Techie on the case
2017 BMW i3
AFTER SINGING the i3’s praises to anyone who asks, I sometimes find myself countering with a couple of niggles. But I might have been a little unfair. Let me explain.
An electric car’s range always plays on your mind. The i3 is perfect for my commute for a couple of days without a charge, but plan anything longer and even with a full tank and charge you’re still limited. ‘Wouldn’t it be good,’ I thought, ‘if you could switch to the petrol-powered motor before the charge runs out…’ Well, it turns out you can. And it took only minutes playing with the settings to find it: ‘Hold state of charge’.
If you don’t have access to a fast-charge point, being able to stop and fill up with petrol opens up the range and usability of the i3 that bit more, keeping the battery charged for the return journey or, in fact, allowing you to accumulate charge for when you need it.
Another little hurrah moment came when working out the right combination of twists and clicks required to turn off the dashboard display – an unnecessary drain on resources when it’s not required.
It also improves the minimalist atmosphere in the cockpit. Manufacturers are all too keen to flood your peripheral vision with dials and buttons, but the lack of these
adds to the BMW’s futuristic and spacious feel. That said, a simple on/off button on the screen would be even better.
Fair enough, if I had looked in the manual I would have found this out weeks ago (along with the obvious folding wing-mirror button and, more shockingly, the heated seats) but, honestly, does anyone do that? Working out these things for yourself is part of the joy of connecting with the car. I’m sure the i3 will keep surprising me and will continue to silence my niggles the more I use it.