Why the BMW i3-REx

Introduction

Having found the ShorePower, truck electrical stations midway between Huntsville AL and Nashville TN, I decided to do an all electric, round trip to measure times, distances, and costs.

Huntsville To Nashville And Back

• Arrive Tennessean Truck Stop - 6:37 to 7:39, started with 70 miles EV indicated at 100% SOC. Tripmeter reports 1:02 hr, 55 mi, average speed 54.0 mph. Connected to ShorePower getting 212VAC @30A, 6.36 kW but though power was on, took about two minutes to contact activation service for 2 hour charge, $3. Had breakfast and used excellent WiFi to plan Nashville destination, Green Hill YMCA, in Nashville. Found a data plate: Model TSE-4, Part: SP-0585-R02, 120/240 VAC, 102 Am NEMA 3Rm Wire Size: 4awg to 3/0, Intertek.
• Arrive Green Hills YMCA EVgo - 9:43 to 10:48, left with 81%, 62 mi indicated. Arrived 13.5% with 11 mi indicated. Total distance 115 mi, 2:08 hr, 55.1 mph, 4.3 mi/kWh. Connected to EVgo which reported: 45 min and 8 seconds, 17.07 kWh, cost $15.75 at 11:36. I returned to charging station at 12:10 AM not realizing the charging session had ended. The e-mail notification was OK but an iPhone SMS text would have been more useful. Had a Lox cream cheese, toasted bagel for lunch.
• Arrive Tennessean Truck Stop - 11:58 to 13:04, left with 96.5%, 69 mi indicated. 1:05 h duration, 60 mi, 3.9 mi/kWh, 56.8 mph. Arrived 12.5%, 9 mi indicated. Connected to ShorePower which was still hot without calling the enable service. Had a bowl of soup and set destination for the HSV fast DC charger. Left with 71% and 59 mi indicated to map distance of 49 mi.
• Arrive HSV Fast DC charger - 14:55 to 15:57, ICE started 30 yards from charger, 6% and 6 mi indicated. Started charger and paid $0.25 parking meter fee.
• Arrived home 17:14.

Lessons Learned

• The phantom charge is misleading. The last 91-100% charge does not have the same kWh of energy per percent as the lower percentages. This makes sense as the current falls off above 88% so it makes sense we are not storing the same kWh as before. So even though I left with an indicated 10 mile pad, I arrived at the HSV Fast DC charger at the threshold that just started the ICE. I stopped it in about ~10 seconds as I parked.
• It appears ShorePower activation is 'honor system' at the Tennessean Truck Stop. I had to turn on the NEMA 14-50 circuit breaker but it was never turned off by their activation service.
• Every hour of driving is ~2 hours of L2 charging at 208-210 VAC at 30 A. In contrast, a fast DC charger takes about 45 minutes. However, both suffer from a higher indicated charge in the 91-100% SOC level that does not have the same kWh energy level as the 81-90%. What this means is a detour to a fast DC charger needs to be less than an hour or you might as well use a full-power, L2 charger.
• EV costs were $3, $15.75, and $0.25, for a total of $19.00. Had I driven on gas, it would have cost ~$12 and saved nearly 5 hours of charging. The total trip time was ~11 hours for both driving and charging.

Bob Wilson

 

Now I can compare and contrast two routes, driving EV only, between Huntsville and Nashville:



Via direct route, 30A, 208VAC, L2: (GOOD, CHEAP)

• Shortest distance, -30 mi., 114 mi
• Cheapest charging, $3 (or honor system)
• Longest time, +20 min, total 4hr 5 min

Via detour to fast charger: (GOOD, FAST)

• Longest distance, +30 mi., 143 mi
• Most expensive, $12
• Shortest time, -20 min, total 3hr 46 min

Via direct route, REx: (FAST, CHEAP)

• Shortest distance, 114 mi
• Medium cost, $6, 2.3 gal
• Shortest time, -1hr 40 min, total 2hr 5 min

Bob Wilson

ps. GOOD, FAST, CHEAP - pick two

 

I've noticed that when plugged in to a charger, the heater no longer blows warm air. However, enabling pre-conditioning does blow warm air while on charger. But then comes the question of when, especially if traveling.

As an experiment, I waited until the L2 charging current reached ~16A, about 50% of the normal 32A rate:

The preconditioning load draws more current to heat the cabin. But this only brings the load up to the maximum the car can take. After a brief return to peak power, it ramps down but shares the load with battery charging. In effect, we are thermally charging the cabin while the battery charging ramps down.

Bob Wilson

 

My BMW i3 Saved My Life - BMW i3 Forum

It took a second for the ACC to determine it could not safely stop on its own. It took a split second when the alarm went off to slam on the brakes, and in the next second I made a choice to attempt an evasive maneuver, as it was clear the car would not stop in time. Unfortunately I was hit my a 30-foot box truck hurtling full speed through the HOV lane. Before I knew what hit me (quite literally), my i3 lurched to a halt two lanes over.​

I was safe, save from a couple bruises. I didn't even have any cuts from the glass debris. The i3's construction saved me from serious injury or worse. Unfortunately though, this ends my 2-year relationship with the car. In that time I put nearly 22,000 miles of nearly pure commuting on the car.

It was all caught on dashcam.

Full album: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmARETR7


Accident 2019-02-14 by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Where it died by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Interior Damage by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Interior Damage by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Interior Damage by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Interior Damage by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Interior Damage by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


The Morning After by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


The Morning After by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


The Morning After by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Rear Damage by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Rear Damage by Aaron Slater, on Flickr


Damaged Frame by Aaron Slater, on Flickr​

​

 

Many of the 'lease' BMW i3 are loaded with options. But if you buy one, you can 'cheap' yourself into something I would not touch with a 10 ft GM pole(cat.)

I drive on dynamic cruise control all the time. I have seen the emergency BRAKE message at least once a year and am grateful! Most often, it is a driver who pulls in front cutting their leading and my safety space into frightening short distances, 3-4 yards (m).

Bob Wilson

 

After visiting a hardware store, a flat:

The offender is in the upper left corner.

Some sort of sheet metal screw based upon the head:


Using a flat, get it high enough to grasp the head:


Needle nose, vice grips make it easy to unscrew:


More easily than trying to remove with the flat screw driver:


Here is the little bugger. The flat head allows it to rest in the parking lot, pointy end up:


Unfortunately, no space to work on the repair. So a handy biological (pine needle) went in the tire so the car could back up enough to work on it. I probably should have just backed up with the original object to make it easier to take out:



So here is the plug in the 'needle' tool to insert. The infernal needle tool:

Covered in adhesive, it made an impressive wad and would not go in the tire. I briefly thought of backing up over the tool to force it in ... but came up with another approach.

I had 'rasped' the hole larger but decided to try a flat screw driver:

It appears to have worked. The wide-side of the flat screw driver avoids clumping up the plug at the entrance of the hole. I am thinking about getting a similar flat and grinding it in about 1-2 mm with very narrow shoulders. The wider surface area will avoid the clumping.

So I put a plastic bag over the external, patch wadding, and backed over it:


Now to go test it.

Bob Wilson