edging closer to electric
 

So the random chance of me stopping by the BMW dealership during my "fun car" search has careened towards the precipice of buying an EV. Well, technically a TZEV kinda sorta, as we're looking at the i3 with the range extender. It is in-between an EV and a hybrid as it has a 650cc 2-stroke that runs to charge the battery when it gets low rather than directly drive the wheels like it does with a Prius or Volt.

So why? Well, first and foremost, it is a hoot to drive. Hard to explain - very different experience than a regular car. It is kind of like a combination of driving and video game. Also the tech that it has is pretty entertaining. It'll park itself (though probably not getting that option), and it also will automatically follow the car in front. Essentially adaptive cruise control, especially effective in stop-and-go traffic.

The i3 also has some interesting design aspects wrt materials and how they combine them. Yes, they have all the feel-good nonsense about wind-powers factories, yada yada. To quote my son, "cool story, bro..." but not really a factor. Really, it is how fun the damn thing is to drive, and how nice the interior space is. Really functional.

The styling? I dig it, but a lot of people hate it. The cost? Too expensive but welcome to BMW. We won't make back the difference in price going from her Fiat any time soon, but did I mention how fun it is to drive?

Trying to find one and make the numbers work. There is $7500 Fed tax credit, $2500 state rebate, free charging options most everywhere, and if we find one fairly quick we can get an HOV sticker. The pure electric (white stickers) are unlimited, the green (hybrid) are almost all allocated. They ran out of the original 40K stickers awhile back and allocated another 15K, of which 11K have been spoken for in the past 45 days.

Should be an interested adventure, and you evidently need to change the way you think about traveling though the range extender takes some of the worry out of the picture.

http://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/i3.jpg

http://fullcarsreview.com/wp-content...-Wallpaper.jpg

First year car with BMW electronics. What could possibly go wrong?

Lease, dont buy.

This. Are they all two-toned? It would look far better with a conventional paint job.

You just want more of that orange paint. Actually, I can dig that car. Saw one on the road and it was very cool. Definitely lease. And if it's bad, the Lemon Laws will make it almost free.

You are losing it Todd...said in the most friendly respectful way I can.

Someone photoshopped some 997 Turbo wheels on those pictures.

It'll be leased or equivalent. They all are 2-tone, most of them some sort of silver/gray. Orange is my thing, and the wife digs it. Silver, black, white...forget it.

I fully expect glitches. As for losing it, I challenge anyone to go test drive one. Plant your foot and see what you think. 2700 pounds of fugly fun. RWD.

On another note I got my X1 back from the shop. Ended up being $3800 to fix it. A pleasure to be back in it after the Taurus rental car, but funny to have it feel "heavy" after spending the last few days driving the wife's Fiat. That car has some quirks, but is another fun one to drive. Just lacking quite a few HP (Abarth is better in that regard)

Ugliest BMW ever made, one of the ugliest cars ever. But that's just my opinion. :)

Wait, you can buy a vehicle that has a two stroke motor in it?

It is indeed all eaten up with ugly. Fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

The original M Coupe (i.e. the "clown show") is my favorite BMW ever, so my taste is already suspect :D

I think the M coupe is cool, this not so much. :D

I think he meant 2 cylinder, not 2 stroke.

The clown shoe rocks, this, not so much

what he said - one of their motorcycle engines repurposed.

Wait, stop, I have an idea. How about a 911 :)

Did they have to payoff Apple to use the "i" prefix?

btdt - time to try something different. Besides, this will be the wife's car.

I'm interested in the i3 as well. The range extender makes it more versatile than a pure electric. Doesn't BMW have a deal where they rent you a X5 for pretty cheap, when you need to take a trip that the i3 isn't right for?

I think they do, but we've got the X1 for that. The wife's commute is 66 miles round trip so going pure electric can cover that but not with a lot of room for error (range is about 80-90 miles depending on the details). The range extender adds another 60 or so miles on top of that so you've got a safety blanket. There is a big brouhaha with some owners as the US version has the engine wait to kick in until the battery is down to 6% whereas the EU version you can use the engine whenever. While that is just a software change, it has to do with CARB credits and other political/financial/regulatory nonsense.

I'm sure there's already an aftermarket fix for that...

And therein lies the entire story.

You were always a poopyhead... then when I started reading this thread, I realized how lame you are, too.

Now, you're gonna add "whipped" to the list?

Dude.




And on top of that, you're probably gonna lease it?

Leasing = how to drive a car you can't really afford = renting.



Dude.


:D


Once a poopyhead, always a poopyhead.


:eek::)