Born Electrical Invitee Postal Service Service: Meet Francis From Quebec

The following is a guest postal service written yesteryear i3 possessor Francis. I started the Born Electric invitee post serial dorsum inwards 2014 to plough over the readers hither a await into the lives of i3 owners around the Earth. To persuasion yesteryear Born Electric guest posts, follow this link: Born Electric

Hello, my phone call is Francis in addition to I was born electrical ii years agone on Nov 13th, 2014.

I opted for the BMW i3 with the arrive at extender as good as I convey been sharing my electrical experience amongst my swain Quebecers. I fifty-fifty did a lengthy post afterwards my showtime yr that covers pretty much everything. I'k besides an possessor that didn't code my i3 to alter the range extender behaviour inward North America (roughly would phone telephone telephone call me crazy together with yet I never had a job with the REX).

So why mail service over again subsequently on my ane-twelvemonth written study? Simply because this twelvemonth was everything only mutual. One enquiry we all asked ourselves, what would occur if my driving habit changed, would my electrical machine notwithstanding run across my needs? Ever thought good-nigh a family unit unit of measurement unit emergency? Would my i3 permit me to arrive inward fourth dimension? That’s what happened to me, more than nigh it afterwards.

In my showtime twelvemonth, 64% of all my driving was metropolis driving as well as 36% was highway driving, mostly going to run across my folks. In the showtime yr, the DCFC network was but starting to be deployed, so the REX ended upwardly beingness existent handy on those 650 miles circular-trip. But this yr, it's completely reversed too I did threescore% on the highway together with twoscore% metropolis driving. So how did my i3 perform since it was designed to live a "urban centre" motorcar?

DCFC: Yes they affair, they modify everything

So did I meliorate my numbers? YES! The master fence isn't the i3. In the ii years I had it, my state invested inwards a cohesive deployment of DCFC creating charging corridors. Number of DCFC inwards Québec when I ordered my i3: ane CHAdeMO alone. Number of DCFC as of today: Over sixty with both CHAdeMO & CCS. Boy did I bet on politicians to deliver as good as they did! But more than of import, they are distributed along cardinal highways (East-West, North-South) where they are needed the virtually. From Ottawa to Percé, it'sec over 1000Km/650miles of route where yous tin observe a DCFC proficient positioned.

What we may lack inwards quantity, we gained inward lineament of positioning. And more than than are planned inward 2017. The federal, the provincial too local governments are investing, the momentum is in that location too no election inwards view to halt or query these planned investments.

 DCFC Network inward Québec inward 2014

Now inward 2016. The DCQC Stations hold been popping upward all over since I got my i3.
This really makes it possible to have longer trips without fifty-fifty needing the hitting extender.

The straight touch of this added infrastructure was: In the commencement twelvemonth I used 35 gallons (132 litres) together with this twelvemonth I solely used 25 gallons (91 litres) despite doubling the issue of miles on the highway where the REX is past together with large solicited.

But where the i3 does make a departure; having the REX too means you tin optimize the style you purpose DCFC. BEV owners volition always accuse a picayune more than than they convey to arrive at the side past side DCFC or their goal, pregnant longer hold back fourth dimension, longer trip. Having the REX, I only accuse just plenty to gain the side by side DCFC (or the 2d next) without beingness afraid of beingness brusk on electrons. That agency less 4th dimension charging together with more optimal charging because as you lot know, the i3 testament select more than ability too recharge faster when it'sec empty (similar all EV for that thing).

Compared to my get-get twelvemonth where I did long stretches on the REX, correct away it gets solicited the trend it was designed for, to plough over yous a lilliputian boost to accomplish your goal when you demand it.

DCFC charging isn’t gratis inward Québec, it’s x$/hours. A xx minutes charging session testament toll you lot less than iv$. That’s all inwards CAN$ of grade. So inwards the terminal 2 years, how much function choose I done? In the acquire-movement twelvemonth, 32 DCFC sessions, this yr, 87 DCFC sessions.

Some may gild it's expensive, but compared to gas, it'2nd yet less expensive (at least hither in Quebec where gas is taxed). The side by side tabular array also shows y'all the impact the increased number of DCFC had. You tin tin encounter the ratio EV/GAS increasing over fourth dimension.

 Highway driving for the last 2 years (U.southward.)

Highway driving inward the terminal ii years (metric)

Stats, stats & more than stats

In the final ii years, I kept rails of all my mileage in improver to all my expenses to cheque if my initial assumption was truthful, that driving an electrical automobile is non solely skilful for the environment only also proficient for my banking fellowship business relationship.

As yous testament regard I'1000 comparison with my previous auto, a Nissan 370Z Roadster. I tin already encounter eyes rolling too around saying this not a fair comparing. Well for me it is, both motorcar toll me virtually the same before provincial too federal taxes (I bought both cars, leasing atmospheric condition status condition were bad for both). The enjoyment together with driving dynamics are almost the same. I could have got compared to a BMW X1 fully equipped, but I opted to compare something I knew. (As a FYI, electricity cost is around 0,08$CAN/kWh as good as Gas is around i.thirty$/litres (super))

With all that existence said, below yous will find my dashboard that I hold updated to rails how efficient the i3 is as proficient as how much money I convey been saving.

Click on an icon to enlarge

It'2d been ii years inward improver to novel options are available, what volition I do?

That'2d a enquiry I'grand starting to become more than than oftentimes. Will I upgrade to the 2017 BMW i3 with the 33kWh pack? Will I alter for the Bolt? Did I lay coin downwards on the Tesla Model iii? The answer is NO to all of those questions, allow me explain why for each.

The 2017 i3 directly comes with a larger battery than the original i3, too adds well-nigh xl% more than electric reach. 

2017 BMW i3 33kWh: Would I similar to bring the increased attain on long trip? Totally, simply the reality is that it wouldn't alter much of the numbers you lot hold seen earlier. I 50-fifty so pick out to role the same number of kWh to larn to my destination, pregnant I may terminate less oft simply when I will, I volition destination longer. So instead of stopping 3 times for xx minutes each time, I'll halt twice for xxx minutes each quaternary dimension. I may live able to cut down my utilization of the REX a niggling more than than than, but it'2nd non worth taking the financial hitting (the i3 depreciation). Do I recommend the 2017 BMW i3 33kWh alongside the REX? Totally! It'2d a unique bundle on the marketplace home, a fail-security flexible solution.

With an EPA rated 238 miles of gain, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a compelling pick. 

2017 Chevrolet Bolt: I hateful GM pulled a real skillful production out of their chapeau (based on early on reviews). With the DCFC meshwork existence built upwards, hit limitation isn't an effect anymore, precisely I would nonetheless inquire to terminate 45 minutes to i hr each means inwards my 650 miles trips.

The Tesla Model iii is at the become past of many EV enthusiasts want listing. But when testament Tesla really deliver it?

xx?? Tesla Model 3: Well, I don't wishing to steer whatsoever contestation, just the reality is, earlier we regard the offset delivery inward our area, it may live 2019, 2020. It testament all depend on Tesla capacity to increment its delivery numbers on a novel model. I admire Elon Musk testament together with vision, but meeting delivery dates isn't role of Tesla mantra all the same. But the same observation I did for the Bolt applies. The Model 3 testament enquire higher density of Supercharger until in improver to and then, Model iii testament rely on the DCFC meshing together with will recharge at the same charge per unit every scrap the Bolt.

So at the second, I'k keeping my i3, it'2d a fun machine to effort, it'second the perfect urban middle motorcar too it meets my needs, I will go on to bank bank check the arrival of novel EV model together with inwards 2020, options testament be a lot greater than the ones I had inwards 2014. My reply will inwards all likelihood modify at that time. And that'second the proficient give-too-take hither, more than than than options for different needs testament forcefulness EV forrard.

Can an EV live upwardly to the changes inward your life?

Also, i research virtually people have is: Will my EV be in that location when I require it the proficient-nigh? On the rattling active BMW i3 Facebook grouping, occasionally we come up across mortal posting they are selling their i3 because they changed jobs, they moved, etc... So is it true, because if it is, EVs futurity isn't bright.

My i3 is my only machine, no backup pattern, too as well as so what happens if my habits changes? Well it did this yr. This office is truly personal, but I desire to percentage this experience, as painful as it tin tin live. My female person person raise got sick final winter in improver to I did my best to live at her side as she was going through it.

That meant doing a lot of driving from Montréal to Québec City (practiced-nigh 325 miles circular-trip) as well as dorsum to my folks (650 miles circular-trip), over 6000 miles doing highway driving where failure wasn’t an selection. In May, my blood brother called me, it was quaternary dimension to locomote back to mitt i last goodbye to this amazing adult female person that was my Mom. Driving dorsum, at ane signal I decided to allow get of the EV driving too inquire REX to become me dorsum to her faster, because that’s ane of the cardinal ground I added the REX, to convey the alternative too the REX delivered, 1 fourth dimension more. I did motility far inward quaternary dimension. She left us a few days after.

You recollect well-nigh this shape of situations when yous purchase a motorcar, only when confronted to it, the REX that roughly people similar to ridicule, it exactly makes sense. It'2d non but the liberty flap, it's the peace of heed flap.

Thanks you lot for reading together with I promise it volition help undecided people looking into driving an electric motorcar. You can read previous posts hither:

Born Electric 2014
My i Year Review

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