2019 BMW i3s constant 70mph Highway Range Test

[@xlatjo]

Yesterday I drove my 2017 i3 (94Ah) home from my cabin, stuffed with people and luggage, a distance of 179 km. 68 km is 100 km/h, 90 km is 110 km/h and the rest is 80 km/h. I arrived with 7.5% left in the battery which would indicate a maximum range of 193 km. The energy consumption was 153 Wh / km (244Wh/mile). As the outside temperature was 18 Celsius, I used Eco pro +, which makes a huge difference.

[@samusaran7317]

@@Nomadiacjoe Get the 120Ah version or something different. Having a buffer for cold weather makes a huge difference

[@foreigneli7316]

M😅mmm

[@TheSmallRabbit]

I have just bought a 2019 i3 42Kwh and have just performed a long range test at 10-17C. I started with 100% battery and a predicted range of 158miles on the GOM. I have driven hybrids now for 12 years and I am aware what a light pedal foot has on economy. So off we set on the 84 mile trip with a mix of motorway (60%) A road (40%) . Outbound heading for the coast there's more negative gradients but it will all level up on the return. As this is a max range test I put the car in Eco PRO and turn off the heating/cooling. I get between 10 - 22Kwh/100Km and a light foot also mean that I see quite a bit of regen. When I arrived at my destination I had a GOM range left of ! 130 Miles (84 + 130) = 214 miles. I charge to 100% again and then on the return when I arrived home the GOM said 100 miles so a return range of 184 miles. I expect these ranges to drop by switching to Comfort and adding some heating however even if these settings suck 20 miles of range that's still 194 and 168 miles so taking the worst case 168miles that's very close to what BMW expect this car to achieve and by switching to ECO PRO 180 is also possible for most of the year and for most journeys. Remember my home journey was full of positive gradients to reach the destination at 333m. So with this I have confidence this car can easily achieve its 160 mile range as quoted under these temps which in the UK is pretty standard. I am well impressed with this car it drives likes its on rails and accelerates like a rocket. :-)

[@1stMilcom]

Hi Tom, your memory about consumption of the i3s with 33 kwh battery is correct. It's slightly more efficient than the 42 kwh version. I suspect it's due to its weight difference. I daily drive a 2018 i3s with 33 kwh. city consumption is around 12 kwh/100km. highway @110km/h consumption is around 16 kwh/100km. Highway range 185 kms. City range 240 kms. Mixed range 200 kms. I have done 25000 kms over last 6 months including 3 months Covid isolation. Amazing little city shuttle. Super happy customer with great service by BMW Brisbane.

[@peteglass3496]

Slightly strange. Listening to other UK owners and my brief time with the 42kWh following on from a 33kWh, I'm sensing a slight improvement in efficiency. Might be the way people are reporting and/or using it but of course one difference is most of us don't have 120kg of useless iron in the boot as the UK market was dominated by REx sales until it was withdrawn in Europe. [My REx did 6% of my total miles]

[@mr.tomyum732]

I just got a 2018 i3s bev as well... on the freeway I was surprised it drained the range and battery pretty fast... then i drove it on the street and extended the range a lot!! Of course due to the regen braking I’m sure... but I was surprised a big difference between the two.. freeway driving and street light driving..

[@BHBeckenbauer]

I’m on my third i3. (A 2020 i3s 120Ah) and love it. Would love to have another if they can squeeze some more range in there. PS PLEASE stop filming from behind and looking back it’s so dangerous!

[@emersonrocky8724]

you probably dont care but does any of you know of a way to get back into an instagram account..? I was dumb forgot the account password. I would love any help you can offer me

[@bobbychristopher2637]

@Emerson Rocky Instablaster =)

[@DoughNationBox]

I really love your videos! Thank you.

[@peteglass3496]

Good one Tom. I've just re-shared the vid on the UK i3 FB group after a new member asked about the range. I've only done one long journey in months since switching to the 42kWh non-S model because of 'you-know-what' but I set the cruise control on 70mph (a true 68 of course) with about a quarter the journey on 40 to 50mph restrictions down to 25% SoC. Ok, not down to 1% but that's a real world journey and it looks like 160miles is pretty safe. I should probably set the CC to 72mph next time I try when the traffic is quiet & clear.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I'm actually doing a range test now with a 2020 i3s Rex!

[@peteglass3496]

good for you in North America, sadly the REx is long gone in the European market.

[@stanislavjaracz]

I am impressed with your consistent driving to zero SOC. I would be nervous like hell of not making it to the charger. Early Leafs had that problem. It would promise you some residual range and then all of a sudden stall.

[@losdiaz1012]

Hi tom, thanks for the review. I just got my 3rd i3s bev (2020) and the range is much improved compared to my 2018 i3s (bev).. i havent been back to the office yet but my commute is 130 miles roundtrip. My 2018 needed me to stop at a dc station 3/4 of the trip back...my average speed is 75 to 80 mph...have you done any range testing at 80mph constant driving?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Hi Juan. Unfortunately I don't do 80-MPH range tests, just the 70-MPH ones. That extra 10-MPH is going to cost you a lot of range, as the i3 isn't very slippery (aero-wise) at high speeds and your efficiency is going to take a big hit. It will be close, IMO, in good weather (warm) but you definitely won't make it in the winter months if it gets cold where you live.

[@buzzofftoxicblog791]

Thank you 😊that's good form us next car a i3s 2021 from a 33kw i3 2018 was just sort 10 miles 😀👌

[@plugandplayEV]

Good test, thanks Tom. Interested to hear your thoughts on the Grizzle EVSE behind you at the close. That one seems to be coming up a lot in EV news and owner groups recently.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I did a review for InsideEVs on that already. However, I will be doing a more comprehensive video review for this channel on it soon: insideevs.com/reviews/426618/grizzl-e-ev-charger-review/

[@plugandplayEV]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Oh excellent, I must have missed it. Thanks for the link 👍

[@nosoupforyou425]

Love these i3's - have had a '15 and '17 Rex. Was always impressed with their performance. Easily got 90-100 miles on 60ah and 140 on the 90ah. Glad you did not go the E for electric route and just talk crap about it because it is not an tesla. Have you engaged the TJA function?

[@EforElectric]

I could tell it's a Target parking lot based on your outfit :-)

[@alexnutcasio936]

Alex is one to talk. He's been wearing the same shirts for 20 years. The 90s want their clothes back.

[@peteglass3496]

@@alexnutcasio936 lol

[@nosoupforyou425]

@@alexnutcasio936 elfs usually wear the same clothes everyday. I think it is genetics

[@faithfulskeptic936]

Traded my 2015 i3 on a new 2021 Tesla Y. I like the Y but my spouse misses the i3--likes it much better than the Tesla both as driver and passenger. (I loved the i3 as well but needed more range.) So once again we're in the market for an i3. Looking at either a 2019 i3s or perhaps a 2018 i3s. What are your recommendations?

[@pauL3gend]

Aren't the "Non-S" i3 models the ones that get an EPA rating of 153 miles? The i3"S" are less like 126miles from EPA... I had a non S i3 loaner and it went 185+miles for me!

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

In 2018 the "s" versions had a lower EPA range rating than the regular i3. But then, in 2019 when BMW upgraded the battery to 42.2 kWh, they listed the EPA range as the same on the i3 and the i3s.

[@tomm5517]

Nice review. I will never get the the point of owning this car. But it is always great just to see how far we have come in the last 15 years. Thanks for the review.

[@prerunnerwannabe]

Huh, I would have thought the efficiency would have been better than it was. 3.6 mi/kwh isn't particularly amazing, especially with those skinny little tires. Still, it got pretty close to the EPA range, which is good!

[@prerunnerwannabe]

@John Edwards But if your car is more efficient, you are able to go further per charge. That means you can get away with having a smaller battery and by extension, a cheaper car. Efficiency in an EV is super important.

[@samusaran7317]

@@prerunnerwannabe Speed and air conditioning made an effect on the 3.6 mi/kwh figure. Also you can only made a hatchback so efficient due to subpar drag coefficient. There is a reason a model 3 and Ioniq use very little energy even at higher speeds.

[@TheSmallRabbit]

@@samusaran7317 Yep this is primarily a city car and I use mine mainly for that reason so I am fine with its highway range. I would just go a little slower maybe 56-60 and I guess with a mix of highway and city I suspect the range will be close to high 150's / 160 at least

[@samusaran7317]

@@TheSmallRabbit I dont know if I would call the I3 a city car honestly. Sure its no taycan but still a good in between vehicle in regards to battery size/efficiency. I would call cut off at maybe 100 miles. All opinions though

[@treads2595]

I don’t understand why you continue to put the camera behind you. It is unbelievably unsafe. I watch a ton of videos on YT and nobody else does that. 😤

[@CSAFMedia]

Tom, can your team identify a high mileage BMW i3 US user and interview them (virtually) on the topic of longevity with an i3? I'm curious to find out how the range has changed over time for high mileage i3 owners.

[@mattetjus]

Hi, i do not have any numbers of my own, but this guy (94Ah battery: watch?v=pcYBXua86hU ) has done 200.000km (124.000 miles) and still has over 90% capacity. this seems in line with what i have seen in German forums, for the 94Ah and 120Ah version degrading less than 5% per 100.000km - the 94Ah versions seems to be degrading slower than the 60Ah versions, still too few 120Ah versions with that high milage.

[@jasoneckert6353]

Just can’t believe the price for what is essentially a city car.

[@0HOON0]

I wonder if the trick carbon fiber reinforced resin structure will be seen again in the I4.

[@mtumasz]

I wonder if we are going to see it again on a production vehicle - BMW is probably still in the red on i3

[@1stMilcom]

BMW is losing around $5k on every single i3 they sell. This project was a one off. I think they wrote off 2 billion Euros related to their i8 and i3 research program. Whatever they learnt will continue in future cars like their carbon core thing. But I doubt they will ever try full carbon body on frame for less than $200k/car ever again. I plan to hand down my own i3s to my son once he is 18. This little gem should be able to last 1 million kms body and motor wise. The battery is easily swapped in the future.

[@barryw9473]

Nice that BMW Loaned you the car. I hope BMW can up the pack energy density again so I can get a used 42 kWh at a discount. I am from Woodcliff Lake and hope to use the BMW DCFCs one of these days when visiting home. Any thoughts why the i3 does not allow setting an SoC charge limit?

[@mtumasz]

They forgot to ask the software supplier?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Most EVs don't allow you to set the SOC limit. Tesla HAS to because they allow the owner to charge the battery to 100% (or extremely close to it). BMW and most other OEMs have a large enough buffer built into the usable capacity that it's really not an issue. Some people may not want to charge to 100% for other reasons, but as far as protecting the battery, it's totally fine to charge to 100%. I had a 2014 i3 and charged it to 100% every day. three years later with 72,000 miles it still had over 90% of its original capacity.

[@barryw9473]

Numerous peer reviewed studies show that DoD and SoC charge limits have a significant impact on battery degradation, especially when high temps are an additional factor. The i3 has Active TMS which helps to ameliorate damage at full charge (regardless of buffer, 100% is not optimal). I love that e-Golf has limiter and I usually set it at 70% or 80% to keep cell voltage between 3.85 V and 3.95 V (much better than 4.1 V at full charge) because my car has no active TMS. I plan to get 150,000 to 200,000 miles out of the pack with less than 30% degradation, so this is my only way to reach that goal.

[@1stMilcom]

If your goal is to have long durability for your i3 I would recommend the 33 kwh version. Samsung SDI designed the 33 kwh version to be high life cycle. The 42 kwh version is high capacity oriented. They have the same form factor but the 42 kwh version is more densely packed. The cycle life of the 33 kwh is twice of the 42 kwh. A friend's 33 kwh i3s has done 100k kms over 2 years and just 2% degradation. My own i3s 33 kwh has done 25k kms over 6 months and 0% degradation.

[@ernestwalker2736]

Tom Moloughney Hey Tom having big trouble finding 2019 i3s Bev to own. Any ideas of where how to find one?

[@alexnutcasio936]

141 miles (227 km). The EPA range rating is 153 miles. Efficiency: 3.6 mi/kWh - 17.2 kWh/100 km ** Not very efficient given that the 2021 Tesla Model 3 is at 25 kWh per 100 miles or 161 kilometers . BMW has got a LOT of work to do.

[@alexnutcasio936]

@A M so says you and your evidence is anecdotal , look at the latest CarWow test where the Model 3 got 81% of its rated range.

[@alexnutcasio936]

A M so, yours is bullshit. I figured as much. The i3 was and is junk. You got phucd by buying it.

[@misaelramos83]

Does this car have a heat pump?

[@reek852]

Tom, which car feels the best going down the highway model 3/Y or the I3 s ?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

The 3 & the Y are definitely more stable than the i3 at highway speeds, although the i3s is much better than the base i3 because it has a wider track and tires. Of the 3 and the Y, it's very difficult for me to choose, as they drive very similarly, IMO.

[@mtumasz]

Please test the i3 without S, I’d love to compare results 🙏🏻

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Trying to get one - it's NOT easy!

[@mtumasz]

Tom Moloughney I heard about superlow avlloctaions for the NA market. They managed to destroy the resale value by oversupply once, they are probably wondering what to do now. The dead wait or inertia intrinsic to a large dealer networks took its tow. We have the opposite in Europe a healthy steady demand keeping second hand prices at 2-3 times US levels. Hence the Leipzig factory makes these beauties for us now.

[@mtumasz]

Tom add to it production planning hell having different lights and BLOODY CHARGE PORTS in each market.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

@@mtumasz Yes, the i3 is basically order-only in the US now. There's no inventory anywhere. If you want one you need to order it.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

@John Edwards Thanks or the insight. Makes sense, but for the rest of the country, you basically have to order one to get it. There's a few in stock here and there, but not many outside of CA. There aren't ANY BEVs here on the east coast. Even BMW couldn't secure a 2020 BEV for me to use for a few days. I didn't want the "s", but it was all they could get because there's zero inventory within 1,000 miles.

[@CRXKSY]

You don’t have to turn your head to us man, we know you’re driving. Drive safe and keep those eyes on the road pls lol

[@fcv1967]

The Ultimate Driving Machine I Don't Want After Warranty

[@maxreynoso]

great video! just dont think it was a good idea to place the camera on the rear because you have to keep turning your head away from driving. or next time just talk without having to look at the camera. stay safe,

[@sekainiheiwa3650]

That sux

[@peterp4753]

Terrible range! I don't understand why people would buy car like this.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Because long range isn't everything. Plenty of people are perfectly fine with a 150-mile range.

[@alexnutcasio936]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Tom, size, like range does matter......In every regard.

[@samusaran7317]

@@alexnutcasio936 Get overself and realize people have different needs. My commute is only 1 mile and rarely drove more than 25 miles one way most days.