BMW i3 REx roadtrip, charging, coding, and range test.

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So you wanted to know why BMW crippled the range extender on the i3? Well, they wanted to meet a special classification in California and other CARB states that would allow them to get ZEV credits (zero-emission vehicle credits) for this vehicle even though it is technically a plug-in hybrid.
One of the rules they had to meet was that the range extender had to have less range than the battery range. Since the EPA ended up rating the car lower than they originally thought, they had to reduce the size of the gas tank. Another crazy rule they had to meet was that the range extender not be available unless the battery was fully depleted. So that was why they removed the hold mode as well.
As a result, the USA version of the car has a much less capable range extender. Nevertheless, the REx works absolutely fine in the city even when crippled. However, fast highway travel or long climbs up mountain passes can be a problem. If you plan to do that, you need the hold mode so that you can engage the REx while the battery is still at 75%. This will ensure that you don't lose any performance of the vehicle while operating on gasoline.

[@theblubus]

"I'm not going to talk about cup holders or sun visors. I'll leave that to the 'professionals' " Shots fired! Doug Demuro's quirks and features never saw it coming lol

[@ominous-omnipresent-they]

I was thinking Doug as well, LOL!

[@lilnigga2052]

White ppl beef

[@zigafide]

@@lilnigga2052 lmfao

[@pepeshadilay]

You tube boxing match coming soon

[@TAVIII]

the i3 isn't great for gaming

[@PrincessZoey]

hey it's okay. gaming is mostly about the single core performance and they mostly only need 2 cores!

[@Anitrex006]

PrincessZoey97 Nope. That was 2 years ago. A lot of newer games need 4 cores or atleast 2 cores with hyper-threading (4 virtual cores in total) without which performance suffers significantly.

[@PrincessZoey]

+Anitrex006 eh in battlefield 1 the core i3 gets 10 less frames than the i5/i7. source: LinusTechTips Battlefield 1 benchmark video.

[@Anitrex006]

PrincessZoey97 Umm. Exactly my point I guess.

[@PrincessZoey]

Anitrex006 you say it likes its unplayable dude lol

[@james-tennis]

Just a little tip for i3 owners who get it coded for the hold mode. You can go into the menus and put the hold as one of your hotkey/shortcuts (normally used for radio stations). I set it to the last one, I believe #8, just hold down #8 on that hold menu and it'll save it there (be sure it's the actual menu item to turn the gas engine on, not just get access to that menu). Then anytime you need it and are below 75% battery, you can press #8 and it'll turn on the gas engine. The beauty of this is that I found the first time I got it coded, I had to bring the car back in for a service update. Then boom, the default US settings were put back in and I couldn't access that menu! I had to go back to the person who coded it, pay him a little bit of money, and get it recoded back in. That's when I added it to my hotkey/shortcut. Since then, the dealership has reset my settings (likely from firmware updates) and so I can no longer access the hold section in the menu *** BUT *** thankfully the hotkey setting is still there and it still functions! So it's funny because it still lets me hold it by pressing #8 but I can't access that anywhere else in the menus! I don't use the hotkeys for anything else so I'm not at risk of changing it, but if you do this trick, make sure you don't change it otherwise after a firmware update you won't be able to add the hold key again unless you get it recoded. I've since brought the car to the dealership a few times, I believe they updated firmware each time, and also have updated things for recalls, and my handy #8 menu item is still there. It really allows for long distance driving (like 200+ miles) doable without having to worry about losing power... it acts like a normal car and you can breathe a huge sigh of relief not worrying about it. Yes it's annoying refilling often, but it's better than not getting to your destination or having to rely on a rental.

[@Mandocammando]

Will the code work for any i3?

[@james-tennis]

Just i3 with the extra Rex engine I believe it will work. It's already there for European market which is why all the cars have it. It's just hidden from the US market because of regulations or stipulations that I won't get in to. But rest assured every i3 Rex can do it since it's built in.

[@zeigrei4501]

Thinking of getting one for LA driving. I’m still confused what the “hold” mode does? Does it just give more mileage

[@DigitalMoonlight]

@@zeigrei4501 Late, but hold mode holds the battery at whatever state of charge it's at when you activate it and uses the gas engine to power the motor. If you drive too fast it will still drain the battery rather than hold it but it lets you maintain more power and speed because the battery is not empty and can provide spurts of power when needed (such as passing on the highway)

[@rogerhudson9732]

@@DigitalMoonlight I think that driving on the flat roads 56mph is the sweet spot where the REx holds the charge at the level where it was activated.

[@kidlatazul]

We bought a 2014 i3 Rex with similar specs to yours in May and about a month later drove it from Pittsburgh to Stonewall Resort in West Virginia, 132 miles one way. We stopped in Morgantown to get a free charge for an hour or so, to make more of the trip on battery, and had lunch downtown. One of the unexpected pleasures of owning an electric car at this early stage of adoption is that the search for charging stations sometimes takes you to places you wouldn't otherwise visit. Central Morgantown, it turns out, has a nice selection of places to eat and is pleasant to stroll around in. And the charging station was not only free but solar powered! We would have driven right by in our gas-only car and missed a nice experience.

[@joslinnick]

When I drove this car, the thing I really liked about it was the excellent visibility. It had better visibility than any other car I can remember driving.

[@matsv201]

I really think this review was very fair. I seen a lot of reviews that is just doped up positive.. i have not seen any that is doped up negative, but i guess that exist to.

[@alankuentz4617]

My parents have one of these, and love it. They upgraded from a Nissan Leaf. The range extender makes all the difference for them since they live in the country. Great video!

[@dave20thmay]

Very good video for someone in the US. But you should not have crashed the car at 13:53, just to demonstrate not carrying fuel in the frunk

[@Sydnxt]

dave20thmay Can't tell if you're being serious.

[@subadanus6310]

this is the best comment i've seen all year

[@TL-ds8ux]

He is very thorough in his reviews.

[@LegoWormNoah101]

I think that's a different I3.

[@jackh000]

lmao

[@tomhanhart5921]

I just bought the same model and came now across this really nice review. I was very skeptical first, but when you look closer, you see this concept is just perfect! Love the vintage gear also!

[@therealchayd]

Took delivery of my i3 REx today, great car, and this video really put my mind at rest when I got down to 10 miles EV range, and happy knowing the range extender was there to at least get me to a nearby DCFC station, so thanks very much!

[@Egeexyz]

Great video. Loved the LGR reference and the Goodwill stop!

[@Crana]

LGR is a cool dude

[@HeelerHouse]

Egee

[@ervinavideoblogs]

LGR is a very likable guy!

[@HeelerHouse]

Ervīns Elliņš I agree I said a persons username

[@procurlyplayz2843]

Egee ii

[@doggunn]

Been driving an i3 as my daily car recently. It's a surprising amount of fun - people are shocked at how quick it pulls away.

[@not_riley]

i've been ignoring these car videos, but since i've already watched everything else on your channel, i decided to give them a shot. So it's a fact: you're able to make anything interesting with your voice. Time to watch your drag strip videos.

[@risingembersgaming7740]

I’ve been here since 22k and I have to say the production quality hasn’t changed, always amazing!

[@B008S]

I used to have the i3 but i wasn't getting the best performance, so I upgraded to the i7. Now im getting much higher fps lol

[@mikat1914]

Thanks for the video seems like a big pain in the ass too me . All this charging totally ridiculous .

[@alierengam1749]

i have a intel i5 (:

[@Tobi_DarkKnight]

I used to have a P4 but now I got an Xeon E3. And about cars: I had a BMW M3 E46(I had looked it like the M3 GTR in NFS Most Wanted) but it got stolen...

[@choddo]

@@mikat1914 do you not need to stop at fuel stations? It’s a bit like that but slower and less stinky and climate changing. The 60Ah i3 is quite old and has been doubled now so the practicality has improved a lot and other cars have even more range and much faster charging.

[@fredricknilsson7]

You need to disable antivirus since its taking resources and you should install an M2 gen 5 disc.

[@iAmAWolf]

Holy crap I live 10 minutes from you. And I used to deliver pizzas in Kennedale back when I was a teenager. Yet I found you on a worldwide infrastructure of computers. Small world, man.

[@vpj1985]

Greetings Dave from the island nation of Iceland 🇮🇸 The video is excellent and very informative. Also very good production values and great polished final product which has obviously required a great deal of research and editing, the same is true with all your videos.👍

[@peytonlutz1]

What about the i5 or i7 equipped cars??? These cars can run Crysis 3 60FPS Skybox Test..

[@syxepop]

Moustache Pikachu, I happen to drive an i3 (Asus)...

[@xander1052]

@@Empika Xenon* but have you seen those Ryzen powered cars?

[@ashleybailey1785]

@@xander1052 Can't beat the price/performance of those chips. Mega miles for spare change. I happen to have the new R7 3700X and it drives beautifully!

[@raven4k998]

@@ashleybailey1785 just overclock the shizzel out of them then in winter you'll get more heat from the heat pump as it scavenges heat from the cpu hehe

[@mylofryett9160]

The i7 is a real car though

[@skyearthocean5815]

Asking the TX legislature for EV chargers is like asking the Taliban for nude beaches.

[@The8BitGuy]

You're probably right..

[@ΑΡΗΣΚΟΡΝΑΡΑΚΗΣ]

The 8-Bit Guy one crazy guy in my country, swapped the electric drive, and the extender, with the GS1200R engine, and built his own transmission.

[@lsswappedcessna]

YEE HAW and all that. I can't blame them, I like good old dinosaur power myself.

[@xstraightedgechrisx]

Texas is where the oil industry thrives, so I guess that makes sense.

[@TheHoosiers2008]

Where do you think the electric power come from?

[@NO_OPEC_NO_PROBLEM]

This is THE BEST i3 REX range video. The i3 is possibly the most underrated misunderstood EV.

[@stupid8911]

No BS, this video had everything. Thank you for all the breakdowns and explanations.

[@G00DwillHUNT3R]

I have no interest in most of your videos, but they are so well produced that I really enjoy watching them. Keep up the great content!

[@raven4k998]

you are a liar sir good day to you

[@danwat1234]

8:15 increased gas range on the guessometer because of a change of temperature perhaps.

[@raven4k998]

yeah that's it most likely

[@ZachariaZuehlke]

Either that or maybe the incline on the pavement where the i3 was parked made the tank sensor read slightly incorrectly? that was my first thought

[@ChandanAidur]

One of the best reviews of any car that I have ever seen. Very straightforward and exactly the info needed.

[@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403]

This is, without a doubt, the best BMW i3 review I've seen. With the old tax credit still in effect for used i3s and me needing another car, this is certainly a car to consider. I do a 100 mile drive about once every 3 weeks. Besides that, most of my drives are 12 miles or less, so something like this would be perfect and is a good way to avoid paying the high gas prices, while not spending $70K!

[@jarredleverton4998]

Fellow Texan here. It'll be a cold day in Texas before the state government supports EVs with stuff like public charging stations. :p Our state in particular is VERY nasty towards EV efforts, and goes out of their way to block progress (The most notorious example being the passing of a bill requiring car manufacturers to sell only to dealers, not end consumers, a law passed solely to stop Tesla from selling in the state after outrage from the dealerships that Tesla refused to play their game.) So yeah, you made the right call getting a higher range model, I don't look for infrastructure growth to be encouraged at a state level anytime soon sadly.

[@rexpositor6741]

Oh Texas...the air will keep destroying your brain cells.

[@markjohnson8260]

We don't need the government to do it. Hotels, Walmarts, private businesses are building it up.

[@Lyrabon]

Bought i3 REx, Didn't fit on motherboard.

[@raven4k998]

@9600GTMAN well theres his problem you don't smash it noobs smash then cry when they figure out they broke the cpu and motherboard your suppose to just lay it down on the socket and make sure it's aligned properly

[@jeffreymorris11]

Yes indeed, a great video focussing on the key practical issues one needs to know. Far better than TOP GEAR and meme shows. BMW, range extender needs a silencer. Also putting the petrol tank in the front of the car is a design fumble!

[@TechDeals]

Yes, but for me (I also live in DFW), all this tells me is that EVs aren't ready for prime time... All of that headache when my truck has none of these issues and will drive to Waco and back twice on one tank of gas, while hauling a lot more stuff. Call me when we have a 500 mile range EV truck for a similar price to the gas version. :)

[@jeffreymorris11]

Tech Deals Quite right. So much anxiety and hustle for 100+ miles, so yes indeed 500 miles, then I am interested in the 3i, otherwise not nothing.

[@marcel0lowrie]

@@TechDeals it's surprisingly quick to fill up 2.4 gallons. for a station on the side of the highway, its about 2 minutes from when you pull off to get back on the road. the core ideas of an EV seem to conflict with your "hauling a lot of stuff" business, dont want to pry why you wish to be able to make trips between cities carrying lots of cargo and not have time to at the very least pull over and stretch to prevent posture or back issues(you only get one back).

[@kevinpower9534]

Thanks for explaining this. No where have I found anyone who has actually explained how this extender works.

[@scottkolaya2110]

7:50 Those were the days when you could pull up to a hotel with only one charger and be pretty much guaranteed that it was open to use.

[@TechDeals]

Thanks for the video, it was interesting... While an EV isn't for me right now, if you like yours, then that is awesome, choices are good! :) I just wish you put out more videos, I find them quite interesting... :)

[@greysoneduardo471]

I guess im asking randomly but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account..? I was dumb forgot my account password. I would love any tricks you can give me!

[@derrickamir2778]

@Greyson Eduardo Instablaster :)

[@greysoneduardo471]

@Derrick Amir I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and im in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@greysoneduardo471]

@Derrick Amir It worked and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy:D Thank you so much, you saved my ass :D

[@derrickamir2778]

@Greyson Eduardo no problem =)

[@mrider4]

I bought a 2018 i3s Rex about a year ago, and couldn't be happier with it, especially as gas creeps up toward the five dollar a gallon mark. I've noticed that the charging infrastructure, at least around here (Spokane, WA), has improved quite a bit in this last year, to the point where I'm considering a drive to Denver in the near future. I think I'll put a gas can in the frunk, just in case ; )

[@computergeek9319]

The only thing I see in the comments is hate for electric cars, and people hating the 8-bit guys commentary. :(

[@jetjazz05]

I don't hate the 8-bit guy, but uhh.. I do hate EVERYTHING about the i3. Until electric cars 1) get some kind of infrastructure and 2) can go more than 100 miles without a charge there's just no point. Everyone wants to SAY that it's great, but if everyone had an EV you'd need parking lots filled with chargers at every location because you'd need to be juicing your battery just to keep it going. Not really economical. Until a battery can go 300+ miles on a half hour charge I just don't see people switching.

[@yanDeriction]

All parking lots SHOULD be filled with chargers. What's more economical: a centralized distribution system that requires constant refueling and maintenance? An elaborate system of exploding dinosaurs that spews toxic waste and noise? Or just running some glorified extension cords through the parking lot? Hint: extension cords are more economical. EVs with 100 mile ranges absolutely will work for most people if there is sufficient infrastructure - its cheaper to build charging stations than to tack on batteries. An absolutely gargantuan percentage of the population - especially in this economy - would love to take road trips with 30 minute charging in between 80 mile legs if it meant having a maintenance-free car that costs pennies to run and minimal price to buy. The 300 miles demand is completely made up by the oil companies and bought wholesale by idiots who don't know better - the same people who drive crappy economy cars with 8 gallon tanks that get 30mpg that have to be fueled up every 150 miles. And guess what - the Tesla Model S P100D - the current top of the line model - does have 315 miles of range and uses the supercharger infrastructure. The chevy bolt - 200 miles of range, dc fast charger, $38k base price and arrives at dealers before the end of the year. Your info is outdated, Jesse.

[@computergeek9319]

Yeah, I wish :C

[@jetjazz05]

+yan-Deriction Nice trolling. Proof is in the pudding m8, if people wanted electric or it was economical for them they'd be buying. I've worked at many car dealerships, BMW sold about 7 i3s a year at one dealership (in a city metro), and a Nissan dealer sold about as many Leafs. Most people returned the BMWs by the way, they hated that they could only drive 70 miles with the AC on. " if there is sufficient infrastructure", well there isn't. Why don't YOU pay for the infrastructure then you can start pointing fingers at who's wrong, me or you. Your pipe dream isn't just about the technology or how you can only travel 100 miles on a charge, it's the infrastructure or *lack* of one. It's going to take decades for there to be enough infrastructure for people to want to switch. Electric has been around for 3 decades now, so why is it less than 1% of Americans are using them? No infrastructure and shit mileage. Nice try with your "outdated information" ploy, though.

[@yanDeriction]

"Why don't YOU pay for the infrastructure" Sure, I'll pony up $20 for an extension cord. Which parking spot do you need it? The idea that an elaborate set of pumps and a dedicated filling station is somehow cheaper or more efficient to set up and operate than running an extension from the nearest power-line or plug is ridiculous. "Proof is in the pudding m8, if people wanted electric or it was economical for them they'd be buying." You're saying we should trust the judgement of the same people who rushed out to buy SUVs the second gas hit $2. However, if we look at the data - the costs to actual owners, electric cars simply win out due to minimal running costs and minimal maintenance required. "it's the infrastructure or lack of one. It's going to take decades for there to be enough infrastructure for people to want to switch." I bet the exact same question was said to the person who came up with engine block heaters. "Engine block heaters? Neat idea but... setting up the infrastructure is just too difficult! It's gonna take decades before the good people living in the north are able to preheat their engines with electrical power, its just not practical!" "Electric has been around for 3 decades now" Sure, I remember the great mass produced electric car of 1993, which was a complete failure due to lack of infrastructure and shit mileage. "Nice try with your "outdated information" ploy, though." That was in direct response to you implying that 1) electric cars cannot go more than 100 miles on a charge, and 2) electric cars cannot go more than 300 miles on a half hour charge. Both false.

[@NoirEtBlancVie]

Im totally looking into getting an i3, very happy you made a review!!

[@texmex9721]

Thanks for this great video. I purchased a 2017 REx new last week and this really helped me make a decision.

[@andriettalee899]

Tex Mex what’s your review of the i3?

[@CinecomCrew]

Thank you for the lovely test drive video! If I may suggest one thing: could you include KM's and Liters as well in the future? As a European I constantly had to pause the video and convert the miles/gallons :-)

[@The8BitGuy]

I had seriously thought about that during the production. But my audience is primarily in the USA. So I decided not to.

[@CatsMeowPaw]

Great review (I like all your video) and I love the car, but ditto here about KM and L. The only Imperial countries left in the world are Liberia, Myanmar, and the USA. There are some miles and gallons die hards in the UK too, but everyone else has moved on.

[@ScotsmanRS]

Die hards? As in, all the roadsigns, speed limits, cars and drivers? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be fully metric (and with any luck, an independent Scotland in the future will go that way) but that is no reason to misrepresent the current state of affairs. As it is, we're in a weird imperial-metric hybrid, where long distances are measured in miles and never kilometres; short distances are measured in either yards or metres ("Parking in 500yds", "30mph speed limit in 300m, 200m, 100m"); shorter distances still are measured in either feet and inches or metres and centimetres (a speaker may even casually mix the units depending on which comes to mind first); tiny distances are measured in mm (personally, I've never heard fractions of an inch smaller than ½ inch used) so tyre treads are measured in mm; speed is always mph and never km/h (heaven forfend anyone use m/s); fuel is sold by the litre but efficiency is measured in mpg; braking distances can be calculated in either feet or metres for our driving theory test; weights are given in kg (but many people still insist on working in stones and pounds when they think of the weight of people); pressure goes between kPa, bar, and psi depending on your car manufacturer and the gauge you use; frequency of rotation is measured in rpm (although I believe that is the case worldwide for automobiles, the SI unit would be s^−1 or Hz); we tend to talk of visibility in metres (though it wouldn't surprise me to hear it in feet or yards); height and width restrictions can be listed in metres only, feet and inches only, or both on the same sign. Thankfully, all science education has been fully metric since before I was born, so with any luck we can phase out imperial measurements in my lifetime!

[@JonathanOwenPhotographer]

Yep UK here too and we're all Miles and Gallons too, that said... Brexit :/

[@carlodanese9120]

scotsmanRS well in other countries like Italy everything is metric

[@bernddasbrot231]

in my opinion the bmw i3 is a masterpiece of engineering. i would like to have one of those cars too, but i cant afford them. greetings from germany

[@leventguner8882]

bernddasbrot231 I am lucky to have one, and it is amazing, it feels great not to pay for gas. Electric charging is much cheaper compared to gas.

[@fardnia9434]

bernddasbrot231 you really want one of those overpriced mail trucks? chevy bolt is cheaper and has better range Edit: model 3 too

[@liam5257]

Yeah nah beamers are built to last like 3-4 years and then literally everything in them just break down.

[@bangerbangerbro]

What is so great about it? As far as I know it's one of the worst cars ever. It gets crap range. It's expensive. It's mega-heavy, and being a modern BMW, it looks absolutely terrible.

[@bangerbangerbro]

@@liam5257 Yeah. Current euro car companies are like US ones were in the 60s and 70s.

[@jisa39]

It would be great to have this exact trip in a new video, to see how things have changed since.

[@Sist3r]

We live in euless and glad to see someone is reviewing this. We are thinking about getting the pre owned one because of the good price. Still debating between the exterior and interior color. Thanks for the review!!!

[@eroo1973]

Saw the notification for this video when it now came out because I didn't think it would be entertaining. Boy was I wrong. I really enjoyed it.

[@lpphoenix131]

I envy Lazy Game Reviews and his awesome finds at Goodwill! In New Hampshire Goodwills it's all junk electronics and other knick-knacks.

[@N2tech]

For me that would be nerve racking having to constantly be aware of my mileage. Driving is supposed to be relaxing and liberating. At that price I would expect at least 250 miles per charge and that's only a little over half of my Toyota Yaris and you can pick one up for under $14,000. Hey love the channel, Take care.

[@The8BitGuy]

This trip was an extremely unusual situation. Normally speaking, our electric cars are driven in town and the battery range is more than sufficient.

[@fredricknilsson7]

I was reading that replacement batteri cost 10K USD :-o We can agree that we do not get an EV for its lower cost. Seems lite warranty from many factories are like 8 year. So including the battery replacement for an EV will add like 1 USD per 10 km.

[@TheJoseLupercio]

Please make your one year review! That would be helpful and informative to watch! 🙏🏻✨☺️

[@greg_takacs]

"I'm not going to talk to you about cupholders and sun visors, I'm going to leave that to the professional reviewers" Hahaha! This one had me rolling! Nice shade at the straight pipes 🙂

[@hongshi8251]

Thank you very much for this video. I was impressed with the high speed driving and how you explained the range extender. Thank you again

[@The_Laser_Channel]

Now that this video is about 2 1/2 years old, how has the charging infrastructure changed in your area? Are you seeing more charging stations? Would you be willing to go further on EV and less on the Range Extender?

[@marcel0lowrie]

i too want to hear an update

[@dvanomaly420]

There is a fast charger in Waco, TX now.

[@zibbybone]

We do have more public charging stations in DFW, but it still needs improvement - especially the suburbs. Arlington is DFW's "entertainment" city with Six Flags over Texas, Hurricane Harbor (water park), AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys, concerts and college football games), and whatever the new Ballpark for the Texas Rangers is going to be called, but there are not many charging stations.

[@meadmaker4525]

So, it's been 6 years. How's the I3 holding up? Any updates?

[@esotericsean]

Great to see more awareness about electric vehicles. Great video! Is Magnolia Farms from the TV show Fixer Upper? I love that show.

[@The8BitGuy]

yes, I believe that is how Leslie had become aware of the place. She watches that show.

[@DiscoFang]

esotericsean I love the show but that place looked awful. Grand scale knick-knack shop. What are people buying and why would you go?

[@compu85]

Great video, glad the i3 is working well for you! We're loving our 500e... and waiting on our slot to open up to order a Model 3.

[@Lilmiket1000]

not to mention you can always put a gas tank in the trunk or frunk and rout a tiny fuel line to the range extender. that way you can make the tank size as big as you wanted.

[@montgoss]

8:18 Perhaps the ambient temperature was the difference? I'm guessing it was colder at night than it was by the time you unplugged.

[@jwenting]

yes, ambient temperature made the battery cool down which increases its efficiency.

[@kenm2709]

Some of the fuel runs back into the tank from the engine after sitting all night, giving you the higher reading.

[@paulanderson929]

Great video!! Love these electric cars! Hope to get one someday.

[@JanJanuszNosacz]

I don't know why, but I love watching this vid again and again afert some days. I don't know, to me it seems like an adventure movie with trip to foreign city, sightseeing, some tech reports from the trip. Great vid :)

[@TibiGamer3DS]

I live in Romania, and I have seen a BMW i3 a few times. The first time I entered a BMW i3 was sometime ago. It was an unforgetable experience.

[@angelawest2187]

when you tell her you drive a bmw and then pick her up in this lmao

[@lsswappedcessna]

"Hey babe I drive a lambo." pulls up in a 1961 Lamborghini DL25 like *diesel noises*

[@lsswappedcessna]

Google it, I dare you.

[@newagederpderp]

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

[@bangerbangerbro]

@@lsswappedcessna Lamborghini rotorvator. That is a thing

[@MICHGO1]

RIGHT? NO REASON TO MAKE IT SO UGLY.

[@erebostd]

The coding software is in german :D

[@computiNATEor]

Yep! The newer software seen here is even far better than the old stuff for the early 2000s BMWs (like mine) which are practically inscrutable for non-German speakers.

[@erebostd]

computiNATEor German is easier to learn than you might think ;-)

[@computiNATEor]

Erebos It's not rocket science, but learning a new language and learning it technically? Yikes.

[@erebostd]

computiNATEor Many of us (me included) hat to learn english, and its quite a hassle. Dutch an German is not so hard to learn, its not like japanese. ;-)

[@Jodelorakel]

Erebos Well your spelling might have room for improvement. English is way easier to learn for a German than it is for a native English speaker to learn any language. I can't see an advantage big enough for the time invested. The only place I'd like to go for a longer time where German is spoken is Switzerland. And even there you're probably better off speaking English, since Switzergerman is hard to understand for a native German speaker, and parts are French or Italian.

[@davetravels9273]

Thanks for the detailed review on the REX. I currently live in Germany and was wondering why no one seems to use the battery hold function for longer trips when I read reviews in the U.S... now I know... ridiculous. Do you know if the 94 Ah has the same limitation too? Also, how noisy is it in the cabin with the REX working? My wife and I are keen on buying a used i3 REX in Germany. We usually drive less than 50 km, but a few times a year we take longer trips that can easily be 400-600km. I would think that a REX would have no problem with this, as long as we keep it between 130-140 kmh (80-85mph) on the Autobahn and use DC fast charing at some point in between.

[@The8BitGuy]

We could not hear the Rex when traveling on the highway at fast speed. In fact, we weren't even sure it was on. However, at lower speeds you can hear and feel it running.

[@fbottone]

I've been looking for information like this all over the web! Thanks for this. Some reviews make it out to be quite loud, but I'm only looking to extend highway driving range. Around what speed would you guess it starts to drown out? I drive....spirited....which it seems you are used to :) but I wouldn't mind travelling at 55-65mph for efficiency if the Rex really is inaudible at that speeds. Great video again thanks for all the information.

[@1607trojan]

Great real world review. Am also in Texas and recently my company flew me into Austin and had to drive to Jewett in a Tesla (rental) and never driving one before. It was an eerie feeling driving in the middle of nowhere without a charging station on my route so had to detour to Centerville on I-45 for a top off. Non the less, I really enjoyed it. Now looking into an i3 for my wife as a commuter and for errands around town.

[@patternmakerbob]

Simply the best explanation. I’m in the market and had a lot more questions than before your video. Thanks

[@StefanBlurr]

European (atleast in my country) outlets got 220v ( 380v is optional, for those who use heavy electric motors like a lathe.) .

[@Metalman200xdamnit]

That is because most of Europe uses 50Hz,so they had to push up the voltage to compensate. Most of the US uses 110-120V at 60Hz.

[@MrOpenGL]

Total bullshit. You don't "compensate" the frequency with voltage. The US uses an outdated system because electricity started off there with 100V DC, and when they changed to AC they used 110V AC so that the 100V DC lightbulbs could work without being changed. Europe started with 220V or 240V already at 50Hz (the difference between 50Hz and 60Hz is negligible, it only matters for clocks that use the 50Hz or 60Hz as the time base, so a 50Hz clock will run too fast on 60Hz) and only recently changed to 230V so that it is harmonised throughout the continent. 220V has many advantages, one of them is that with an US 16A socket you can get a maximum of 120*16=1920 W, in Europe using the same socket and wires you can get 230*16=3680W Which means that it is much more efficient and cheaper (less copper used) than the outdated US system And an added bonus is that a Level 1 charger for an EV in Europe will charge the car 2 times faster than the Level 1 charger in the US, which means it is actually useful whereas in the US since it takes 14 h for a full charge it's useless.

[@Metalman200xdamnit]

MrOpenGL The reason it was upped to 220-240V in most of Europe was during wartime there. They had to increase the voltage to help the electric flow better through power lines.

[@MrOpenGL]

Why is there so much disinformation and crap about this subject?!?! In the early days both Europe and the USA used DC at a voltage ranging from 80 to 110V. When Nikola Tesla and Galileo Ferranti discovered AC transmission, induction motors and transformers, they all agree that since voltage is now easy to be changed via transformers, it should be kept as high as possible to minimize losses (thanks also to the work by Georg Ohm on electrical resistance). Therefore in Europe, under the guide of Siemens and AEG, the standard settled for 220V (240V in the UK because of GEC) single phase and 380V triple phase as early as 1900. The frequency chosen was 50Hz out of a number of strange ones (25 Hz, 16 2/3 Hz, 45Hz) because it was the lowest frequency that didn't produce visible flicker in lightbulbs, it tied well with the SI which is based on decade numbering, and the rotational speed of 2-pole alternators was 3000RPM which was easily achievable for the early water and steam turbines. The USA on the other hand had a much more developed DC network than Europe, therefore a lot of customers already had extensive installations of 100V lamps and 100V heating elements (e.g ovens etc.) While Tesla wanted to use 220V like Europe, because it would enable to cut wire costs in half, people didn't want to change all the bulbs and appliances to meet the new voltage, and since bulbs and heating elements can work on AC as long as the voltage is similar, it was decided to make a "split-phase" system where one leg is at 120V, the other at 120V and both legs are at 240V. It is the system that still survives today. The High voltage distribution was built to the three phase standard like in Europe because it only required 3 wires vs. 4 wires for the Tesla system, and motors ran much smoother with 3 phases than with 2. Charles Scott designed the Scott-T transformer to connect the 2-phase and 3-phase systems together. The frequency was chosen to be 60Hz because it tied better with the US customary system that uses dozens and because you could build a clock very simply with a 60:1 gear. Today Europe has harmonised its voltage to 230V to remove the discrepancy between the UK (240V) and mainland (220V) but many old transformers survive and those are still 220 or 240V unless they have a tap changer. The USA on the other hand has kept its outdated and inefficient 120V distribution system, however industrially three phase (208 or 480V) is the king like in Europe.

[@nc3826]

@@MrOpenGL Don't argue with a moron. It will just make you look as foolish as him, when its all done.

[@Omnilatent]

I think the difference of the fuel mileage from the night and morning is due to the fuel and its fumes expanding and retracting. In the night, your car was still hot, which means more fumes and less fuel in the tank. Over night, those fumes became fuel again as it cooled down and thus gave more range indication now.

[@cros13]

Hi, i3 REx driver here. The difference is likely due to a combination of effects. The primary cause is that the i3's range meter pulls from a number of information sources including the entered route on the gps (elevation data, speed limits, weather en-route, historical consumption of other vehicles that took the route, range extender efficiency on last trip), local ambient temperature, battery temperature (yup, this impacts the range extender displayed range), predicted battery heating and cooling requirements for the remainder of the range. Also with the fuel tank is pressurized, insulated by nearby components and on teh wrong end of the car from anything that gets hot with no heat conducting path so I'm not sure the effect you mention applies.

[@Crana]

Wouldn't mind an electric car but it wouldn't suit my driving. I get 600 miles of range from my diesel car (around 60mpg), and make trips over 250 miles regularly so yeah that's not going to work, at least not as my main car. Cool video as usual.

[@computiNATEor]

These are actually pretty cool little cars. I had the opportunity to throw one around an autocross course, and because the battery is low, the car is light, and the motor is at the back, it's a fun little go-kart to zip around in. Nearly silent, too.

[@matsv201]

Just a suggestion. Go look at Volvo or Mitsubishi hybrid lines. If you mostly do 30 mile run or shorter they will do just fine. Mitsubishi have a bit better hybrid system, but its a bit worse of a car. The V60 D5 and XC90 T8 is really good cars, but they are not really cheap and the hybrid system is really mostly for short jounries.

[@computiNATEor]

matsv201 Oh, god, Mitsu has really fallen apart in the last 10 years. I would never buy a battery electric vehicle, personally, I drive too far too often.

[@matsv201]

computiNATEor Yea Mitsubishi is a bit crapy, but the V60 is fairly good. All the cars (outlander, V60 and XC90) are "real" cars.. That is if the electric system breaks down 100%.. they still run. Not as efficent, but they do run. As long as there is gas (or in the case of the V60, diesel), in the tank, they will run.

[@computiNATEor]

matsv201 Not entirely true. If the electric system in a Prius fails, the gasoline engine can't really compensate by itself, and vice-versa. The engine computers aren't flexible enough, yet.

[@TylerBenney]

I have watched this about 10 times now and I keep watching it again and again . So it's pretty good 😂

[@kwakukumi4729]

Finally! Thank you from your fellow i3 owner. Great video.

[@a.mostert800]

I'd love one of these but I don't know how viable an option it is for South Africa.

[@mrnemo204]

I wonder how viable it is for Anguilla

[@uceid]

As long as you have electricity, this is an option.

[@TL-ds8ux]

The first thing is to determine your driving requirements. I have one and I rarely use the public chargine facilities. Mine is also a range extender version and after a few code changes it has served me well. Most of my driving is commuting 40miles a day to/from work. In the garage I park at there is a standard 15amp/110v outlet that, over the 9hr charge, recovers the 40mile commute. I run a 30amp @ 240v charger at home for those times I need to top off.

[@a.mostert800]

I live in Cape Town city and use public transport exclusively except when I have to travel to other parts of the country.

[@wizzardblr]

Dylan Rabie

[@jirikaspar238]

Nice video, but it is quite scary to see the way your wife is holding the steering wheel.

[@Caveman1992sa]

come with me. I drive with a finger

[@Person-fr5md]

I'll drive with legs, occasionally.

[@angeloswithans]

Jiří Kašpar lol

[@VitalMusic217]

I drive with my knees for dozens of kilometers when I´m bored.

[@1FireyPhoenix]

She’s the least of your worries - I take turns and corners at 50 mph when I’m bored.

[@verebellus]

i dont get why they would make an electric car, that has a gas motor which totally defeats the purpose of the electric motor

[@marcel0lowrie]

In the video content above accessed by pressing the play button you will find all the information you are seeking. However I will comment on my own personal experience. It's so that you can have an EV, and use pure EV while in city, but when you go to your moms or a day trip out of town you can go twice as far than the electric gets you. No we don't have hardly any chargers let alone fast ones, unless you like stopping by a station every hour and wait 4 hours.

[@verebellus]

But still, the point of an EV is no gas, and adding a gas motor defeats the whole thing

[@markjohnson8260]

@@verebellus It's a safety net, no way is anything defeated. When EV charging is as common as gas stations, we won't need the range extender.

[@62Mitch]

I have a 2014 BEV that I have put nearly 6000 miles on, I really love it!

[@vishalb84]

Excellent video! Great info. I just got an i3 shipped from california, so you really got lucky getting you i3 in DFW for 25k because they are just non existent. I am in dallas so hopefully our paths may cross soon !

[@stadoblech]

In usa you have only 120 v standart wall outlet? Holy...

[@Araiya]

stadoblech That is correct. Our standard outlets are 110-120 volts. Large appliances have special outlets for 220-240 volts. So at home, an outlet can be wired for the higher voltage, bringing us on par with countries that run 220-240 volts standard, so we can have the faster charging, but the outlet is usually keyed differently to try to prevent us from plugging in the lower voltage appliances by accident.

[@dumdum7786]

in japan they only have 100

[@antoniusbanderas1565]

I know this is a bit off topic, but what do you think about the new redesigned prius?

[@The8BitGuy]

It's too slow, and the rear end looks terrible. The Prius Prime is better, but still too slow.

[@ΑΡΗΣΚΟΡΝΑΡΑΚΗΣ]

The 8-Bit Guy swap it with a 2jz

[@VoltLover00]

Amp-hours is a meaningless spec.

[@The8BitGuy]

I agree.. they should really use Kwh.

[@Crlarl]

Not to battery manufacturers. Amp-hours is meaningful for batteries because the voltage is not constant, therefore power isn't necessarily constant either. Charge is a known variable. However, to consumers, knowing the energy that a battery can hold is more useful.

[@CubbyTech]

The REAL meaningless spec is mpg-e - It's not possible to 'create' 33.7kWh of energy out of a gallon of gasoline.

[@newagederpderp]

It means that if you draw x amps [x = the amp-hour rating] then the battery will last for one hour.

[@bangerbangerbro]

Yeah. I use to use them but they could mean different capacities depending on voltage

[@TheVectorJunkie]

Bought an i3 (94ah REx) for my wife in Nashville, TN and drove it back to Dallas, TX. Only charged once at the Holiday Inn near the Little Rock airport and drove the range extender all the rest of the way. I had purchased a gas can and filled it before leaving Nashville. It really was not that bad jumping off the freeway about every 80 miles to fill up either from a station or the gas can. I ran the car in ECO PRO mode where you stay at or below 75mph. You can override that by pushing the pedal to the floor, but it naturally stops at that speed to help you while in that mode. It would hold the battery charge staying at 75, but would drop if I went faster. It could also recover slowly if I dropped down to around 70. Another disclaimer is don't code your car unless your out from under the warranty as it will void your warranty from BMW.

[@TheVectorJunkie]

Oh, the jump you saw in gas range you will also see with battery range. It is based on the temperature outside. It affects the battery efficiency quite a bit when it gets cold.

[@mortelk6104]

in my opinion you made the right decision. 1/2 price for the i3 ... is amazing! And the quality and design is also way better in my opinion (I drove the i3 for a longer time). Love the interior and the white colour. I known the doors can cause problems if you need access to the back seats often and you got blocked by other cars in parking lots ... but your car is such a very cool and good locking one with a perfect fitting interior! Very good choice dude.

[@Mike.Garcia]

doesn't fast charge kill the batteries faster?

[@iPelaaja1]

gwald yes

[@aamaruvi]

it only kills them if they get hotter because of charging( ex: tesla cars are designed not to overheat from fast charging)

[@iPelaaja1]

Yeah, not to overheat, but they do still get warmer. And any heat, not just overheat is bad. Its not gonna have too big of an effect, but it will have some effect.

[@TL-ds8ux]

At least in the US BMW offers an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty on the battery so I wouldn't worry about it.

[@brickman409]

people say the same thing about fast charging with phones. I've yet to see hard evidence to prove it. I think that's just a rumor.

[@oldred9122]

The government and established car manufacturers may not like it, but EVs are the future!

[@ikbrawler5]

My toaster is the future.

[@ratshitstrap8622]

toasters are where the real money's at

[@eliassosa9530]

Agreed, toasters.

[@authenticxted3775]

I have to go with toasters as well, sorry.

[@Stop..carry-on]

Get ready for expensive repair bills

[@The8BitGuy]

Yeah.. We've at at least 3 years of warranty left.. plus the battery and other drivetrain stuff is warrantied 8 years.

[@Stop..carry-on]

The 8-Bit Guy sounds great but from experience the fact you have "modifyed" the software would be enough to invalidate warranties, also warranties these days come with huge stipulations ect dealers love wiggling out of

[@Salv477]

The 8-Bit Guy dude I love the video...2 years later how is your car ? I’m thinking about getting one should I ?

[@DudeFromUkraine]

Thank you for making this video! We’re trying to decide between 2018 BEV and REX models. Considering CPO vehicles and 2018 because of remaining manufacturers warranty. Planning to do mostly city driving around LA. REX would be a nice to have just incase.

[@lalainepfleider3928]

Thanks for a really good video of the range for the REx. I also like your Goodwill stopover!

[@pizzaboxer]

Anybody wondering "Does it have an Intel Core i3? :3"

[@j0hnnykn0xv1lle]

It doesn't cost anything to charge at the hotels or the charging stations? If that's the case, more states need to start charing a tax on EV car owners b/c they're not paying the gas taxes and they are using the roads. And without going too far, if you think you're saving the planet on emissions you're not, you're using the grid which is backed by coal/nuclear etc.

[@lsswappedcessna]

Don't even get me started on how bad lithium mining is for the environment. oh, and catalytic converters use precious Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium which are all rarer than gold. No wonder why the little shits are neckbreakingly expensive.

[@motionbasti]

But the Volkswagen do have better emissions! Greetings from germany. :)

[@dxb8086]

Guter Witz Junge! Kann ich den nochmal in Farbe hören? :D

[@blackcountryme]

I brought a VW and I'm fuming. Lol

[@rontruocchio5744]

So many stops but thank goodness the weather was perfect. I live in the northeast where these little frequent stops can be a horrible experience in the winter months.

[@Kuriousfoodie]

Awesome review ! I just bought a used 2017 i3

[@yanksrock1000]

How is it?

[@Kuriousfoodie]

@@yanksrock1000 I love it ! At first I wasn’t too keen on the body shape of the car but I learned to appreciate it . It rides super smooth , And the inside is totally nice

[@3rd.Eye.Saw.Destruction]

just buy a diesel

[@JJFlores197]

Diesel cars aren't super common in the US. They're usually pickups or semis that are diesel.

[@techmage89]

Diesel cars aren't sold in the US anymore. None of them could meet US emissions standards (and VW tried to cheat).

[@newagederpderp]

@@techmage89 Um... diesel Mazda CX-5 2018?

[@techmage89]

@@newagederpderp It has really underwhelming fuel economy, similar to VW cars after they fixed the emissions cheat.

[@chassoto]

Hey, I've had an i3 since last November. It's awesome. My Leaf died exactly 365 days after I leased it, so time to upgrade. No REX, though. That's cheating. But I definitely had to have the Harmon-Kardon sound system.

[@thedopplereffect00]

You got a great deal on the i3. I like how real world your EV videos are.

[@nikonmark37814]

Great video, having just purchased a hybrid 2019 Honda Inspire I know the EV is next on my list and this video gave me an idea what it's like to travel in an EV and also learned a lot about charging stations.

[@phoenixfire47]

This video was quite entertaining and I'm glad you posted it, looked like a fun trip. Also good to see another happy i3 owner. I'm currently leasing mine because I got it back in June under the ridiculously cheap Employee Lease programs and I'm loving every minute of it. It's currently my daily driver, taking that position from my Mustang and saves me a ton of money at that. I've been thinking of coding my i3 REX as well and your video definitely helped to decide that I'm going to. Although you mention that your charging infrastructure isn't great, you should see what mine is on Long Island, NY. We have a L2 charger at my job(BMW dealership), a few at other dealerships in the area, my local Tanger Outlets has a L2, but there are only TWO DC Fast chargers within 100 miles of me, sadly and only one of them is free. However, I'm sure in the years to come, with the Model 3 and Bolt in our near future, our charging infrastructure will double or triple in size and bring even more EV's on the road!

[@dymsza]

This is hands down the best review of i3. Base on it I'm getting the car. If it is good enough for 8-Bit Guy I can have too :)

[@Liefpj]

16 hrs charge time is totally manageable in the city. Me and the wife share this car with a newborn. Only reason I would want level two charger is for pre-conditioning in -25 Celsius as I do not have a heated garage.

[@meandmyEV]

Doing some research on these cars watching your channel. I ended up buying a used 2017 Volt very similar to yours. I feel like when Covid is over, I might want to go for longer trips in it but since I'm working from home, the EV will probably handle all of my driving needs. BTW, you and your wife might be the cutest couple on the planet. :-) Here's hoping everyone there is safe and sound.

[@jameswilkins8530]

Outstanding! Sundown early in the trip was a great metaphor.

[@jimedward8908]

I liked this video a lot, thank you for making it, very nice thing to do!

[@jaredboone]

Watching in 2019. Great information, 8-bit dude!

[@MrCystic]

This guy can talk about anything and be completely accurate

[@metricstormtrooper]

I really loved your video, I Really Love the way the destination charger has cord drapes across a footpath (sidewalk) ready to trip up passers by.

[@gracestallman2379]

What a change with charging! I did Austin to Dallas earlier this year and there are now fast chargers in Waco, Ennis, and Burleson! I didn't go to the charger in Hillsboro, we went through Waxahatchie where there was charging at a coffee shop. Just fyi for your next journey. I love following other EV drivers in Texas.

[@fatdudewh33lchair]

I really enjoyed your electric car series of videos, I wish there were more. I’ve watched them all several times over the past couple of months. Hope this encourages you to consider making more, although I know you’re pretty busy with vintage electronics and keyboards already, and car reviews aren’t really your thing but I thought you did better reviews than most car channels that do it full time.