To i3 or to not i3…

So… The clock has finally started…

To i3 or to not i3…

It sure would help if I can get one nearby for my wife to try. Unfortunately it looks like this will just be a theoretical exercise. I continue to wonder what special things BMW i folks will be providing for those of us that have provided the valuable data with which to launch the i3. Is it just some nice trim packages or something more financially helpful. I guess I’ll need to get down to a dealer to talk to and configure a potential i3 to find out.

Here’s the email I received this evening… Ten days to make a decision…

BMW

Exclusive Electronaut Ordering for the BMW i3. View Online

BE FIRST, AGAIN.

Dear Electronaut,We have great news about your BMW i3 ordering options. Being a member of an extraordinary group who has been first to adopt, engage and explore the boundaries of electric mobility, has led to many unique and memorable experiences. The exclusive opportunity for Electronauts to be first to order the revolutionary i3 produced for the U.S. market, is now yours.

Taking advantage of this opportunity is simple and quick. Contact your authorized BMW i Sales Center to place your order by January 17, 2014, let them know you are an Electronaut and provide the Unique Ordering I.D. provided to you in this email; this will ensure you have access to a suite of truly unique options, created just for you. These include first priority ordering of the i3, the ability to choose the specific option level you desire including paint color, and the addition of a special Electronaut Edition Package, at no cost to you.

With the order placed at your BMW i center, please take time to discuss the anticipated arrival of your i3 and the potential to bridge your ActiveE lease to coincide with its delivery, if necessary. If you decide to delay the purchase of your i3 and not take advantage of this limited offer, please proceed with the return of your ActiveE vehicle at lease maturity, as recommended by BMW Financial Services.

With this offer comes the gratitude from all of us at BMW, who have been fortunate enough to support you in launching the future. Please have a safe journey, and enjoy the silence.

Name:

Your Ordering I.D.:

Best regards,

The BMW of North America, BMW i Team

Don’t forget to add bmwusa@email.bmwusa.com to your Address Book to keep it from skipping your inbox or getting caught in spam filters.We want your experience with the BMW website to be as smooth and reassuring as driving a BMW. Accordingly, we diligently safeguard your privacy. If you wish to review our Privacy Policy at any time, please click on the link below, or copy and paste it into your Web browser’s location window. http://www.bmwusa.com/about/privacy.html

We’d like to keep you up-to-date on the latest BMW electric vehicle products, news and events via email. If, however, you’d like to stop receiving them, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Please note that we are located at 300 Chestnut Ridge Road, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677. ©2014 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks. For more information call 1-800-831-1117 or go to www.bmwusa.com.

50,000 Active E miles and a Happy New Year

Yes! The current acquisition of an astromech droid made me think of the run on the Death Star on Star Wars… (Episode 4, A New Hope for you young ones!)

I was thinking…

Almost there…

Then… Woohoo!

before returning to base and parking…

50,000 miles of BMW Electric driving… There have been others that have driven more combined with their Mini Es… There’s been exactly one guy who has driven more Active E miles… So, I would think that with less than two months left before the Active E goes back to BMW. It’s time to really concede the Active E crown to Tom!

As I mentioned when Active E #1 suffered its crash, perhaps my goal would be to tie or come in one mile short of his 53,683…. With the amount of Tesla driving we’ve been doing lately… That might just be the goal.

Happy New Year! And may you find yourself electrified and enjoying it!

End of year and EV tax credits…

So…

One of the negatives of the end of year is that a lot of folks who have procrastinated are trying to fit as much stuff in before the new year hits.

One of the things that affect Tesla owners during this time of year is the probability of being provided a nice P85 Tesla Model S for a loaner is less than at other times of the year. Why is that? Well. Tesla has provided the top of the line Model S for its loaner fleet in the explanation that they did not want any Tesla customer to be deprived of a vehicle that is less capable than the vehicle that they bought from Tesla. (of course the car they do provide is limited to 80 mph, but that’s a small point.) As a result, when the Roadster or Model S is in service, I have gotten a P85 loaner vehicle from Tesla.

However, the last time I’ve had service done on my Model S, I was provided with an Enterprise Rental Car ICE Chrysler 200 or was it a Chrysler 300. Either way, it was no Model S. Now this was expected as we’re nearing the end of the year and Tesla makes its loaner fleet available for near immediate purchase from interested parties. When we finalized our Model S order in the summer, we could’ve picked up something similar to our configuration a week out from the time we finalized. I was, at the time, complaining about the increase in accessory prices and my contacts at the Tesla store in Costa Mesa could have provided a loaner purchase at a discount. Additionally, to cover the mileage that the loaner vehicles would’ve endured, Tesla credits so many cents per mile from the sales price.

We decided against it, and thus I did not get the vehicle.

Surprisingly, since Tesla is the manufacturer of said vehicles and the loaner fleet have manufacturer tags, they are all eligible for the new purchase benefits. These benefits are the Federal Tax Credit and whatever State incentives you may be eligible for. (in California, this is a rebate for $2,500 for the purchase of a pure Battery Electric Vehicle of a certain kwh capacity.)

So, back to the procrastinators and Tesla’s loaner fleet. People that want the full tax incentives and obviously won’t have their vehicles built and delivered by 12/31 still have an option to get into a Tesla and get the benefits due to a new EV purchaser.

On a different note, other tax credits are set to expire this year. Namely the installation of an EV charging station. In the past, it would seem that Congress would renew the $1,000 residential credit for installing an EV charging station in one’s home. This year, apparently they did not extend this and as a result, if you, dear US based reader, are planning on purchasing an EV soon and need to install a charging station anyway, go ahead and do so prior to December 31, 2013. You may be eligible to have up to $1,000 credited back to you. If you’re a COMMERCIAL location, the credit is even more generous. It is 30% of the costs up to $30,000. However, it is now December 19, 2013 and seeing that commercial locations tend to get bogged down by such things as building permits, etc. I wonder how probable it would be to install these things by the end of 2013.

It suc*s not to have SOC!

Pardon my pseudo censored profanity… But it really does suc*s not to have SOC (State of Charge).

An interesting counterpoint was published last week about the i3’s revolutionary and extremely accurate guesstimator on Insideevs.com that was well written and argues very well. However, I still don’t buy it.

I want my SOC. Why? If the gauge is so accurate AND uses server based calculations to look at terrain, traffic, etc. to come up with a very good prediction of what your range will be. I understand that the system is revolutionary and as an EVangelist and rEVolutionary I should champion this. However, you know what they say about “fool-proof” systems and Mr. Murphy and his law…

As much as BMW will do its best to act like the NSA and track my every move and predict how I behave, it’s no skin off their teeth to hide the screens for those of us that still want this capability. I have dedicated a preset on my Active E just to pull up said SOC (preset six, for those that want to know.) The initial range of the guessometer will be based on how the car was driven the previous X miles (30 or 40 if it uses the same as the Active E). This will create a nice overlay on the general map of the area to give you the range in Comfort, Eco, and Eco Pro Plus modes.

All fine and dandy. However, what if my wife was driving the vehicle the prior 30 or 40 miles. It will predict the range based on HER driving style and not mine.

Additionally, I don’t necessarily drive the same way all the time. If I know that I need to push the vehicle for range maximization AND if I know that I have to drive very conservatively, I will do so. Additionally, if I was having fun the previous 30 or 40 miles AND was being very wasteful with my driving style, I don’t need to alarm whoever drives the vehicle after me. I am sure that there is ample enough room in the i3 software to turn this feature back on to quelch the vocal early adopters of EV technology, such as the 700… (I feel like the Spartans here…)

This just in… Three i3s are at Pacific BMW in Glendale…

So, a day after publishing my i3 drive…

It looks like three of the BMW i3s that were at the Convention Center are now at Pacific BMW in Glendale.

I was charging up my Active E for its daily commute when a truck pulls up with three of the i3s.

I was wondering if they were going to drop one off… Looks like all three are for Pacific BMW. In speaking with some of the staff, it looks like these three will be at the dealership until customers get deliveries of their vehicles next year.

More pictures on the flickr set.

I finally got to drive and ride the BMWi i3 last week…

I’m happy with it. To REX or not to REX that is the question. To i3 or not to i3 is another question and it all depends on what BMWi will do for ActiveE participants financially. Having provided two years of real world testing on the technology AND paying BMW for the right to do so should be worth something.

The i3 is a city car. There are those on the Teslamotorsclub.com forum on the i3 that keep harping on the range and having to refill the REX that are looking at the i3 as an either i3 or a Model S debate and I am not one of those. It will depend on what my day and drive will be like. It’s range will make it ideal for most commutes and the size makes it great to zip in and out of traffic. As much as I really enjoy the Model S, it’s a difficult vehicle for day to day commutes. Those that are used to commuting with vehicles in its size should have no problems. Unfortunately, prior to driving my Active E, I have been using a Honda Civic Hybrid and a 2000 BMW 323CiC prior to that for my daily commute. As a result, I am used to driving vehicles of a certain size. Now, it has been less than a month that I’ve been driving a Model S and I may very well adjust to its size and this will be a non-issue. However, the Model S remains to be a larger vehicle than what I have been used to.

Before making it into the event, I went to park in downtown Los Angeles and had a BMW ActiveE sighting. So, for kicks, I decided to park back-to-back with it.

I will miss seeing these cars on the roads of Southern California. Many of the earlier ones will start to head back to BMW starting in January, unless the Electronut chooses to bridge the Active E’s service until their i3 is delivered.

So… What about the i3?

We’ll take this one…

The interior dash is stunning

The natural wood married with technology is reminiscent of the failed Fisker Karma. It was noted later in the Electronaut event that the wood will darken and richen with age.

Additionally, the i3 is built on a skateboard, akin to the Model S and there is a spot for ladies to put a purse between the driver and passenger.

I tried playing with the infotainment system on the i3, but the ones provided to us did not seem to be working so well. I am sure this is an issue with these specific cars. I will have to check it out at the dealership again.

So, how does it handle?

The course provided to us took us to the parking lot for the LA Coliseum where we took turns making figure eights with the i3. It is fun, quick, and has a nice tight turning radius. Forwards and backwards.

There is space for things in this vehicle.

What is interesting is the cheesy covers for the charging ports…

Covered

J1772 open, SAE Quick charge covered

Both open

One of the benefits that the i3 has over the Model S, rear seat cup-holders.

However, the Model S is bigger… Just like its Frunk

So, what is glaring? Apparently the BMW i folks decided that their gussometer is so accurate (taking traffic, changes in elevation, etc.) that they have decided to remove the SOC that has been so prominent in the Active E. I believe that this is a glaring error on their part. This algorithm is very good at predicting using past data that it does not take into account multiple driver families. As often as I am the driver of a particular vehicle, I share all our vehicles with my better half and she drives differently than I do. I use the SOC to calculate for myself whether my aggressive driving style will need to be adjusted during my commute. The guessometer does not take that into consideration. Put the SOC back in and that should fix it. Additionally, use the keys to determine which driver is using the vehicle. The Guessometer should log my driving style for MY keys and log my wife’s driving style for HER key. Just a thought.

Here’s a great panoramic of the i3s in a row.

Hopefully the East Coast Electronaut contingent can get the point across to our BMW i folks.

Aside from the i3 Test Drive fun, it was great to have caught up with the Electronauts and Mini E Pioneers at the event.

After almost two years of being in this program, it is always a pleasant time to hang with these folks. Especially since I don’t spend time with them on Facebook. The top three West Coast mileage leaders were all in the photo and we were missing Mariel Knoll for the top four. Also in the picture is Active E mileage leader Tom Moloughney.

EV Thanks on Thanksgiving 2013… 50,000 all electric miles!

So, my favorite EV News site at transportevolved.com asked what do you have to be EV Thankful for… (Interestingly they’re based in the UK, but with a LARGE audience of the American EV Community)

After over 21 months of EV driving and meticulous postings of my electric mileage, it’s finally happened. Sometime in the past few weeks I’ve passed 50,000 all electric miles of driving!

I would have been more precise, however. Sharing EVs with my wife, I can’t tell which are her driving miles versus my driving miles. I do know that I drive 95-98% of the time, so I can claim most of the miles.

So… What does that mean… Well, I’ve calculated a cost of approximately $0.008 per mile since I’ve moved to Solar power on my roof. Well, let’s assume that with the addition of the Tesla Roadster and Model S to the fleet, my costs have gone up to $0.012 per mile. I’m using this figure because both the Roadster and Model S exhibits more Vampire Drain (defined as the energy consumed by the EV while idle) than the Active E has in its approximately 48,000 miles of service. So, using this figure, let’s say that we’ve spent approximately $600 during these 50,000 miles. Well, I’ve used paid EV Charging Networks as well. Not too often, but enough to approximate an additonal $50, let’s double this figure to be really conservative. So, we’re talking $700 for the 50,000 miles. Now, if we had driven all those miles in our least expensive ICE (Internal Combustion Engine (gasoline engine)) car was at $0.15 per mile. These same miles would have been $7,500 in energy costs.

So, I guess after 50,000 miles, I have at least $6,800 to be thankful for.

What else do I have to be EV Thankful for… Frankly, living in Southern California has given me the ability to choose amongst the widest selection of Electric and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles on the market. I’ve been lucky enough to have been able to drive this gallery of electric vehicles.

Ranging from failures like the Coda (which I reviewed early on the blog’s existence) and Fisker Karma.

Coda

Fisker Karma

To California Compliance limited production run EVs such as the Honda Fit EV and Fiat 500e.

Honda Fit EV

Fiat 500E

Is the Spark EV a compliance car or production?

Chevy Spark EV

To hand converted beauties like the ZElectricbug.

ZElectric Bug #1

To full production EVs, like the Mitsubishi iMiEV, Ford Focus EV, Nissan Leaf, Smart 3rd Gen ED, and my latest temptation the BMW i3. Not pictured are the Chevy Volt, 2nd Gen Toyota RAV4 EV, and the Plug-in Prius.

Mitsubishi iMiEV

Ford Focus EV

Nissan Leaf

Smart 3rd Gen ED

BMW i3

And of course, our EV fleet… The Tesla Roadster, Tesla Model S, and the one that got me hooked on EVs our BMW Active E.

Our Tesla Roadster

Our Model S

Our BMW ActiveE

So… EVeryone in the EV world. From rEVolutionaries and those that are curious (join us, the water is fine)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Reflections on the Model S Fremont Factory pickup experience…

It has been two weeks since we first got our Model S.

So… would we do it again?

A resounding Yes.

Unfortunately, I as with other members of the public that have gone on the Tesla Factory tour, I have agreed to a non-disclosure. I can disclose that it was very interesting and quite impressive. The gentleman that led the tour, Anish, was very informative and engaging. He addressed fellow tour group members questions, pointed out interesting things in the factory and was lively.

As for the Model S pickup experience. There are definitely things that can be improved. I lucked out in that Anish, our tour group leader, was actually the Delivery Specialist to hand over the keys to us. He was a good sport regarding the last $1 that I owed Tesla being paid in cash. He took some time with us throughout the process but it definitely felt like he was hurrying us along.

Wanting to learn from previous Model S owners, I printed out the very handy Delivery Checklist that was compiled by @NickJHowe. Anish saw the list and was dismissive of it and told us to just “get him at his desk” after we’re done doing the presentation “his way.” Though I appreciate his time (as well as mine), I had a few things on the list I wanted to cover and I felt that the guide was a good way to tackle this.

My wife had a question on the way the Panoramic Roof was installed and Anish brushed us off and said that this was a minor thing that should “settle”, if not, take it to the Tesla Service Center for repair. Guess what… That turns out to be a two day job that we now have to schedule and do when the Service Center can get to it.

[added these photos November 27, 2013]

[The glass does not sit in place properly and the gasket is sunken in.]

Lastly… The downside to the “soft-sell” aspect of Tesla’s program is that I didn’t even realize that there is a 4 year or 4+4 year Service Plan (or 50,000 to 100,000 mile Service Plan) that Tesla offers. As well as an extension of the warranty for an additional 4 years. Apparently this option has to be exercised at up to thirty days after taking delivery of the car. I stumbled upon this when I logged into my account and now have to figure out what that means and whether or not it’s worth it for me.

Taking the long drive last weekend from Fremont to Santa Rosa and back down to Southern California is definitely a good way to “shake down” the car and get the feel for it at distance (as well as some traffic.) We encountered some “wind noise” from the front driver’s window that turned out to be a misaligned glass. After less than two weeks of driving the car, this is what the glass has done to the gasket around the window.

We’re on waiting for parts and service tech mode, so it’s going to be another couple of weeks to resolve this as well.

I have a few nits that will probably continue to reiterate itself as I write about the Model S ownership experience, so please bear with me. (I will probably keep complaining about the missing coat hook.)

The entertainment system is very well integrated. However, it seems strange to me that it only handles one bluetooth input. The Active E and other vehicles can handle multiple bluetooth devices connected at a time and it is disappointing that the vehicle can only handle being connected to one device at a time. Now, I am not saying that the Active E can play two different bluetooth sources at the same time. What I am saying is that the Active E can connect and switch between two devices at a time. Whereas the Model S has to be manually connected and disconnected.

We took the 101 route back to Southern California as an overnight drive and we could have done this drive quicker had I pushed the car and hit only a couple of Superchargers along the way and not the five stops that we took.

The only real negative as for the pickup experience has been the “one on one” with Anish. We felt hurried and that he didn’t really adress concerns. I felt that my mother had a better experience with Jeb from Nissan of Duarte when she picked up her Leaf a few months ago.

Announcing… The new blog title

Since I first started publishing my thoughts on this blog, I had chosen the title

My ActiveE made me Accidentally Environmental

The trials and tribulations of a BMW ActiveE driver in Southern California

Well…

As I indicated in a previous post, we’re adding to our focus… I would have been happy to pursue more experiences with the Active E, solely, alas, I am finally letting go of the idea that I may be able to keep my Active E. The i3 is launched and scheduled for delivery in the United States (if my source at one of the local LA dealerships is to be trusted) on March 18, 2014. (Yes, the day after Saint Patrick’s Day.)

So… Without further delay…

My ActiveE made me Accidentally Environmental

And Tesla made me a rEVolutionary!

It was either that or

And Tesla Model S is the vehicle that BMW should have made

I really like palindromes… 47474 miles today…

It’s about a week before the LA Auto Show event for Active E Electronuts and I hit a fun palindrome. As many long-time blog readers have picked up, I’m a big Lakers fan. But that also means NBA basketball in general and the #47 is Andrei Krilenko’s number… Now, he’s NOT a Laker, never been a Laker, but I always liked his nickname of AK47 (since he’s Russian and the assault weapon.) It’s a somewhat memorable nickname. So, when I saw that I was nearing this number, I thought to take a photo of it.

Besides, I also shows that EVs are no push overs and can hold their own on the open road.

A few things to note in the half mile that I travelled between these two shots is the relative ease that the BMW Active E handles the speed. It’s barely pushing the eDrive motor.

Additionally, it was one of those sunny Novembers that make folks move to Southern California… that’s 86 to 87 Fahrenheit (30 to 30.5 Celsius) at 10:40 am.

As much as the Teslas are so fun to drive. I really will miss my Active E.