What was the point of that little rant?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

I have no idea what you're trying to say man. What was the point of that little rant?

BrokenVert: "Lets just say that it isnt what you would expect from a green and electric car."

Efthreeoh: "There is no such thing as "Green"; it's just a made up term to make people feel better because someone (the same people who coined the concept of "Green") has convinced them that they should feel guilty for being alive and impacting the planet."

Efthreeoh: "Seriously, what did you expect from a vehicle that has an engine in it?"

I'm tired of people using the term "Green" and think they can save the planet by buying a car. It allows politicians to think they have the power to pass laws that will save the planet. Laws that dictate 54 MPG cars by 2025. So we end up with 3-cylinder turbo engines and 15-speed automatics (or worst CVTs) on the way to 2025, and people like me who actually enjoy driving can't find a decent car to replace their E90 and expect to get 250,000 miles out of it without a major repair. And if EVERYONE drove their car to 250,000 miles, wouldn't that actually be better for the planet because as a society we will produce less cars and dig less stuff out of the ground to make them. Maybe we should pass a law that mandates people should be required to drive their cars to a minimum of 250,000 miles.

That's the point.

[BrokenVert]

Right so your rant was pointless then.

Green is a marketing term. Green cars trend to be quiet and smooth in order to differentiate them from loud rough and polluting SUVs. Im also aware of the concept of an ICE - I design them for a living. It's possible to make a small gas engine very quiet. This engine is very loud for its size and it doesn't fit the character of the car. Also it just doesn't make a sonorous sound. So yes. I was naturally surprised.

Im not touching everything else you've said because it was rather pointless and silly. I honestly don't know who you're trying to convince of what your paragraph is all over the place.

[jadnashuanh]

Talk to the people that live in China (been there, it's nasty) about pollution in the city, and then think about replacing that with electric vehicles. While it's not in their scheme of things, they are improving their emissions from their power plants, and they tend (as ours do) to be away from major population areas, an EV is a way to get the cities a bit more healthful and without lots of ICE vehicles running around with sometimes questionable maintenance, it's easier to manage production of power at a more central location. And, that power may itself not produce much of any air pollution, as in hydro, solar, wind turbine, or geothermal energy. The batteries and most everything in the i3 are recycleable, so there's minimal impact, and only time will tell how long they last in this vehicle with their power management scheme but they are at least warranted for a fair amount of time/distance. Other than wearing out a bearing on the motor, you have none of the oil, antifreeze, etc. oil pumps, water pumps, etc. of an ICE that need regular maintenance (unless you wimp out and buy the REx). I'll say it again, IMHO, if you 'need' the REx, the i3 probably isn't the vehicle for you!

So, green is relative, and an EV is greener than an ICE IMHO.

[Efthreeoh]

It is truly amazing how many internal combustion engine engineers apparently are on this i3 site, who apparently suck at their job so much they have someone else design "the future of automotive transportation". If it were me, I'd be embarrassed.

Gentlemen, everything pollutes regardless if it has an engine that converts stored energy from on form to another, or if it is a battery storage device that was filled with electrical energy created from another loss-full energy production method, or an on-board fuel cell. Any energy loss is pollution, so by definition it is not "green" or "greener" - seriously what the F does that mean? The Earth will stay inhabitable for 32 milliseconds longer than if we didn't kill off Hummer and the Ford Excursion? Please - lol.

Everything is recyclable over time and with money, there's no magical battery or car that is recyclable without pollution. My E90 is just as recyclable as the i3.

[Kevin_Genius@BMWMtLaurel]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

My E90 is just as recyclable as the i3.

what makes you think that?

Using sustainable materials and recycled materials IS better for the environment as a whole since we re-use old materials instead of making new ones. The building process for the i vehicles is on a completely different scale than anything that has been done before for a vehicle; from using hydro-electric power to make carbon fiber spools to using solar and wind energy to power the production facilities. Using recycled plastics and wool and plant fibers on the interior of the vehicle as well as naturally tanned leather is produces considerably less waste product than conventional methods.


I'm not trying to come across as an ass, I'm just genuinely curious what your view point is on this.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Genius@BMWMtLaurel

what makes you think that?

Using sustainable materials and recycled materials IS better for the environment as a whole since we re-use old materials instead of making new ones. The building process for the i vehicles is on a completely different scale than anything that has been done before for a vehicle; from using hydro-electric power to make carbon fiber spools to using solar and wind energy to power the production facilities. Using recycled plastics and wool and plant fibers on the interior of the vehicle as well as naturally tanned leather is produces considerably less waste product than conventional methods.


I'm not trying to come across as an ass, I'm just genuinely curious what your view point is on this.

My car is made of steel, aluminum alloys, copper, plastic, rubber, glass, and hydrocarbons; all which are highly recyclable materials. The i3 has all these same materials in it, therefore both are equitably recyclable. Hydro, solar, and wind power generation all have environmental tradeoffs too; dead birds, reduced fish populations, etc. Hydrocarbon fuel is a “renewable” energy source; it just has a longer cycle time; however being the selfish beings that we are, if it doesn’t happen in our lifetime then apparently it doesn’t count.

Cheers

[Kevin_Genius@BMWMtLaurel]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

My car is made of steel, aluminum alloys, copper, plastic, rubber, glass, and hydrocarbons; all which are highly recyclable materials. The i3 has all these same materials in it, therefore both are equitably recyclable. Hydro, solar, and wind power generation all have environmental tradeoffs too; dead birds, reduced fish populations, etc. Hydrocarbon fuel is a “renewable” energy source; it just has a longer cycle time; however being the selfish beings that we are, if it doesn’t happen in our lifetime then apparently it doesn’t count.

Cheers

made me laugh with that last bit, totally agree with you