Pure-electric experience
We’re commuting like we’re in the future with the BMW i3s, writes
There’s so much talk about plug-in cars at the moment, we’ve decided to take the plunge and run a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) as a daily driver for a few months. So no fossil fuel for us thanks: we’ve got a BMW i3 in its purest form, without the range-extender engine and the consequent ‘‘flap of shame’’ (otherwise known as the fuel-fill aperture for the two-cylinder backup engine in the REX version).
Yes, yes I know – a used-import Leaf it’s not. We’re very lucky. Luckier still because ours is the new $85,900 i3s version, with 10kw/20nm more grunt (is ‘‘grunt’’ an appropriate word for an EV?), an extra Sport drive mode, 10mm-lower suspension, a 40mm-wider track and 20-inch wheels. Check out those flared guards.
Lucky platinum-edition even, because our car has a few extras: Melbourne Red exterior with Frozen Grey accents ($990), sun protection glazing ($700), ‘‘Suite’’ interior design with Dalbergia Brown Stellaric leather ($1750), seatbelts in ‘‘BMW i Blue’’ ($300), Harman Kardon sound system ($1400) with Apple Carplay preparation ($300) and a heat pump that increases the energy of ambient air in winter for 50 per cent greater efficiency ($1100).
All-up price: $92,640. Which is a lot if you think of an EV as something you buy to slash your vehicle running costs. But you can surely see the value for a cuttingedge, premium product that makes you feel like you’ve arrived in the future.
The i3s is a pretty special car and actually, if you’re an EV driver of any kind you’re pretty special anyway: the reality is that there are only about 8000 EVS on the road in this country (that includes New Zealand-new and used-imports), which is not many in a combined annual car market of around 300,000.
up with a couple of apps: Plugshare, which hooks you up with the EV community and shows the nearest chargers – including those available at private homes, if you enjoy meeting new EV people.
The app can also be configured to show just the plug types suitable for your vehicle: Type 2 and CCS Combined (for DC fast-charging) in the case of our i3s.
Then more phone time as we set up the BMW Connected app. Like all new BMWS, our car is ‘‘live’’ because it has a SIM card embedded, which means you have remote access – anything from the current state of charge to whether it’s locked.
Or maybe you need to beep the horn or flash the lights if you’ve BMW i3s long-term test
Base price: $85,900 (our car: $92,640).
Mileage so far: 100km.
Powertrain and performance: BMW edrive electric motor with eight Li-ion modules, 33kwh capacity, 135kw/ 270Nm, single-speed automatic, RWD. Combined power consumption 14.3kwh/100km, range approximately 200km.
What have we done lately? Had the full red-carpet (well, it’s a red car) treatment as an i-brand customer.
Problems so far: Nissan Leaf people clogging up the free fast-charging stations; how dare they.
lost it in a car park.
Then yet more phone time as we set up a Chargenet account. Chargenet and BMW are in partnership with the ‘‘electric highway’’ of chargers being developed through New Zealand. Anybody can use them, but you need an account and swipe card.
Although you do get 10 per cent discount as a BMW owner and a special Chargenow Bmw-branded swipe card. Hey, it’s the little things.
It’s early days and I’ve only had one weekend in the i3s, during which I explored some charging options. Yet to plug in at home because a 200km range means you don’t have to do that every night, but I’ve had a look around the closest Chargenet
machines. I’ve also been strangely drawn to sources of free electricity, despite my earlier claim of being all about the premium EV experience. Free is good no matter how posh you think you are.
There are a couple of Vector-funded free fast-chargers close to me, although my first couple of tries were unsuccessful: first the machine was out of service, then the available spaces were full of Nissan Leaf owners standing around their Nissan Leafs, charging their Nissan Leafs or waiting to charge their Nissan Leafs and talking about their Nissan Leafs.
While I’m enthusiastic about EV driving, I’m not really ready to join that world. Or have I become a BMW snob already?