BMW i3 city car (yes, I love this stuff)

Li Tan

Li Tan

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Sep 12, 2013
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This car is awesome. Obviously it isn't going to replace a Lamborghini or a Benz for long haul rides, but for commuting for work and running around town, (which what MOST cars do MOST of the time), it's excellent.

It's roomy, comfortable, not alien/unapproachable and decently powerful.

118 mile range; how many people drive more than 100 miles in a day?
168hp engine pushing a 2600lb car
Drives itself at low speeds in traffic jams, if you want
A year's charging costs approximately half of what fuel would cost (in Europe)
Almost no service costs except tires for $30 each
15% lower insurance costs
CO2 footprint (including coal-produced electricity) is just under half that of the ICE equivalent
Really nice cockpit, roomy with a totally flat floor, no drivetrain bulges

BMW is also looking at some kind of rental scheme for i3 owners to borrow a 'real car' if they want to take a road trip now and then.

Considering that this is just the first EV from BMW, I think the future looks very bright. The sportier i8 is quite sexy too. I hope it makes production.

No link, for some reason cutting and pasting isn't working on this iPad. I'm reading all this on CNET if anyone is interested in reading more.
 
You should stay up on battery developments, Ape. I know you have made up your mind, but things are not static, and what was true in the past may not remain true.
rankandfile said:
approaching 300,000 on my 97 318ti. gets 35mpg on the highway.
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That's a nice ride you have there. 97 was just before they went all rounded and smooth, right?
The car mags always rag on the 1.8 for being small, but I think it's plenty. Those guys are just petrol-heads who don't really value fuel economy and everyday practicality as much as they should, if they really intend to speak to the common man who actually pays for his own gas, insurance etc.
 
And not that it's in any way a practical or affordable production car, but have you seen VW's XL1?
261mpg. The r&d that goes into these things is amazing. I'm so excited for the future of automobiles, after it being rather stagnant for the past 50 years.
 
Li Tan said:
You should stay up on battery developments, Ape. I know you have made up your mind, but things are not static, and what was true in the past may not remain true.

That's a nice ride you have there. 97 was just before they went all rounded and smooth, right?
The car mags always rag on the 1.8 for being small, but I think it's plenty. Those guys are just petrol-heads who don't really value fuel economy and everyday practicality as much as they should, if they really intend to speak to the common man who actually pays for his own gas, insurance etc.
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Batteries are heavy, expensive, have limited range and take forever to charge. Hydrogen fuel cell gives us the same drivability with only water as an emission and is the most abundant element in the universe. To me batteries are a short stepping stone to a better alternative that is already out there.
 
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Ape Still Rules said:
Batteries are heavy, expensive, have limited range and take forever to charge. Hydrogen fuel cell gives us the same drivability with only water as an emission and is the most abundant element in the universe. To me batteries are a short stepping stone to a better alternative that is already out there.
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There is SOME validity to your complaints about batteries, but as I said, things change.
ICE Engines and gearboxes with a full tank of gas are heavier than electric engines too.

What if I told you there was a battery could could fully charge in 5 minutes and give you 150 - 200 miles of range, but it's just a prototype at the moment and there are already designs for mass production?

I'm very interested in Hydrogen cars too, but there are drawbacks there too.

I actually used a battery powered scooter for a few years, it worked really well. Three years later, I got a new e-scooter for my girlfriend and the improvements are significant. Faster, better range and cheaper. I don't see why those improvements wouldn't keep on coming at a rapid pace.

The future of transport is full of amazing possibilities. It would be a mistake to write any of them off just yet.
 
Li Tan said:
You should stay up on battery developments, Ape. I know you have made up your mind, but things are not static, and what was true in the past may not remain true.

That's a nice ride you have there. 97 was just before they went all rounded and smooth, right?
The car mags always rag on the 1.8 for being small, but I think it's plenty. Those guys are just petrol-heads who don't really value fuel economy and everyday practicality as much as they should, if they really intend to speak to the common man who actually pays for his own gas, insurance etc.
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Yes it is the old early to late 90s style. it is a hatchback. apparently discontinued selling in the US because they were not selling well. I love it, its reliable and since I don't commute to work I just use it on the weekend and the occasional long drive to visit clients. Sorry to get off topic but I love this car. it has been so reliable (after the first two years of issues I had when I first bought it in 2001 but that is what you get when you buy at auction).
Im probably going to get a new paint job soon and fix the interior. the engine still purrs.
 
Since I was in high school, that has always been the BMW I wanted. I wanted the coupe model.
My friend had a 325 and his girlfriend had the same as yours, but they usually used the hatch because the 2.5 was so thirsty.
 
Li Tan said:
There is SOME validity to your complaints about batteries, but as I said, things change.
ICE Engines and gearboxes with a full tank of gas are heavier than electric engines too.

What if I told you there was a battery could could fully charge in 5 minutes and give you 150 - 200 miles of range, but it's just a prototype at the moment and there are already designs for mass production?

I'm very interested in Hydrogen cars too, but there are drawbacks there too.

I actually used a battery powered scooter for a few years, it worked really well. Three years later, I got a new e-scooter for my girlfriend and the improvements are significant. Faster, better range and cheaper. I don't see why those improvements wouldn't keep on coming at a rapid pace.

The future of transport is full of amazing possibilities. It would be a mistake to write any of them off just yet.
Click to expand...

Batteries are the past, Hydrogen is the future. Sure we can make batteries better and please, 150 to 200 mile range is still laughable. Until battery operated cars allow us the same lifestyle as it's gas brother it will always be a niche market that will fizzle out and no amount of government bribes will change that.
 
graphene supercapacitor will change electric cars as we know it, if it isn't blocked by the oil industry.

 
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Ape Still Rules said:
Batteries are the past, Hydrogen is the future. Sure we can make batteries better and please, 150 to 200 mile range is still laughable. Until battery operated cars allow us the same lifestyle as it's gas brother it will always be a niche market that will fizzle out and no amount of government bribes will change that.
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Not really. Let's keep the politics out and focus on the science and practical aspects.

Consider this - if you can charge your battery in 5 minutes, that makes it more convenient than gasoline.
Who drives more than 200 miles without stopping once? And of those people, how often do they make a trip like that?
How many times have you seen a Smart Car or any other supermini/city car out on the open road making long road trips? Not often, because people buy them for city use, and they use them for exactly that. And most cars used by most people don't go 200 miles without stopping even for 5 minutes.
If you can charge a car in 5 minutes, then range isn't really a big issue - electric outlets aren't as hard to come by as gas stations... And if it's 200 miles now, why not 400 miles in 2 years time, or better?

Now I'm not saying they will necessarily replace any and all vehicles (ie: long haul trucks), but it could well be that now more of the world's population lives in urban areas than rural, electric will actually suit the majority of the population, and oil-based fossil fuels will live on as the niche.

Hydrogen might surpass them all, but if batteries prove cheaper, safer or more manageable, then we could see a mix of both on our roads.
 
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