I purchased a 2015 BMW i3 REx this weekend!

[Apexerman]

I bought the same car on the same weekend! Loving it too. I'm also in the Bay Area am probably enjoying it just as much as you are! It's been great fun. The discount off a used i3 is ridiculous. So much inventory from the lease returns on the 2015 models. It's been nuts.

Yes, the depreciation has been striking. Our sales guy said virtually all new models were bought as leases. I'm curious though how far depreciation will go in another three years. Obviously, longer range EV's will be available compared to these short range cars, but that also means entry into the used EV market will be easier, which should keep demand viable. The battery would have a couple of years left on the warranty. Older Nissan Leafs tend to be holding their own relative to gas burners of the same age and size, so I suspect the i3 will follow a similar depreciation curve.

After eight years, values will be telling. I believe I read that longer range batteries could be retrofitted into the existing i3 chassis, but will someone go to that expense? What would be the cost of batteries in 8-10 years? Hard to say.

 

[sipabit]

What makes the i3 unique though as far as depreciation goes is that it is overpriced to begin with. The level at which these are selling as second hand vehicles is just a reality check of the true market value for a purchase of the i3. That combined with how false need that manufacturers and consumers alike have for 150mi-200mi range cars makes the original 60ah battery of the original i3 looks like junk. It'll take awhile for people to figure out they don't need and maybe don't even want a long range EV (150mi or more). In the meantime, people will still want to only charge their new toy EV's only as often as they get gas and get all star eyed about 200mi + range vehicles when they don't even drive 100mi a day. I'm hoping this ignorance continues.

If people start demanding 300mi range EV's we might see the upcoming 150mi i3 drop in price like the 2015 models have. Something tells me that dumb doesn't last that long though. They're going to figure it out eventually that they don't need and don't want to pay for a battery that lasts them 300mi when they can easily charge every day a 100mi capacity battery to cover their 30mi a day commute. I think the deals to be had really are the current 2015 models with the number of lease returns in the inventory competing with itself.

 

[Viking79]

I considered the i3 for a short time, but the need to open the front door before the suicide doors can open was a deal breaker as I have two school age kids in the backseat!

Exactly, school drop off would be a nightmare of helpers yelling at you for getting out of the car in the drop off lane to open the door for your kids

 

[Kendalf]

Exactly, school drop off would be a nightmare of helpers yelling at you for getting out of the car in the drop off lane to open the door for your kids

To be fair, some actual i3 owners with kids have mentioned that it is possible to reach over and open the passenger side door from the driver's seat. Or if the kids are older they can reach from the back and open it themselves as well.

 

[Viking79]

Good to know. I actually plan on getting a used one, and the kid I drop off can sit in front now, so it would be no problem. I have had run ins with the drop off attendants in my van before when I had a rear facing seat installed on the curb side of the car blocking the older from exiting that way

 

[sipabit]

You have to get a used one. It's the only way to go. No one really buys new i3's with good reason. Get it and you won't regret it. If you have questions, start a thread if it's not covered already. I'm a nut when it comes to this stuff. Good luck with your search and hope you end up getting what you're looking for.

 

[Pushmi-Pullyu]

Good to know. I actually plan on getting a used one, and the kid I drop off can sit in front now, so it would be no problem. I have had run ins with the drop off attendants in my van before when I had a rear facing seat installed on the curb side of the car blocking the older from exiting that way

WOW! Until reading this thread, I did not realize that the process of dropping kids off for school was now being controlled by Nazis. The Soup Nazi was bad enough!

Screen shot from "Education for Death", a Disney WW II propaganda film

 

[Domenick]

Well, after much research, test driving and owner experience opinions, my wife and I purchased a 2015 BMW i3 REx this weekend! My primary interest in the car was HOV lane access for my wife, ditching the gas-burner SUV to save fuel costs and cleaner emissions. Fortunately, California allows single-occupant ZEV and PZEV vehicles HOV access as a way incentivize adoption of cleaner air vehicles.

As a designer, I happen to like the quirky exterior aesthetic. It's weird, but weird in an interesting way... techno and puckish at the same time. The interior design is remarkably fresh and inspired since its inception... very Nordic in flavor with great material choices, contrasting colors and elegant forms. Off-the-line acceleration is eye-opener! Silky smooth pull with only the faintest whine entering the cabin. Handling is remarkably nimble due to the lightweight reinforced carbon fiber chassis and one-pedal driving is as intuitive as it gets. Charging will largely occur at the house overnight, but if needed, charging stations are available everywhere in the Bay Area.

Alas, there will probably come a day when autonomous cars render driving obsolete, but for now, the transition to non-internal combustion is kinda fun. Lower fuel costs and lower emissions ain't too bad either.

So, it's been a couple months, how goes it with the i3? Any issues, or clear sailing?

 

[Apexerman]

So far, so good. I'm still impressed by this machine. We've got handle on range performance under a variety of driving situations. The majority of our commutes fall within the typical 80-mile electric range and the gas generator has only come alive twice after extended travel. It nice to know one could have another 70 miles on tap with the generator. Once the car arrives home, it gets plugged into standard 120V and the car is ready to go the next day. My wife has utilized the Level 2 charging station at her workplace a few times, but not often. The silky smooth electric power still feels like a novelty. I can understand why electric car owners are reluctant to drive another gas-powered car again. It feels like the way driving should be.

I'm of course itching to take delivery of the Arcimoto FUV once it becomes available. I put in my order last year, so as far as I know, the company is finalizing development on the enclosure options and ramping up production in their new facility. But in the meantime, the i3 has been a terrific introduction into the world of electric and I highly recommend these cars. I still find the singular design statement noteworthy among the plethora of more conventional cars and it's somewhat reassuring to me as a designer that vision can persevere beyond the mundane and deliver a product so fulfilling in form and function. Did I say I like this car?

 

[sipabit]

I sat in one of those Arcimoto FUV's. Wasn't moving though. At the Marker's Faire, but fun nonetheless. I thought they were out already. Guess not. Have fun with it. I'm excited for you.

 

[Domenick]

So far, so good. I'm still impressed by this machine. We've got handle on range performance under a variety of driving situations. The majority of our commutes fall within the typical 80-mile electric range and the gas generator has only come alive twice after extended travel. It nice to know one could have another 70 miles on tap with the generator. Once the car arrives home, it gets plugged into standard 120V and the car is ready to go the next day. My wife has utilized the Level 2 charging station at her workplace a few times, but not often. The silky smooth electric power still feels like a novelty. I can understand why electric car owners are reluctant to drive another gas-powered car again. It feels like the way driving should be.

I'm of course itching to take delivery of the Arcimoto FUV once it becomes available. I put in my order last year, so as far as I know, the company is finalizing development on the enclosure options and ramping up production in their new facility. But in the meantime, the i3 has been a terrific introduction into the world of electric and I highly recommend these cars. I still find the singular design statement noteworthy among the plethora of more conventional cars and it's somewhat reassuring to me as a designer that vision can persevere beyond the mundane and deliver a product so fulfilling in form and function. Did I say I like this car?

That's great. I really like the i3 design. I used to see one in traffic sometimes last year when I had to commute, and I rode in the back seat of one a few years ago for a lap of the Long Beach Formula E track. Definitely a fun car, and it stands out among the mix of cars on the roads.