BMW i3 (94Ah): 164 Miles of Battery Range After 86,000 Miles!

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Күн бұрын

This week we bought a February 2017 BMW i3 with nearly 86,000 miles on the clock, providing a great opportunity to demonstrate how little relevance mileage has when it comes to buying used EVs!
This one is doing extremely well, getting the same (if not better!) real-world range as 94Ah cars when they were new.
Arthur also talks about some of the things we look out for when buying stock, shows you how rapid charging works and provides a list of 'bits and bobs' to look out for when considering the purchase of a second-hand i3.

Пікірлер: 81

@benmoorhouse88 2 жыл бұрын

Really good informative video. I'm so pleased you are doing more KZfaq content! 😀

@periwinkle4534 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the video I kept notes on the list. I am looking forward to my I3 next week. 😄

@decimal1815 11 ай бұрын

Great to see such attention to detail and real world testing of each car. Fantastic advert for a good EV dealer.

@pmireur04 2 жыл бұрын

Viewer from the US. Thank you for the great content as I shop for a used i3.

@jhonmenezes4120 Жыл бұрын

best video and review of the i3. very informative and added value

@jeffjohnsonization 3 ай бұрын

Here from the USA in 2024 and this video was still super helpful. Just bought a used i3 94 REX. I’m pleased that my vehicle had most of the items on that checklist at the end. Only thing I was missing was the Med kit!

@jean-louislonne7033 2 жыл бұрын

another fine video, interesting you find mileage not so important, good point. I see you have your share of low-lifes parking in charging points, same ones parking in handicapped, many. get cards and have barely a limp, or use a family member's card, sorry pet peeve, my cousin in wheelchair. Finally, great shot of your dog!! Way to end the video. Please keep up the good work.

@joandrage5485 2 жыл бұрын

Really interesting video, Arthur.

@gileshalliwell3591 2 жыл бұрын

Learnt more from this video than many many others I’ve watched! Good straightforward car dealers are worth their weight in gold and I’d say we’ve found one here!

@atms001 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video,.. cant see any issue with sound or picture quality.. thank you

@jameswhite2792 2 жыл бұрын

Great video! Those Heston chargers (East and West) annoyingly only put out 25kW. They still haven't been fixed, so you may have to wait a while for a charge. It's annoying that the i3 (and these ABB chargers) doesn't report charging speed.

@WillieStubbs 2 жыл бұрын

I bought a 2015 60 AH Rex which gets about 50 miles on the battery. It seems bad but I mostly go back and forth to work and charge at work. In 2 years I've only put gas in it about 3 times. The good thing about the crappy range on the battery is that it should be due for a warranty exchange soon. And there are very few ways to tell a new i3 from a 2014 except for some colors that were only available for a few years. The dark grey color was consistent through the years with the only difference being the interior colors to give away an older car. I just shopped for one that had all the tech features I wanted. Would have rather had an orange color one, but those are hard to come by. But the grey with light beige interior and white steering wheel just feels classic and uplifts me when I'm inside driving. Fun to drive, love the get up and go. I leave people at the light unashamedly almost all the time.

@ascelot Жыл бұрын

That to me sounds bad, petrol and diesel starts to degrade after 6 months which can cause engine damage.

@bro5e 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this great content.

@Swampster70 10 ай бұрын

I have a 2017 i3 BEV with a little over 90,000 miles My guessometer rarely sees over 120 miles but that's due to me lead-footing it on the freeway but it's been consistent for the last 60,000 that I've had it. I love the fact that my 'anuanal service' is getting the car up on the ramps, take a quick look around for broken/damaged items (which hasn't happened yet) and replace the windshield wipers and fill up the washer fluid reservoir. Apart from the brake fluid change, a few sets of tires and a new 12V battery at 70,000 miles which was a bit of a pain to get too as was disconnecting the HV system. A hoot to drive. Going back to my days in the UK before I moved to the US, I'd say it was as fun to drive as an early Golf GTi or a Seat Cupra Sport. That it has a lot of torque for the size and that it's a fairly narrow car its a sleeper of a car when it comes to driving fast through the country lanes.

@michaelyoung27 2 жыл бұрын

Great info---more, please!

@tomarmstrong1281 11 ай бұрын

Excellent video. The only thing missing for those of us looking was an indication of the price the vehicle would expect to sell for.

@MartinezFortino 7 ай бұрын

As usual great and valuable content. Much appreciated. Just curious, is 160 miles with a 94ah battery?

@andrewamidala 2 ай бұрын

Love my 2016 i3 rex done nearly 70000 miles and still getting a charge range of around 134 miles just from the battery!! Will come and visit the showroom again. I want to see that cute black Labrador again and may upgrade to the i3s.

@jeffreykistner5872 2 жыл бұрын

Well done! Thank you.

@m.r.ididize9268 11 ай бұрын

You are awesome with all this informative and helpful tips videos!! Thanks for that, kudos! I have an i3 a model of 2017 (33kw), the car has 74.000km on today, I bought it from a good dealer back in 2019 with 35.000km on the clock. The last service was on 24.000km according to the bmw digital service book. The last check up (MOT) was few months ago and everything looks great on! What do you suggest? Does the car should have a normal service at bmw dealer? What you suggest as focus points to be checked out? Break oil is good, battery, coolant etc? I just don't want to spend money at bmw as they try to make up alot of invisible issues 😅

@richardpiper4828 2 жыл бұрын

Useful check list. I think I have overlooked the strap across the polystyrene box in the frunk so had to check my car - it’s there.

@teslaralf 2 жыл бұрын

I better change my LOFT Interieur to SUITE leather when I see your recommendation. I hope my dealer still can change my order for May 2022

@rdauto-moto 2 жыл бұрын

Nice interiors

@bobble1476 9 ай бұрын

I have just bought a 94ah i3 and its almost rude how much I'm saving on petrol ive gone from 160 on petrol to £42 for six weeks my wife never leaves Milton Keynes I am well happy I'm not sure I would have bought the car if I was going up and down the motorway but as she doesn't leave Milton Keynes its perfect😁

@gathonar 2 жыл бұрын

Got a 2013 request still doing 60miles in winter and 80 plus miles in summer.

@rogerhudson9732 2 жыл бұрын

Was the 94Ah available with ReX before the April? 2017 tax change ? A very useful video. Proof that a 4 yr old 85k mile EV can be almost as good as new.

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

The 94Ah battery was officially introduced in July 2016, so it should be possible to find a 94Ah REx with £0 road tax. Only thing to keep in mind that by doing so, you may be severly narrowing down your choice of equipment given you will be picking from a relatively small pool of cars.

@jamesvdv0 2 жыл бұрын

I have a 66 plate REx with zero VED. Unfortunately, it is no longer London CC exempt from October 2021, though is ULEZ compliant. A BEV gets a further four years CC exemption.

@19mikel86 2 жыл бұрын

You can also check in the secret menu, how much the battery is degraded or not degraded. The menu shows the the total capacity in kWh of the battery. I think it is more relevant informasjon to the end user.

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

Batt-kappa-max is intentionally not mentioned in the majority of our videos as it is not an accurate measure of battery health. Please read through our replies to other comments below to learn more.

@Guitarist789 2 жыл бұрын

I mean, this is where I’d want to buy an i3 🙂👍.

@theamazoner4075 2 жыл бұрын

What repairs had to be done to the car ?

@Skyking6976 2 жыл бұрын

Saw one of your videos showing that nasty REX on the lift and it’s inherent issues. This video showed how practical the BEV can be and less maintenance.

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

REx's and BEV's have their own advantages and disadvatages. The best option depends on your expectations and usage profile.

@luigifabio77 Жыл бұрын

I just saw this video and I do have a question. I've owned a 2019 120 i3 for a year now and put about 12k mi on it. Thank goodness, it's a REx. I have *never* gotten 160+ miles out of the battery in any condition, even when avoiding highways entirely. Highway driving is effectively limited to 75 mph, any faster than that and the range drops well below 100 miles - in good (25C+) weather. Even driving 75 on cruise control never got me over 130 actual miles. Range in 5-15C weather drops about 20% and it drops another 10-15% if you go closer to 0. ...is something wrong with my car? I realise that driving habits have a lot to do with effective range but that is with very conservative driving, as in being mindful about range all the time. The best proof of this, I think, is that at 21k mi the car still has over 3 mm of tread on the original tires. What am I missing?

@rusty911s2 2 ай бұрын

That range seems amazing. Was this super careful or normal driving? Have not had a chance to try my i3 Rex 94ah yet as been playing with the dead Rex (broken crank??). Pleased to say though pretty sure I've won at Wisely Bingo as I think my 38k mile car came with everything listed.

@trick700 Жыл бұрын

Can we have more of these ‘journey’ vlogs. We’re new to i3 and still a bit anxious about public charging (not that we need it for 90% of our journeys). When making a longer journey how do you find best value chargers?

@wiselyauto Жыл бұрын

We are trying to film more (not just with the i3, but all EVs), so make sure to subscribe to not miss them. These days, most rapid chargers are priced very similarly, so for longer journeys we just stick to providers which we know are reliable (Instavolt, Osprey, IONITY), as the slight additional cost is worth the hassle free charging experience. AC charging is a completely different story though and greatly depends on where you are located...

@trick700 Жыл бұрын

@@wiselyauto we’re subscribed, we live for your next vlog! 😂😎 thanks for reply, always appreciated

@andrewsalmon100 10 ай бұрын

That's my model! Love it. But want à ccs2dc charger port!😊

@pohalsted8847 Жыл бұрын

Compressor issues. Had to replace 2 of them within warranty period.

@johnnyzee383 Жыл бұрын

Just drives me nuts..the "Guess o meter" as most are calling it is amazingly accurate actually despite people saying it doesnt mean anything.. I have a 2015 BMW i3 and find that if i continue driving the way I was previously the amount of remaining mileage is very close to what I will get. If I decide to go on the highway at 100 KPH then it will eventually change to accomodate the added energy used OR if I put in my trip in the Nav it will adjust the expected range accordingly. We did a 375 km trip and I had to stop twice for a couple of quick charges and the expected mileage was amazingly accurate, in fact it was a bit pessimistic. With the Rex (coded so I can turn it on when needed), I get at least the same amount as the 94 ah, probably a little bit more.Also if I might add (having owned three of them), an alignment is crucial on these cars..the first one I got went through a set of winter tires in one season, and when I went to have the alignment checked it had excessive toe in which cause the fronts to wear much much faster and the rear was out as well..the one I have now I got a set of new all seasons and got an alignment even though it only had 72000 kms, and once again the car was out..and so had I continued driving it I would have prematurely worn the tires. I have 10000 kms on these and from what I can see very little if any wear so far.

@gap9992 Жыл бұрын

Completely agree regarding the range estimate. I find it to be very accurate and I definitely want it to be based on current or very recent driving conditions - mode, temperature, driving style etc. Would not be any use if it was an average of the last 3 years ! lol

@foolcellsorryfuelcellmirag4835 2 жыл бұрын

If I was buying this car would need to know the degradation of the battery. Have a leaf and do find this a lot easier than a i3. I think going forward dealers should be more up front about battery true state of charge. A lot of variables this car could have constantly rapid charged etc. If its lit 10per cent of its true capacity still good for most people.

@g-plan9future204 Ай бұрын

The one I bought had a white triangle sign on all the time on display is this a worry?

@grzesiu621 Жыл бұрын

Very good car bro i recommend to buy thjis

@simonreeves2017 2 жыл бұрын

90k miles should not be an issue for a BEV, if you look at a combustion vehicle at this sort of miles, you’d be worried about all sorts of issues, has it had a good oil change regime, cambelt, has the owner ridden the clutch, has it been driven hard on a cold engine??? None of these are an issue for a BEV, basically battery condition is the main issue, taking into account general condition of course, but that’s the same for any car.

@blairfalconer915 2 жыл бұрын

From your experience with the i3 are you aware of any bike rack options that are available?

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

I'm sorry we do not! If you find a good one, let us know!

@parmijo 2 жыл бұрын

Almost no battery degradation! Wonder what the battery kappa max is. I bought a 2018 I3s months ago and got the 94ah. For a city car its hard to beat.

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

When checked the figure was 29.5kWh, which is more than what the official useable capacity would have been when the car was brand new. Is this good? Not really, it just highlights how inaccurate and ultimately irrelevant the BKM figure generally is. Sure, if it is stating 15kWh on a 94Ah then this suggests there is likely a problem, but as a tool for monitoring degradation it is next to useless. We urge users not to fixate on this figure.

@hd-rider1359 Жыл бұрын

@@wiselyauto you can not use GOM either to measure degradation. The number GOM delivers are not accurate!

@Enthusiast_Plus Жыл бұрын

Any recommendations to clean out the charging ports? Electronic contact cleaner?

@wiselyauto Жыл бұрын

Contact cleaner + a cotton bud is a great combination - just be VERY careful as they can break easily.

@RB-es1vx 2 жыл бұрын

Is it safe to leave my i3 plugged in to the charger after it's 100% charged? I charge it while at work.

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, not a problem. In fact BMW's official recommendation is to keep the car topped up when convenient.

@cadriver2570 2 жыл бұрын

Can you upgrade the 2017 suspension to make it as comfortable as the 2018+ ? Curious about the differences.

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

We may cover this in a bit more detail in the future as it has become a frequent question. Not quite sure where the urban myth started, but all the suspension part numbers are the same for pre-LCI and LCI cars (with the same sized batteries / REx).

@cadriver2570 2 жыл бұрын

@@wiselyauto a video on suspension would be nice! My previous comment got sucked into the spam filter for including a URL. Someone on Reddit pointed out that the struts seem to have different part numbers for pre-LCI and LCI.

@Kyrylo_Maverick 2 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure, but I think there some software mistake, this car can go 160 KM not Miles. Something is wrong here.

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

This is a 94Ah (33kWh) version, not a 60Ah (24kWh). Officially the range is "up to" 195 miles: www.press.bmwgroup.com/united-kingdom/article/detail/T0259612EN_GB/the-new-bmw-i3-94ah?language=en_GB

@Kyrylo_Maverick 2 жыл бұрын

@@wiselyauto Interesting, I have 2018th (94ah) version in US nad for me range around 95-110 miles.

@whocares264 2 жыл бұрын

@@wiselyauto Really 195 miles.... anyone may think these figure came from i3 sellers ,,, winter range for my 2018 33kwh 100 miles

@nixer65 2 жыл бұрын

@Tesla Trev Agreed - my 2017 94Ah i3 typically does 100-105 miles in the winter and 115-125 miles in the summer. It’s been the same since day one. I have never seen more than 145 miles range (Eco-pro mode, 55 mph), so I am not sure where the GoM numbers came from.

@TheREvans2001 2 жыл бұрын

@@wiselyauto Your link opens a press release titled The new BMW i3 94Ah (10.10.2016) which incorrectly labels the i3's range as miles instead of kilometers. I have a 2017 94Ah REx and can verify that the ranges in the press release's chart labeled as miles are real world kilometers. The 94Ah CanNot go 195 miles. It can go about 120ish miles which is about 195 _Km_. My REx can probably go about 170 Miles which is 276 _Km_. I wrote to the author, Chris Overall but he was just paraphrasing the document from BMW UK Corporate Communications. I guess it's an easy mistake to make for a person sitting in an PR office.

@Wipstepper 2 жыл бұрын

There is a way to read (and show) the real actual state of health of the battery (SOH) in the hidden menu; it would be useful if you showed that to us. For those who don't know this is the way you have to operate to get access to the hidden menu of the BMW i3: 1. put the car in the Ready modus; 2. push and hold the knob on the left side of the display behind the steering wheel for approx. 10 seconds; 3. after getting access you go to 10: Unlock; 4. here you have to attribute the outcome of the sum of the last five digits of the VIN-code; you can find the VIN-code in the corner of the front window; 5. after getting access you go to 13: Fuel Tank/Battery 6. and then to 13.08: Bat.Kapa.max 7. here the actual SOH is shown

@Wipstepper 2 жыл бұрын

Or is this what you keep for useless information? I read this afterward in an answer to one of the questions.

@wiselyauto 2 жыл бұрын

@@Wipstepper the purpose of the Batt Kappa Max figure shown in the hidden menu is widely misunderstood so to avoid fuelling the fire, we have not made any mention of it. As explained in the comment you have read, it is worth looking at ocassionally to make sure there are no serious faults, but to use it as a gauge for battery health (or even worse for regular comparison to establish degradation) is pointless. Here is some copy/paste info you might find interesting: Max Kappa (short for “Kapazität”) is the BMS estimated snapshot capacity at that point in time, its based on external factors (temperature, current load), coulomb count, these factors are then fed into a statistical model to provide an educated guess of what the current capacity of the pack. This is what is shown in the service menu. It is not like a fuel tank you can't just measure it as there is chemistry involved. Max Kappa as such is not a measure of anything, it is a guess of what the BMS thinks the pack is doing at that moment in time and therefore how many kWhs are available. It is not a true reflection of capacity. Consider the following scenario, it has been cold overnight you haven't preconditioned so the battery is at 4c well below its preferred operating temperature of 24-28c, Max Kappa will show a corresponding low number as due to the cold the pack is less chemically active, as you drive the load starts to warm the pack up, so you then lose range but Max Kappa goes up due to battery reaching operating temperature. The only way to test true capacity and health of a battery is to charge and discharge the pack to known points and record the input and output rates. It is perfectly possible for Max Kappa to read 19.1kWh (on a 60aH) on a full charge but the battery actual be degraded, or vice versa for it to read well under 15kWh but be perfectly fine.

@RobertLeBlancPhoto 2 жыл бұрын

What’s the difference between Ah and KWh?

@BasicPlanet 2 жыл бұрын

The Ah is a spec for the battery cell pack. You can simply multiply it by the packs nominal voltage (350 V) and get the kWh: 120 Ah * 350 V = 42 kWh

@David-by3im 5 ай бұрын

So.. you didn't do a real world range test? You charged it to nearly 100% then skipped the actual drive to see if it stacks up to the promise of range.. did I miss something? Do you now the actual real world range?

@ronnyskaar3737 11 ай бұрын

I have a BMW i3 and will start parking at petrol pumps.

@whocares264 2 жыл бұрын

i have a 2018 BMW I3 rex , what can i do about the terrible ride and the road noise and bump steer poor audio stupid doors .... it reminds of a smart car, now you may say why did you buy one, beats me... oh by the way winter battery range 100 mile and it only has 29000 miles on the clock....

@17addidas Жыл бұрын

With some research before making a commitment - leasing /purchase .. you would not be here asking these questions . I have no issues with my 2017 i3 and 125000 Km ..

@whocares264 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for viewing...sadly it was a financial decision , i like electric cars and this is the cheap option and the rex is great i would never use public charging ...hopefully as there are so many used tesla 3 on the market i will be able to enjoy driving again...