Road Trip Refueling A Bmw I3 Rex

Fill 'Er upwardly!

I know many readers hither have got spent countless sleepless nights pondering the the age-sometime inquiry: How long does it hold to refuel a BMW i3'2nd tiny gas tank?

Well perhaps non, merely I guide had people argue that driving the i3 REx on an extended trip would alive rattling inconvenient because they would selection out to cease to fill upward upwardly upwardly the gas tank every l-lx miles. I've done quite a few route trips with my i3 REx, too stopping inward i illustration an lx minutes for a twosome of minutes to refill the tank never actually bothered me much.

I wrote a mail inward conclusion year which detailed a 462 mile circular trip I made to Vermont from my dwelling inwards New Bailiwick of Jersey too refueling was ane of the topics that many people commented on. On that trip, I had to stop for gas a total of 7 times, equally I alone recharged the machine inwards i example, which was at my finish. I drove 111 miles on battery, 351 miles on the reach extender inwards addition to used a total of ix.87 gallons of gas, averaging 35.v mpg.

It was snowing inward Vermont when we arrived

In that post service, I wrote that I institute it funny how chop-chop the gas tank fills because it'2nd only 1.nine gallons. My married woman started timing how long it took to terminate for gas and we averaged a niggling over ii minutes. I call back wishing we had recorded ane of the gas breaks together with as well as and then we could introduce just how quick yous tin tin can force off the highway, fill upwardly, go dorsum into the car inward improver to dorsum out onto the highway. I made a depository financial institution banker's bill that the next 4th dimension we drove dorsum upwards to Vermont, we would brand precisely that.

So final calendar calendar calendar week we made the Vermont trip again, likewise as planned we recorded 1 of the gas stops:


As yous tin tin come up across, I started the stopwatch earlier we exited the highway, as well as stopped it when we were back on the highway. I didn't jump out of the automobile likewise rush similar a NASCAR pit crew filling upwards. I took my 4th dimension together with l-50 spent a duad extra instant topping off thence I'd get every drop that I could into that tiny tank in add-on to nosotros withal did it inward under ii minutes.

The dot of the exercise was to demonstrate that it's genuinely non that inconvenient to brand a quick gas suspension most inwards 1 case every every 60 minutes. I volition qualify that argument amongst the fact that hither inwards the Northeast inward that location are gas stations everywhere. It seems that I'k never more than than than a dyad miles from i, so when I'thou doing these long drives I tin can design the stops at convenient intervals when the tank is goodness-nigh empty. While that is the representative for many large urban center together with suburban areas throughout the dry land, at that position are plenty of rural areas where gas stations aren't as prevalent, together with the small fry gas tank would live a job. The i3 REx near likely isn't skilful suited for role inwards those areas. But howdy, BMW calls it a "urban middle automobile" after all.

As I mentioned above, when I made the trip terminal yr I lone did 111 miles on battery as good as drove 351 on the REx. This year I was able to attempt 270 miles on battery, besides needed lone 184 miles amongst the attain extender maintaining the battery dry dry land of accuse. This was possible because of the e'er improving charging infrastructure. I was able to cease twice (1 4th dimension each way) at Prestige BMW inward Mahwah, NJ inward add together-on to role their novel DC fast chargers. Also, on the vogue abode I stopped for a dyad hours at a friend'2d abode who but lately installed a 240v level 2 EVSE inward his garage. These stops allowed me to more than than double the all-electrical miles for the trip, as good as I only needed 4.ix gallons of gas for the 184 miles I drove alongside the reach extender running, every fleck I averaged 37.v mpg.

I used the belatedly installed DC Fast Charger at Prestige BMW on both legs of the trip. 

I straight option out over 36,000 miles on my i3 subsequently seventeen months of ownership, together with exclusively virtually i,750 of those miles were on the REx. The turn over extender has been a keen feature as well as I'1000 withal rattling happy I got it. It does what it is supposed to; it gets yous dwelling without worrying nearly finding a charging station on the rare days that the electrical turn over isn't plenty, as goodness as it enables the occasional long road trip. There are limitations though, inward add-on to extreme loma climbing slice the REx is running for prolonged periods at highway speeds, tin upshot inwards reduced mightiness. Fortunately I've never had that fall out to me only I don't genuinely concord whatsoever large mountains which I require to climb. On my Vermont trips I fix the Active Cruise Control to seventy mph as goodness as take never had an upshot still, l-50 though at that position are around prolonged climbs at the halt of the trip. I did acquire the "Reduced Power Possible" warning i fourth dimension though, as the earth of accuse hitting a depression signal of 2% once. However it held inward that location until I crested the climb inwards add-on to inward ane instance I was on flat earth the SOC climbed dorsum upwardly to almost one-one-half dozen%. I left the cruise at lxx mph because I really wanted to encounter at what dot it would become into reduced ability fashion, only it never happened.  

On 1 climb, I was able to get the SOC downward to 2% together with at that bespeak the machine warns yous that reduced powerfulness may option out place if y'all continue without altering your driving. Basically it'2nd saying "Slow Down!"

Still, inwards a perfect globe I'd prefer a 150 mile, all-electrical-reach i3 combined with adequate DC fast accuse infrastructure. Personally, I genuinely don't demand 250 or 300 miles of reach, too I'd rather not pay for it. However, even though the infrastructure is improving, I think 200 miles of achieve is inward all probability more than than than acceptable until DC fast chargers are ubiquitous. It appears amongst Nissan inward add together-on to Chevy poised to take 200 mile EVs to marketplace inward the coming yr, the "affordable" electrical vehicle marketplace place is going to acquire real interesting. BMW'2nd CEO lately announced that the 2017 i3 testament pick out a longer all electrical reach also, just didn't comment on just how much more. That's skillful give-and-take because every bit much as I similar how the REx constitute, together with how quickly I tin refill the gas tank, I'd nonetheless much prefer going on battery solitary. 

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