BMW i3 road trip to Amsterdam... what could possibly go wrong?

Can you really cross continents in an electric car? And is the infrastructure any better abroad? We went on an epic road trip to find out.
Read more: aex.ae/1N5ziNH

[@trefod]

That the card wasn't authorized for use in Europe, shouldn't fall back on the vehicle. It is solely a problem of the service provider. The lack of charging stations and variations in plug types is however a problem for the industry.

[@milosilic23]

trefod True. I don't like the I3, and i wouldn't buy one, but blaming it solely on the car is not fair. I would force car makers and anyone who places chargers to use the same plug type, like the mobile phones. Would be cheaper to make, easier to use and much more accesible

[@hyperlogos]

trefod What a pity that you weren't paying attention to the video.

[@fundiver198]

trefod But its still a part of the whole electric car system, which just did not work very well. If you car run on petrol or diesel, you can buy that anywhere and just pay with your normal Master or Visa card, which DOES work. So I can fully understand Matt, when he said, that after 14 hours of this nonsence, he had just had it. The next issue by the way is costs. My sister has en e-Up. And when she charge it up at home, its very cheap to run. However use a public charging point like those shown by Matt, and the "fuel" cost rise to more than that of a normal petrol powered VW Up. And in that case, whats the whole point?

[@LOLBTLOLBT]

This isn't about the industry or the car, it's about the trip experience, and it sucks if there is no range extender

[@1258-Eckhart]

swansea007791 and a rather delicious one at that if I may say so >:-o

[@leviathan7250]

that wood interior in the I3 is gorgeous

[@fatyoshi5346]

Less ugly than the model 3

[@Skupik1]

That’s real eucalyptus wood.

[@sliwka621]

BMW quality, breakes after few hours. "Best electric car in the world." No, it's fucking not.

[@swunt10]

sliwka621 what broke? where did the car break down? the video clearly shows that the i3 worked perfectly even without electricity.

[@sliwka621]

swunt10 The range extender malfunctioned. Did you watch the video?

[@swunt10]

sliwka621 "malfunctioned"? do you always use words without knowing what they mean? the range extender solely powered the car and the car made it back to the UK without even one hick up. so where did it malfunction? you fucking moron.

[@XzzVttll]

swunt10 yeah, perfectly. thats why he was in BMW service center

[@XzzVttll]

sliwka621 swunt is obv a bmw blind troll

[@lucristianx]

The title should be how to fuck up a road trip. This in no way indicates the feasibility of the BMW i3.

[@superneonbox4552]

why top gear not use this guy... seriously

[@BokiXI]

Him and Doug DeMuro.

[@farisselimovic4614]

BokiXI oMG YESS

[@cal.e7160]

Super Neonbox because he's boring

[@philipwookey599]

And you have a mental age of 11.

[@3ALEGIONS]

because he is an honest guy :)

[@arnemaeschaelck5012]

goes on a road trip to find out what it's like to live with an electric car... *still drives more than half of the trip on petrol*

[@1100HondaCB]

Defeats the object, doesn't it?

[@thatvolvoguy2293]

The i3 is the best electric car in the world because it runs on petrol! What an oxymoron of a car.

[@petertimowreef9085]

thatvolvoguy Captai smartass here, old tech will always be better in it's final days then new tech at the start. We need cars like this to bridge the gap.

[@sliwka621]

Peter Timowreef What's new about this car? Electric cars are dating back to 1828. Batteries are old technology, so are electric motors and the petrol engine with a generator combo.

[@johnbenton4488]

Peter Timowreef I could not have put it better with a month's notice and a dictionary.

[@petertimowreef9085]

sliwka621 And the wheels are older still. If it's not broken, don't fix it. The batteries are an area where we've made progress, we're not there yet but cars like this help find better energy storage solutions. And the part where this car is down right cutting edge new is the material use in the chassis. BMW is the first to start using carbon fiber composite materials on such a large scale.

[@sliwka621]

Peter Timowreef Do you understand what "new tech" means? Carbon composites a.k.a. plastics a.k.a. polymers are not new technology. P.S.: It's mainly the small electronics (mobile phones etc.) that speed up the progress in finding new and better battery technologies. Here an example: www.businesskorea.co.kr/article/11188/more-energy-samsung-develops-tech-double-lithium-battery-capacity

[@creosl]

I drive a egolf in Norway. Every 1 of 5 new cars sold is a e-car. It's a taxheaven for e-cars. Here we have usually two systems for fastcharging and they have same the same card! (elbilforening). And you don't need any keys/cards to most semi/slow chargingpoints (witch are everywhere). Driving 500-1000 km in a day is not a problem. Perhaps you should do the test in Norway the next time?

[@mickadatwist1620]

that's a very rich country......that's why

[@mrdirtblock-minecraft8535]

Micka Datwist 2 in 3 now :)

[@williamjordan5554]

Which

[@usynnstradler]

not everyone just wants to drive around in norway and thats it lol

[@samiviitasalo1173]

Norway. Building lots of infrastructure for EV and sell EV's tax-free. All that investment money comes when they sell oil to others. Hmm.

[@cros13]

I'm doing Dublin to London in my i3 next week for the Formula E weekend to be followed by a Dublin to Berlin trip in August. Ireland's rapid charging network is great, one single network for the whole island and you are never more than 40km from a working rapid charger, charging is free. The UKs less so, with 7 different charging networks, some with wacky pricing. France is a bloody disaster as is Belgium but the Dutch Fast Ned network is great. The i3's maps can't be relied on as for some unknown reason they are the only manufacturer without over the air updates. The issue with the efacec QC45 charger you first used in the netherlands was a DC breaker tripping. efacec have provided a replacement parts kit to charging networks who request it. There is only one standard for europe in level 2 charging connector, the type 2 mennekes. The rest of them need to be banned.

[@Wishwader]

Impressive how many electric vehicles there are in Amsterdam. Seems the moral of this story is to double check the charge card is working. And if it isn't on the first attempt don't expect it to work on the next several attempts. Also worth using an app to locate charge points.

[@Ioanides001]

Wishwader or just buy a car with a normal engine and avoid the hassle. Even if the charging card would work, there is no guarantee you'll easily find available charging points and there is no planing either as it's first come first served.

[@Wishwader]

+loanides driving across several countries is hardly a norm for UK drivers. If it is, perhaps a petrol car is better until the electric infrastructure catches up with demand. Or buy a better electric car with greater range. But for average use I'd say charging is easier and cheaper than petrol. Why queue at petrol stations and pay an obscene amount to set old dinosaurs on fire when you can just plug it in at home. Can't say I'm a fan of breathing in local toxic pollution just because big oil is trying to convince that changing from their cash cow is bad.

[@Ioanides001]

Wishwader old dinosaurs or not, it's much easier to live with a car that fills up in two minutes and will take you anywhere with little hassle than to pay a lot of money on something that works only if you have a private charger and you'll only use for short distance travel. Yes, Tesla has longer legs and less hassle due to dedicated and fast superchargers (vs. limited number of cars on the streets) but it costs 100k euros so not a solution for the common people.

[@dogphlap6749]

Ioanides001 Tesla should have the Model 3 out by early 2018 (but there is bound to be a long long waiting list when it's released so you would not see one before 2020 probably), they will have a range of more than 200 miles (320km) likewise the GM Bolt that maybe released a year earlier. Both should sell for around $35,000 USD. The Leaf and eGolf are also going to become longer range electric vehicles at some unknown future time. So far Tesla are the only manufacturer to have a world wide, fast and reliable charging network because they take responsibility for long distance charging infrastructure (no one else cares).

[@Ioanides001]

***** indeed, I feel Tesla will prevail vs. other ecars manufacturers because they invest in the infrastructure and this infrastructure is a key selling point. Price is too steep tho. I would only get an ecar if the battery would do a minimum of 200 km/charge and the car costs under $20k. The battery should also have a convincing warranty (say, 10 years).

[@4kqhdvideos769]

You sould charge your car by the Fastned fastcharching stations in the Netherlands!

[@toptobottom247]

You should do an update to this video and take the same journey again in the new i3S to see what all has improved the car and ease of the journey.

[@thenovicegamer007]

Mat doesn't work for them anymore.

[@edutwin]

To recall a similar experience : I drive a LPG car and experience similar issues with relying on Google maps to find on LPG stations, which is inaccurate and annoying. Traveling through Europe I also need to carry extra LPG adapters, because there are multiple 'standards'. The range on a full tank of LPG is just 400 km at best. Still, LPG is a better alternative to gasoline.

[@raulalmeidabartolo]

google lpg europe, just did a trip from portugal to croatia, 3000km always on lpg

[@doubleclutchonline5811]

Seems that it isnt the EV charging infrastructure that's the problem. If you can't get gas, and you can't charge, then the problem is mostly the credit card infrastructure between countries in EU. But I will agree that the EV network definitely needs to improve.

[@thespector8587]

We've moved on a year later. All these problems should be pretty much solved now.

[@richardpetek712]

The first problem (getting his charging card working) should be solved in 10 minutes - with a phone call to the customer service of the issuer. Well, the range is solved too, but it's a buyer's decision. An "urban car" like the i3 is a city / second family car, NOT made for long road-trips. Well, the 2016 model has a 50% bigger batery. If you have a big budget, there are Teslas. If the budget is limited, there is the Chevrolet Bolt / Opel Ampera - E with a range of 380 km. If this car is to small for your needs, there are the Hyundai Ioniq or Nissan Leaf, both 2017. If the range about 200 km is to small, wait for the 2018 upgrade/model with bigger batteries.

[@psgakm4]

Thanks for real world test on these cars. Makes us realize that there is still some way to go to match current petrol/diesel cars.

[@fradaja]

what real world are you in?

[@refusoagaino6824]

Drop the cruise control from 70 mph to low 60's, like 63 mph, and people will look at you while they pass, thinking you're not right in the head, but you'll get another 10% of range. The motor works less but there is less wind resistance.

[@emilenossin5098]

Interesting, I did almost exactly the same route (London Luton via the ferry Dover - Calais and then to Almere, east of Amsterdam) with my Renault Zoe. It is half the price compared to the i3 with way more space inside and the possibility to charge up to 3 times quicker on regular charging points with higher watts. No range extender, I completed the trip within 20 hours on nothing but electricity. The biggest issues were in the UK, with unreliable or occupied fast chargers. Belgium took a bit longer since there weren't any fast chargers yet. But most regular charge points are 22 kW, which will charge the Zoe in an hour. Just past the Dutch border I needed only half an hour at the AC fast charger to complete the journey home. So longer journeys can be a bit of a challenge, but are entirely possible already (with a bit of preparation and patience, especially concerning charge card).

[@tmjaspers]

It was the same with petrol cars one hundred years ago, so what's new? you are a century behind compared to fuel driven cars

[@xchopp]

What's new is he wasn't using combustion of carbon-based fuels, which are a massive problem for us all.

[@Deanster101]

The problem is the fact that companies haven’t standardised the payment for public charging stations across Europe, if he’d had the correct card he would have been fine.

[@XtrAMassivE]

Electric cars have a very long way for becoming useful in long distance traveling. The charging system also need much improvements it seems. Cables or connectors should be standard across the world or at least compatible. Driving a cable with you everywhere you go seems kind of pain in the ass. There should be some system which would inform drivers which charging stations are free and which are in use. For city driving it's fine already, but anything else it's not.

[@bebomac5]

Tesla's routinely travel from one end of the European and N. American continents to the other, for FREE. Tesla is 5 years ahead of all others. Your statement is basically false. Tesla will soon introduce the Model 3 AT $35k (USD).

[@Dgannt]

bebomac5 Right now Tesla is by far world's most expensive EV. We all know everybody wants the one with longest rang and therefore the expensive model, so don't even mention the cheaper versions. Also hanging onto route 66 in US or E4 in Europe is not the same as freely driving wherever you want without any worries about charging. Nissan has also a lot of charging stations but that does not solve the problem. What you Tesla fans keep missing time and again is what if I want to sell my Tesla and buy from another manufacturer? That means I can't use any of Tesla's charging stations anymore. Your answer is as logical as saying EVERYBODY should buy a Mercedes. There is simply no viable infrastructure or unified charging system on place to convince "the masses" to start buying EVs. Even most Tesla owners have a second and third car. Until that happens the market share of EVs will stay at 0,01%, no matter how far ahead you think a tiny manufacturer as Tesla is. We need global solutions and cooperation to solve these problems.

[@johnbenton4488]

XtrAMassivE Well, Any car beats walking, or riding on public transport!

[@eternitynaut]

XtrAMassivE No they don't, range is here it's the established manufacturers doing a bad job at making them. Look at Tesla, it's got x4? the range of the i3. When will the German automaker launch an EV with that sort of range, in 2020?

[@AlanFrance21]

kalimul Probably never. The truth is, many of the people running these companies don't like electric cars, full stop. Kia's boss hates them, Toyota thinks their preposterous hydrogen fuel cell is the way to go and have no pure ev except limited edition models for California - not only that, the Prius plug in has an ev range of less than 17 miles - what dope approved that pile of crap, when it won't even get to the mall and back? A range of 100 miles as barely acceptable, so the blockheads who launched this doo-hicky with a 60 mile range should be heaved out the door on their heads, especially for fitting a lousy under 2 gallon tank to the range extender.

[@VArgenton]

I appreciate that you have Been honest and that you have reported all the 'faults' of the car. However, if it was a less premium brand's car the verdict would have been so much worse than it was here.

[@ScottZ370]

The i3 would be an excellent company car but for long road trips you will need a weekend car

[@jlolxd]

i feel like you should get an i3 if you don’t go far places, i don’t think it’s made for driving all over the world

[@EezeeListen]

Any electric car is only useful for city driving and if you do no more than 50 miles a day. For any other use, all they appear to do is prolong journeys and give the driver stress.

[@valentincolteanu3403]

Now that you have double the battery capacity and a lot more charging station, it should be pretty easy to drive across Europe today in a BMW i3.

[@bradleyk2553]

i drive a BMW i3 here in London. I adore the car, it's easily the best I've ever had, but the charging infrastructure just isn't good enough. Charge points often seem to be out of order, incompatible or just in use

[@jayanta5859]

If you use tesla or jaguar i pace then your journey is much easier With nearly ×8 times more range. It's more likely your card problem rather than car problem

[@buca9696]

Where can I buy a tesla or a jag for the price of this i3?

[@shawntilluck]

Lets be fair here. Try that same trip in a Tesla and see the difference.

[@johnbenton4488]

Shawn Tilluck To be really fair, he was testing an plug-in-range-extender BMW. So what would have been the point of him using a Tesla? He may just as well have flown Ryanair!

[@DanM012324]

Shawn Tilluck Sure we don't you give him 3 times the amount of money so he can get one...

[@kraenk12]

Shawn Tilluck That's like saying to someone with a 911 he should have bought a 918!

[@MountainApedog]

+Shawn Tilluck Tesla is more than twice the price here. Not really an option for many. I paid 30000 dollars for my i3, Tesla is around 70000 dollars.

[@shinx2ran]

seriously compatibility issue? they should create more universal charging system, somehow like USB or bluetooth. -_-

[@HermanWillems]

And how you gonna rate it? How much amps? You want it DC? AC? What voltage ??? Most ideal situation you want HIGH voltage DC. But that is again dangerous too, so you need to make it safe. And how many amps? If you want a fast charger, the connector will be very expensive if you need alot of amps.. Which your home can't deliver anyway. That's a waste of money right? So.... tell me. What is your solution?

[@shalomrutere2649]

How can you charge a car using Bluetooth 🤨 Even wireless chargers don't use Bluetooth. And how long will it take to charge a massive car battery using USB yet it takes more than one hour to charge the tiny phone battery using it ❔

[@tadassmolskas3014]

Shalom Rutere he was talking about a universal charger and then used Bluetooth or usb as an example of universal systems. You didn’t seriously think that he meant those as forms of charging the car did you? 🤦‍♂️

[@BobElHat]

Why do motoring magazines do these stupid tests on electric cars? They don't try and use an MX-5 to move house, try hypermiling in a Pagani Zonda or do a rally stage in a Radical so why attempt a 7 hour road trip in an electric city car? Next week's startling revelation from Auto Express: knives aren't good for eating soup.

[@oneway1403]

They can be! Pierce a hole with the knife and drink straight from the can or pack of soup

[@crowlord]

Well using an electric car designed for short commutes to go on a roadtrip is like using rollar skates for the isle of man TT but you carry on guys.

[@matthewdower5383]

The fact that 18% of the people who watched this video disliked it speaks volumes about the quality of its content.

[@aigarius]

Use an app (or in-car navi) to point you to charging stations with compatible plugs, so you don't get CHAdeMO-only chargers in a CCS car, make sure your charging cards actually work (hopefully EU will sort out that mess soon and you'll be able to pay with a contactless bank card too) and ... use a car with more than 50 miles of range for long range trips? And then you'll have no problem at all. Try the same trip on, say, a Hyundai Kona Electric or Jaguar i-Pace (with working charge cards, I mean what would your experience on a trip with a petrol car would be with a blocked bank card?) and you'll have a very different experience. Especially if you manage to find some of the 150kW CCS chargers along your route.

[@Pining_for_the_fjords]

Why would you need to have the card 'authorised' to work in Europe? What possible benefit could it serve to anybody to limit cards to a specific country? And for that matter, why do the charging providers all still require you to have their own card in the first place? Surely it would be easier and more convenient if they would just take a credit or debit card.

[@MsSomeonenew]

Coordination between all these different charging companies was a complete mess 4 years ago, but now they almost always work, the only remaining issue is they don't all accurately report when chargers are out of order.

[@nukemanmd]

if you wanted to operate this vehicle without the range extender, you'd be stopping roughly every hour for a relatively lengthy charge. While that might be tolerable for short trips, it sounds like a royal pain on longer road trips. 40 mpg when using the range extender is not particularly impressive, when a Prius hybrid can do 70 mpg. True, it uses petrol (unless operated in EV mode), its a more practical way to reduce CO2 emissions without the necessity of frequent charging stops. I don't care what anti-Prius folks care to say, it is still a great alternative to pure EV vehicles.

[@richardpetek712]

He was simply making bad propaganda for EVs. BMW i3 is a "Urban Electric Car" (source: Wikipedia), intended as a city / second car in a family. And the REX is a range extender, like you (maybe once) had a 5 liter spare gasoline can for your ICE car. It's not designed to run 540 km on it, neither is it there for (maximum) efficiency. Even if his charging card would work, he could still complain about the amount of stops and charging time spent. It's like "making a long trip, but every time ONLY filling up the spare gasoline can" and then whining about it. He was (intentionally) using the wrong tool for the wrong job, like moving from one house to another without a moving truck, but simply putting stuff in the trunk of your car. You'll waste a large amount of time by driving back and forth and use more fuel than otherwise.

[@jimheaven]

I’ve had my BMW i3 REX for nine months now and love it (ex Range Rover driver). I also use it for long distances, and have to agree whole heartedly with this review. This is my experience every day with my car, and if it wasn’t for the range extender it would be completely unusable. Even if you doubled the range. I have no idea why other electric car manufacturers don’t do this, and BMW has even dropped the range extender version from its line up. So for now, not only do I have the best electric car in the world, but they have stopped making it! Making my car unique! Go figure.

[@CynicalBastard511]

Yeah, I agree. You just can't rely on the battery pack alone.

[@ezumach]

I live in Las Vegas U.S.A. and I find it strange that Europe, which is supposed to be ahead of us in terms of being green and all that, hardly has any support for electric vehicles. Over here you're never more than 5 miles from a fast charging station (in the city). Driving to L.A. there are literally tons of charging stations.

[@Tigerex966]

I wish the governments of the world did not actively discourage manufacturers from offering range extenders, as they lose all energy credits, consumers lose all rebates, and electric car sites arrogantly look down on them. When it is the only version of electric besides hybrids, that is actually practical for everyone, even apartment dweller, dorm, hi-rise, and people without access to an outlet at home that can stretch to the car, it also takes away all range anxiety, giving you two options for power..

[@solarboy48]

I know a Tesla is more expensive, but honestly, all of these problems are eliminated when you do use one. Up to 300 miles of range on a free, ever-expanding charger network is pretty hard to beat. Plus, the whole experience will likely just be more enjoyable on a whole in one. Don't get me wrong, I don't personally own a Tesla myself (Still out of my price range, and I'm still young), but I do think it's important not to group all EVs in one "basket", so to speak. There are outstanding cars in every category that stand above the rest, and the Tesla is currently the king of EVs in many ways. I'm still considering either an i3, or one of the many other EVs on the market so far as my first "New" vehicle, until I can get myself a Tesla. This video, though it was sad to see how many issues you had with the charging stations throughout Europe, was still informative and will help me better decide which EV I might prefer to get first. The i3 still looks like a nice bet. Also, I wanted to point out - the interior actually looks rather nice. The dashboard kinda looks like my Aunt's motor home dash - very big and nice wood trim. The car itself looks fairly roomy inside, and rather comfortable. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Great video overall.

[@Trades46]

The saddest thing is electric cars are great. But the infrastructure to support them (akin to petrol stations to gas cars) is absolutely laughable on both the manufacturers, governments & utility providers. Also, Auto Express at the conclusion deliberately left out the Opel Ampera/Chevrolet Volt?

[@mrh112]

We don't have those cars in the uk

[@SirHackaL0t.]

+Pete C the volt isn't in the uk.

[@Trades46]

The Vauxhall Ampera (the Volt mk1) ...was. For some reason the Volt mk2 (2016~) isn't exported to Europe anymore. I wonder why.

[@DrWhom]

The "Bolt" (ampera-E or something?) is coming next year with 200 miles off the batteries.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

No, they aren't .

[@jamesdrichardson3447]

In summing up he says the BMW i3 is the best EV. If you're not taking the age of the vehicle into consideration I'd be much happier driving a 4 year old Vauxhall/Opel Ampera as it has a far superior range extension.

[@mustsilm]

Who cares about the charging issues, the biggest issue is the looks of this car.

[@Youtubedotcomma]

It’s amazing how far we’ve got now you can pretty much get to Amsterdam from the UK on a single charge charge up once and drive home amazing

[@jonathanwebb8307]

Correction, the I3 is the second best electric car in the world after the Ampera / Chevy Volt which has a much bigger petrol engine and much bigger petrol tank. Its also much more comfortable on a long journey. Anyway, whatever REX EV you have, I can confirm as an owner, the results of this film, electric charging during a long distance journey is a whole load of hassle with a risk of running flat. That doesn't mean your shouldn't buy one, they are brilliant if you can charge at home or work and your daily travel is within the range of the vehicle. I go for weeks on end using no petrol, but when I want to cross continents, I just use the petrol engine and drive like a normal petrol car. Until electric cars with 1000 mile range are on the market, a REX EV is the only way to go. The politicians need to take a look at the chaos of different plugs and charging systems and worse all the different providers who all insist you register in advance. You cannot buy electricity with just a credit card which is daft. Also, not covered in the film, if you buy electricity it can cost a fortune, much more than running on petrol. Politicians should force providers to accept just a credit card and to fit at the very least a standard domestic plug on every EV charging station.

[@crimsonbear22]

It's too bad the electric charging system is so complicated. With my Tesla, I can go to any station for free and I have a few adapters to plug in anywhere. With competitors, it's no so lucky. We need a more uniform system BUT unfortunately, it's a quickly growing/changing industry where we could have new technology within a year or so.

[@sarfaraz.hosseini]

+Andrew Bow The card simply wasn't authorised for use on the continent. An administrative error. Tesla at this stage have far too few charging stations to make it much more competitive. The i3 has the petrol range extender, is more environmentally friendly to produce, and a more practical size for European cities.

[@MarcoElkes]

Not every tesla owner charges for free it's only a special group that must of got referrals or something

[@ramblerandy2397]

I suppose that, even in 2015, a car with a relatively piddling amount of maximum range was chosen in order to give plenty of instances with a public charger. Otherwise, there would have been a much better, headache free car to have chosen. I won't bother mentioning the company. It wasn't BMW, that's for sure. And this is why Tesla Superchargers were soooo much better in 2015. In 2019, everybody's charger network has grown and become better.

[@robertsaca3512]

Yeah just dump the charger cap against the body like that, nice, scratches on the paint are beautiful.

[@johnnelson5083]

I drive a plugin hybrid and to be quite honest, I have no range anxiety because I can always fall back to gas. I run on electric mode as much as possible to cut emissions and I went from $200/month gas bill in my Ford Focus to $25 every other month with my Ford C-Max Energi.

[@Peoplestariff]

Only just watched this but very amusing - Mat is one of the best reviewers on youtube

[@surfjacobson1]

*Major Correction*: Driving long distance is only a problem for similar vehicles with similar range. (BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Bolt, etc.) good for only 84 miles or 135 km. *Vehicles like the Model S from Tesla do not have this problem. 1 full charge is good for 265 miles or 426 kilometers.* +brittonray stated it best. "get a Tesla". The video was produced in a way that the i3 somehow represented the entire electric vehicle industry (when its not truly electric because it uses petrol!)

[@richardpetek712]

Next correction: BMW i3 has now a 33 kWh battery. Nissan Leaf a 30 kWh. I don't know where you got it for the Bolt - it has a 60 kWh battery. A range of 238 miles (380 kilometers). Better as the (basic) Tesla Model 3 and in between to the Tesla S.

[@CTCTraining1]

Ignoring the card enabling issue, the thing that stood out to me was lack of compatible charging points. The industry needs to agree a charging standard (or or max two) and make sure all points can provide this service. The mode diversity there is in supply the slower these cars will be to take off.

[@joshh_hart]

the driveshaft promblem happened with my dads i3 bmw took care of it but the i3 does really feel great to drive

[@Pietervdv]

I'm sure it's a good car, but I wouldn't feel comfortable relying on available services to keep it going. It's like running out of petrol in a normal car and not being able to find a petrol station nearby. Having been in that situation a few times, I'd always go for petrol or diesel until recharging becomes less of an issue.

[@jeanferret9497]

30 minutes to charge to 80%. Could add hours to a journey. This is not progress.

[@mrdirtblock-minecraft8535]

Tesla is same but like 3x the battery capacity

[@mrdirtblock-minecraft8535]

(for model 3)

[@michaele9314]

It’s a small price to pay to save our planet...

[@markusschmitt1355]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the "drivetrain issue" turns out to be fake like the battery issue top gear had with the tesla s.

[@psiloskostas]

What I got from this review : "Didn't have the proper card" What a plonker..

[@FarfettilLejl]

Didn't even think to call the customer service to find out why the card wasn't working and perhaps to even activate it!

[@the1beard]

These little EV's are not for long journeys on the continent or in the UK !!!!!! Not until the CCS network is established.

[@LivingDownUnder]

hahaha, nice one :D It's the same here in AU with my Mitsi Outlander PHEV. While I can charge it every day at home and commute to work in pure EV-mode, it's good to have the 600km 'range-extender' with me for longer trips. Public charging points are still rare here. Especially a bit in the country...

[@IamDaGrouch]

Let me get this straight, charge my cell phone, charge my laptop, charge my iwatch...now my car??? Let me know when we're REALLY past peak oil. :)

[@13thmistral]

and the government in Belgium along several others still do not relize why most common folk do not care about hybrid cars yet(lack of loading points, low range and even if installing a loading point yourself at home you still might be cheaper off buying a cheap heavely taxed diesel of the late 2000's, especially if you like to go on recreational trips with them.

[@StevieRay9O]

One issue not mentioned here is that constantly 'fast-charging' the batteries eventually shortens their life, & they're extremely expensive to replace!

[@clivepereira123]

Shouldn't you just be able to use any credit card to use the charges?

[@easyak]

Imagine how much of headache this will b after brexit

[@bobmac004]

@seosaphjarvinen This was filmed 4 years ago when there was one charger in Amersham. A quick google shows there are now 36 chargers. I'd like to see the host do the same journey today

[@tobyfarman]

Brexit is stupid

[@geomacksales9852]

I've got a novel idea for you : take a medium sized car with a small displacement direct injection petrol engine, fill up the comparatively huge petrol tank, and do the journey without stopping.

[@lukebirdsong5013]

This is the best video on KZbin

[@ghibli608]

I know you have a job to do, Mr. Journalist. But do you ever read the press releases from the manufacturer? Ever considered this car is being position for Urban use only? Why don't you take the i3 off-road and determine if it can beat a Defender? Or consider this: use flipflops when next time you'll go hiking on snow covered ground... When reading the comments below you've achieved exactly what bad journalism stands for... Have a great day.

[@benfarmer-webb1016]

The fact that the petrol pump was difficult to use is more a problem with continental infrastructure

[@IsobarBrokenFlame]

I wonder if the situation is any better in 2022? Are there still problems with the service providers? I have two cars, a small electric and a big oil guzzler. But only use the electric for popping around town. Anything further than 30 miles away, from home and I’ll use the oil burner.

[@nlo114]

If I ever do a range test, I'll be sure to chose a commuter run-about and leave without making sure the charge card works in Europe before leaving. As soon as a range problem arises, I'll make sure I don't buy a couple of extra cans of petrol at the first garage, so that I keep having to stop. If I'm really careless I could beat his 14 hours!

[@CookiePepper]

Completely agree about range extender which is the best solution. This is why GM Volt is obsolete. Right?

[@aukanmeister]

A few things have changed in the last 6 years.. watching this in 2022. These are old problems.

[@qqinthesky]

i guess the point of the video is, most people just want a hassle-free trip and don't wanna "waste" their time planning everything meter by meter, most people just wanna have it as simple as possible. just like how Apple stuff are popular, because they're easy and simple to use, until EVs can do that, (and much cheaper) they're not gonna be mainstream. and for those of you who are early adopters and enthusiasts, kudos to you, you guys are basically shaping the system and the culture so it will be better in the future

[@timsyoutubechannel9798]

Whether the guy is genuinely incompetent or a sellout (the only two logical possibilities) is, to me rather irrelevant. These types of exercises reveal the sense of entitlement that's grown up around ICE vehicles - 'I demand 300 miles of range', 'I don't want to have to plan my journey' etc. ICE-specific aspects of vehicles haven't acutally improved much in the last 50 years. A fully charged Leaf is the energy equivalent of less than 1 gallon of petrol - it's the energy density of oil that's remarkable, not the engine. There still isn't a ICE car that will return triple-figure fuel consumption and yet even these first generation EVs and hybrids are doing just that (MPGe).

[@poisonrain8800]

I have no idea why I find this soo entertainment

[@maffhewATBF]

Would have been interesting to know what MPG you achieved on this trip so it could be compared to an everyday petrol or diesel.

[@centurykid2010]

he did he said 40 lol

[@atms001]

the bravest journey I have come across. ... a 60Ah REX, not only doing long haul, but abroad. that range extender must be very noisy running with low EV battery. hats off to you ... But always safer to carry a big jerry can of petrol. save time

[@willwong1234]

I normally use my phone's GPS to avoid using the power-hungry onboard GPS to preserve my precious range. Also, this video should fall in the genre of horror movies! 🤣

[@gostandinostheodossiou6727]

A number of studies have linked EMF exposure with serious health issues, including a possible risk of cancer, miscarriage and a higher risk of leukemia among children. Batteries and power cables in electric and hybrid vehicles are usually placed close to the driver and passengers, meaning that prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields is unavoidable.

[@anns666]

😂

[@peteglass3496]

At nearly 5years old this video is no longer fit for purpose and recent dissing comments are pointless. If you want to see the current much expanded state of charging infrastructure, have a look at the map on Plugshare either side of the Dover-Calais Channel crossing. The little range extender engine has been a terrific help in the transition to EVs for the early adopters, mine has the 100-120 battery and a merely 6% of miles has been with the engine in 3yrs. It won't be needed at all on the next EV - which applies to northern Europe as a whole.

[@theodorelk3674]

Even I don't like the BMW s as an alfisti, I must appreciate them, at least they are trying something about future and new concept, how successful it is another question. But they are brave at least.

[@geomacksales9852]

The last days of old technology are always better than the first days of new technology. That applies across all industries. In this context, the refined petrol cars are much easier to live with than the electric cars that need more development. ( I know electric cars are not new. Apparently New York had a big fleet of all-electric taxis in the 1920s, I am told ).

[@alexandrefernandes9233]

Too soon for a voyage like this... And luckily it was the I3 hybrid (with the extender). That's why I bought the VW Golf GTE for less money. I use the electric engine for the city, where petrol and diesel cars consume a lot, and both for longer journeys.

[@4wheelsgood]

Surely this just highlights issue with infrastructure as opposed the car. The car could of easily done the trip if chargers worked or if they had researched the trip prior to leaving.

[@neoanderson7]

Goes to show the electric infrastructure needs to be standerized. How is anyone going to plan long distances if no one knows there's a suitable infrastructure in place? BMW i3 is a really rough transition vehicle. It wasn't designed for long distances. Strictly a city vehicle. Where as the Tesla is designed to be your only vehicle. And of course they're smart enough to put their infrastructure in place. Free I might add. Unlike all the charging stations seen in the vid. Can't wait for the model 3!

[@indyjame70]

Yes it is possible because I do it everyday. From europe to Asia and reverse every day.I have lived in İstanbul where the continent meets .

[@tamer1773]

One of the problems with e-vehicles is the incompatibility of charging stations not just across national borders, but across car brands. The industry is going to have to come up with a standard that can be used universally for this to be a success and for e-vehicles to be able to replace IC engines.

[@zorbathegreek192]

I have a bmw 520d. I filled the tank in Chester and got three quarter around my Irish road trip. Just over 800 miles from a single tank. Why would I go electric?

[@sugarsaint]

what a palaver. BMW 320D or 520d M trim fully loaded - all day long thank you very much

[@elaminmochichi7767]

Like you can even afford that let alone the i3

[@kevinn1158]

They need to make this car a foot longer & give it a 200-250 mile range. This would solve a lot of problems. In fact I would probably make this my next car. With respect to the design, if they had just dropped the window openin/door sill of the front doors to line up with the suicide back doors this car would look infinitely better. In fact those suicide doors have created a lot of issues. You have to, not only open the front doors, but unbuckle your front seatbelt as well to let your rear passengers out because the seat belts are attached to the door. For whatever reason you also can't open the rear windows either.

[@SupplyDesign]

Why do motoring journalists take EVs, use them inappropriately and then complain? I wouldn't expect a review of a gaming PC to revolve around its ability to act as a home stereo system. The i3 will be purchased by people using it to drive short regular commutes with the ability to go a bit further if required. It isn't designed as a tourer so why test it as such? Poor article from a usually good outlet.

Because what you're screeching about, is apologist nonsense for a real problem electrical cars have, which keeps most consumers from buying one. If a customer calls me to get over where and it's 80-90 km away, I can't say "Sorry, I can't, not sure if there's any chargers around". And if I'm there 15 minutes before I have to leave "Oops, I'll be here untill midnight to charge" is not an acceptable outcome. They test it because this criterium matters, even if you think it doesn't.

[@jandolejsi8122]

Yeah or get a Tesla. This BMW i3 is just for city driving, not for long journeys.

[@mezimeen]

Range anxiety is totally real. Pretty impressive the infrastructure in Amsterdam though. It'll be a while until thats implemented everywhere...sigh.

[@ceecee527]

Thank you so much for this review - I’ve been heavily considering the i3 Rex but very concerned about long distance hauls. This has helped me make my decision :)

[@TimM05]

what was your decide?

[@AnotherHipster]

what did you decide? remember this was 7 years ago and tech has come a long way since then

[@AudiS4B7]

got an i3 on a long weekend test drive and i cant get the chargemenow card to work anywhere but where i got the car from, luckly i used the polar charging app and using this now but from a c63 worrying about empty fuel to worrying about my next charge up come on EV chargers, get rid of the RFID and go for an app based solution either built into the car or mobile app!!??

[@DennisBloodnokPhotographyVideo]

As this was two years ago, I wonder how much progress has been made in the last two years ?

[@richardpetek712]

Progress? Quite a bit. To start first - the i3 is a (short range) city car, not intended for long trips of 540 km (340 miles). In the test was the first generation of BMW i3 with the 18,8 kWh battery with a range "up to" 130 km (81 miles). One of (if not THE) smallest on the market in this class. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i3#Fuel_economy_and_range The newer version has a 33 kWh battery and a range of 183 km (114 miles). A similar 30 kWh battery have also the current Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric, the latter with a little longer range due a better efficiency, both expecting an upgrade in 2018 to a 40 and 50 kWh battery with an range of 270 and 320 km, respectively. And there are also available the Renault ZOE (40 kWh, 250-270 km) and Chevrolet Bolt / Opel Ampera E with 60 kWh and a range of 380 km. And there are the Teslas model S, X an 3 with a range between 380 an 480 km. And all cars have a capability (or at least an option) to a fast- or super- charger network to charge additional 120km (up to 200km, depending on model and brand) in 30 minutes. Oh, the charger network? It was already there, even in 2015, he just didn't have the proper charging card. Bad luck. Or better say - bad preparation (or checking or backup).

[@keithjames3024]

This is exactly why I held off on purchasing an EV until now. Waiting for the batteries to have at least 300 miles standard. The new Ford Mach E looks nice... Will be considering that car.

[@andyb8005]

Sure makes you wonder why you would want a full EV at this point. I will stick with hybrids.

[@inkydoug]

Honda and Toyota need to jointly design an exchangeable battery and use it on all their electric vehicles. That will most likely force all other manufacturers to follow suit.

[@adam.m6735]

The new i3s have 180 miles NO EXTENDER and comes with adapters

[@kleinbottled79]

Sad that we struggle so much over compatibility in the charging infrastructure. I hope that gets solved soon. Other than that electric cars seem brilliant to me. If your driving less than max range per day; you plug it in at night, and its ready the next morning like your phone. Way faster fill up than petrol from a practical standpoint. - Borrow a traditional car for long road trips. "Anyone wanna tryout an i3? I need to borrow an ICE car for the weekend" - Annnd your facebook blows up.

[@Bobg425]

I travel often from the Midlands to Amsterdam in a 3 litre E 350 AMG.It wafts along in silence, I don't have to stop at all and I get 40mpg.(41.2 last time ).Ill stick to my deisel while I can.

[@richardpetek712]

Driving the i3 on REX is stupid. It's a backup. And BMW i3 is (intended to be) a city/commuter/second car, not a car for long(er) journeys. The problem was - he was using the wrong charging card and didn't provide a backup - a phone charging app. It was neither the fault of BMW nor the car's, it was purely his. If somebody is having a new piece of technology under his seat, he should Google "is a card valid in France/Belgium/Netherlands". Is your Mercedes E 350 AMG diesel currently more practical? No doubts. Does it have an awful mileage in city and would you change it with a BMW i3 for that purpose? Think twice before you answer.

[@Bobg425]

Dont have to think twice,if I did short journeys Id have a i3 tomorrow,lovely car.Its too expensive as a second car for the wife who drives less than 100 miles a week and no good for me because of the mileage I do. I get above 30 in town which isnt bad considering; I dont do many city miles.Electric has its place but as a mileage eater we are miles away from anything to replace a 100 liter fuel tank.

[@richardpetek712]

Thank for your sincere answer. OK, I will split it in two cars: short-to-medium range city car with a lower price than the i3? How about the Renault ZOE or Nissan Leaf 2018. The current Hyundai Ioniq electric should be an option too, all between 20 and 25 thousand (after tax credit). And for the long range and comparing with a Mercedes E 350 AMG diesel, there is only one word: Tesla (S or X). You get a sportscar acceleration, approximately the same top speed, the brand and the looks. Range? You need a (whatever) fuel tank on road-trips? Really? What about changing the routine? Instead of - filling up and paying and THEN doing whatever you do (go to the toilet, drink a coffee or have a meal) - you FIRST plug in a Tesla Supercharger (it takes a minute or so), do whatever you want and unplug when you leave. A Tesla S 85 charges at the speed of an average 100 kW (it gets slower above 50% state of charge), so in 30 minutes you get some 50 kWh, that's (depending on your driving speed) about 250 km (160 miles). If you have a lunch, it will charge up to full before you finish eating. Here is a representation of the network: www.tesla.com/en_GB/supercharger And if you happen to live in an area where no Supercharger is installed (yet), there is also an optional ChaDeMo charger cable, then you can charge on almost any DC fast charger. And remember: Super- or fast- chargers are only for long trips when you come close to or above the range of the car. Normally you charge at home, like your smartphone, while you are sleeping, and (almost) never see a petrol station anymore. And in the end it comes to: what is the price of electricity at your place? And what is the price of fuel? 30 mpg, that's 9,4 liter/100 km (metric). That may be OK for a big diesel, but it is awful comparing to any(!) electric car which needs 25% of that. At every stop-and-go you loose energy, an EV does (almost) none. I (in your place) would seriously consider that Tesla option, if you have the means to fund it. It will raise your image and you will end up driving a lot cleaner too.

[@SmashGhost]

It did 40mpg when half the time it was using power from the grid? Or did you calculate only the return journey?