# BMW and Nissan partner again to expand DC Fast charging access across US



## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

The closest one to me is still 300 miles away. Frau Putzer saw an i3 in a parking lot a few months ago and said that it'd be a neat beater for the Putzer household. I remained her that driving home from the dealership would require staying overnight somewhere in between to charge it.


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## jadnashuanh (Jun 25, 2011)

Should you decide to pay extra for the REx version, while you'll still be stopping to fill the small gas tank, you could drive it long distances. Not my first choice as you're carrying around the extra weight and complexity of an ICE, but it does work. NOte, most dealerships could arrange a truck to bring your new i3 to you, should you choose, but it would also mean probably doing the same for service needs if they're that far away! I get by fine with mine just charging it at home. The only remote chargers I've used are at the dealership, and then, just as a convenience since I live less than a mile away from them...easier to just do it at home!

A significant portion of those that buy a REx find that they almost never use it...the only time it runs is during a maintenance cycle. Most would have benefited by saving the money spent on it. If you need it regularly, the i3 in either version, may not be the best car for your needs.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

Even my beaters (currently a ten year old Cobalt with 105k miles) need to be capable of a cross-country road trip. So, that canxes any pure electrics, or the i3 REx, for me. I'll revisit this position of gas ever hits $10/gallon. That price for gas is also about where hybrids only start to make economic sense after you factor in battery replacement during the car's life. 

Somebody on Bimmerfest enlightened me that BMW specifically designed the REx so that the gasoline generator cannot "keep up" with battery drain so that the car is legally still a pure electric for tax credit purposes.


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## jadnashuanh (Jun 25, 2011)

The i3 REx is what is called a serial hybrid electric...that means that the motor never drives the wheels directly, it is strictly a generator that either powers the electric motor or charges the batteries.

One thing that somewhat surprised me is the fact that on the i3, recharging say from 90% to 100% ten times is the same 'wear' on the batteries as recharging once from zero. Note that once fully charged, the vehicle totally disconnects the acv inputs. It only turns the charging circuit back on once the battery charge level drops a moderate amount, not immediately. Since LiOn batteries have a long storage time, it can take awhile before that needs to happen.


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