@chromblitzen When I was considering a purchase of a #BMWi3 recently, I asked my mechanic about it, since he would be the person maintaining the car (he only repairs Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Mini). He informed me that the i3 battery cells can be replaced individually for $2K each (if I recall correctly). So not necessarily all at once.

@richlucking Cute #BMWi3 dashboard 📸 though! 😜

Calling #WierdCarMastodon and #WeirdAutos Crew …
the RAV4 had somehow managed to survive until #BMWi3 have almost got within our max £10k budget.
This is at a dealer we know and trust a bit (he was absolutely brilliant when we had problems when we bought the RAV from him in 2014).
I know we have some owners with experience etc so please tell me high mileage but attractive spec range extender i3 should be avoided or otherwise as a main car. 😉

@Mark I love how minimalist those are. Why are so many EV chargers so YUGE?!

I loved the local dual L2 charger size I used in my recent 3 day escapade with a 2014 #BMWi3.

Of those pictured, I like the Porsche better. No need for giant poles, and it’s also a more classy design IMHO.

@timfoster They’re also jumping the gun IMO. 🤨

Just last week, I rented a #BMWi3 through #Turo to try it out. There are ZERO Tesla chargers in my fairly affluent neighborhood, but there are many CCS chargers, including one within a 5 minute walk. I posted about this elsewhere.

Sure, a Tesla could use this location too, but they aren’t helping neighborhood charging one bit with any of their own investment initiatives.

This was installed by #PowerFlex from #EDF Renewables.

So now I have another question for current owners, or those knowledgeable about the #BMWi3.

We are used to memorized settings. In our 16 & 17 y/o Mercedes-Benz, those include seats, exterior rear view mirrors & steering wheel. The i3 has manually adjustable seats and steering wheel, but power mirrors.

If we create “profiles” associated with different keys in the i3, would those profiles include the rear view mirror settings, or would we have to manually adjust them every time?

Yes! I boosted my own post! 😱

Did you see that? There’s a reason, though. I have an update… 😳

But first, a question:

Those of you who are familiar with the #BMWi3, how does the range improve in Eco Pro mode, or Eco Pro+, compared to Comfort (standard)?

I drove most of my “test” in Comfort setting.

@vinc I also noticed that when I charged the vehicle last night, it only accepted 14 kWh of power delivery, on a battery that had been maintained by the REx at 6%. The official usable capacity of the 60 Ah 🔋 in the 2014 #BMWi3 should be 18 kWh (22 kWh gross).

The warranty on the battery should be 8 years or 100K miles. The current owner bought this vehicle last year. I’m wondering if the previous owner sold it when he discovered he had missed the battery replacement window. 🤔

I’ve done a thang!

Several of you know I recently test drove a #BMWi3 at a local dealership, and loved it, but the price was a bit high.

I’ve since identified several others, from $24-34K, ranging from 2018 models to 2020 models, with or without REx (I don’t need REx for the intended usage.

Welp. Today I rented a 2014 i3 REx from Turo for 3 days to see how we get along.

It’s not in super shape, but I rather like that. I also think that the battery is a bit of a dud, and I don’t like that.

@ukuku It also has to transport dogs 6 days a week. Had been one dog until recently, but now two, hence the thought of changing for a #BMWi3.

Kris rescued a puppy from the freeway. Its siblings were squished. It had fleas and worms. Now it’s the most loving dog you could ever wish for (and very smart too).

Okay, so this is some fun information about the #BMWi3. I think I might be obsessed! 😂

https://www.greencarfuture.com/electric/bmw-i3-auxiliay-heating

Okay, so this is some fun information about the #BMWi3. I think I might be obsessed! 😂

https://www.greencarfuture.com/electric/bmw-i3-auxiliay-heating

@richlucking Fabulous pics, and who doesn’t love a #BMWi3 police car?! 🤪

They are definitely super nippy, so they could probably catch up to any motorized miscreants trying to make a speedy getaway, but not exactly ominous or threatening. 🤷‍♂️

@ukuku judging from my experience over 10 miles in a #BMWi3 this past weekend, rated at ≈7s 0-60, compared to both my V6 3L & 3.5L Mercedes-Benz similarly rated, I’d say 5-7s is loads of fun for an EV. No need to go lower.

It was a total blast, even with the silly salesman in the passenger seat the whole time.

@ukuku or a late model #BMWi3! 😉

So my #BMW #i3 says this when I turn it on. I think it means the 12V accessory battery is going bad. But it’s really hard to “start engine” in an all electric car… #BMWi3

@richlucking @vinc Wow! 😮

I didn’t even know that was a possibility (which is why I asked for clarification in the first place).

That sounds like a great solution.

#BMWi3 #CarPlay #CarPlayRetrofit #WeirdAutos

I am dangerously close to replacing our 2014 BWM i3 BEV…

...with a 2017 BWM i3 REx.

This one would make our third i3, which has to be some sort of record somewhere!

#BMWi3 #BMWi3REx

Recientemente le ayudamos a un amigo a instalar un aparato para darle #AndroidAuto y Apple #Carplay en su #BMWi3.
Quién diga que un carro "viejo" no puede aprender trucos nuevos se equivoca. 🤣😁
Les dejo con un video resumen de lo que hicimos.

📻 https://youtu.be/2pCMGR6W5VI

@vinc currently, a #BMWi3 would make more sense for us. We won’t drive cross country anymore, as everyone in the family prefers to fly, then rent a vehicle at the destination. Our aging Mercedes-Benz are still too cheap to run & maintain to justify the cost.

The 2000’s were not the best period for Mercedes-Benz interiors IMO, but Kris still found the Tesla “cheap” in comparison. So there’s that too.