Gerald_db Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Took the plunge and bought a BMW i3 94Ah Rex today. The special BMW Centenary deal was too good to pass over. Man maths won the day. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk superdiy, McWidowmaker, viper_za and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Energy-Jason Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Congratulations !!! We need a full report on your experience ! Well done. Jay ebrsa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvzyl Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Hi @SolarNoob, which model did you buy and what is the price on this type of motorcycle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted November 9, 2016 Author Share Posted November 9, 2016 Can do a Durban return. Free charging via my solar business system and lifetime free charges at BMW charge points with one at Gateway soon. No services. No costs for 5 years. 8 year battery guarantee and every option from auto park to active cruise control. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepBass9 Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 13 hours ago, SolarNoob said: I bought an electric Zero motorcycle about 18 months ago. Enjoy it, you will never look back. Also interested in these. What is the range and how much power do they take to charge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted November 9, 2016 Author Share Posted November 9, 2016 220km on electric plus up to 150km on range extender. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 i3 being recharged from my solar powered house. Perfect.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Mark, Energy-Jason, ___ and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 Some user info on this incredible car.First there are no fast DC chargers in KZN only the type 2 charger that can do 80% in around 3 hours.The cars gps only shows one at BM in the Bellaire area. The one at SMG BMW Umhlanga opposite Gateway does not show.There are 2 chargers coming to Gateway "soon".Last Sunday did a Durban return from home in Eshowe. Travelled at 115kph in EcoPro mode with aircon running. Was raining a bit and needed wipers. Daytime running lights on the whole trip. Got to La Lucia mall having driven 130km and still 70km range showing. Lot of downhil initially from Eshowe helped.Next stop was charger at SMG Umhlanga where we arrived with 28% charge.Spent 1.5 hours shopping at Gateway and got back to the car with it at about 65%. I had set a pre-condition departure time as it was a very hot day so the car was cooled to 22°C waiting for us. It does this while on mains and saves batteries.Two more stops in Durban and a lunch stop Umhlali area. Got into Eshowe on 5% battery after using the Rex for about 30km. Needed 3l petrol to fill. Aircon the whole way as was over 30°C day.Overall I was seriously impressed. If BM had a fast DC charger or had spent a bit longer charging we would have not needed the rex.Edit:- Total round trip of 285km and 3l petrol used. I charge for free from my business solar system.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Mark, DeepBass9, ___ and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepBass9 Posted November 26, 2016 Share Posted November 26, 2016 You must fit a roof rack with a few solar panels on top........ SilverNodashi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 On 11/25/2016 at 4:46 PM, Gerald_db said: Some user info on this incredible car. First there are no fast DC chargers in KZN only the type 2 charger that can do 80% in around 3 hours. The cars gps only shows one at BM in the Bellaire area. The one at SMG BMW Umhlanga opposite Gateway does not show. There are 2 chargers coming to Gateway "soon". Last Sunday did a Durban return from home in Eshowe. Travelled at 115kph in EcoPro mode with aircon running. Was raining a bit and needed wipers. Daytime running lights on the whole trip. Got to La Lucia mall having driven 130km and still 70km range showing. Lot of downhil initially from Eshowe helped. Next stop was charger at SMG Umhlanga where we arrived with 28% charge. Spent 1.5 hours shopping at Gateway and got back to the car with it at about 65%. I had set a pre-condition departure time as it was a very hot day so the car was cooled to 22°C waiting for us. It does this while on mains and saves batteries. Two more stops in Durban and a lunch stop Umhlali area. Got into Eshowe on 5% battery after using the Rex for about 30km. Needed 3l petrol to fill. Aircon the whole way as was over 30°C day. Overall I was seriously impressed. If BM had a fast DC charger or had spent a bit longer charging we would have not needed the rex. Edit:- Total round trip of 285km and 3l petrol used. I charge for free from my business solar system. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Nice. It might be worth-while to install some flexible solar cells on the roof, perhaps? Look at how the solar racers do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 Have had our i3 for 2 months now and driven 3100km pure electric and 360km of blended Rex and electric. Used about 14 litres of fuel in the range extender. All recharging from my business solar system.Definitely makes my mates F-type look a bit small. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Chris Hobson, superdiy, Energy-Jason and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 After phoning around (cos the SA i3's have not got charge stations loaded correctly - will be sorted 1 day) I find the only high speed CCS DC rapid charger in KZN at Supertech BMW Durban .....and... I kid you not...they have installed it in their showroom so there is zero access afterhours. WTF. These things cost R450k and are for a quick stop and go 50 minutes to full or 40 min to 80%. SA BMW dealers have no idea.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Energy-Jason Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 What a great investment Gerald. Well done, please do start a blog here on the forum. If you can upload some pics and videos for us that will be very exciting! Would love to follow your distance and results! Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 6 days flat and my new Rolec 3-phase 32amp 22KW wall pod charger has arrived from the UK. The i3 94Ah has a max charge of 16amps 3-phase totalling 11KW so a bit future proofed. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 We need pictures Gerald!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 We need pictures Gerald!! AddedSent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 The reason electric vehicles as a rule have noisy brakes.....Rust because we just hardly use them. Got to remember to hit brakes harder at intervals to try to keep them clean especially if the weather is wet. Regeneration is great and you rapidly get used to right pedal only driving.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNodashi Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Just now, Gerald_db said: The reason electric vehicles as a rule have noisy brakes..... Rust because we just hardly use them. Got to remember to hit brakes harder at intervals to try to keep them clean especially if the weather is wet. Regeneration is great and you rapidly get used to right pedal only driving. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Most vehicle's brakes do that if they're not driven often Quick question, does yours make any noise when you drive? I've read somewhere, that in the USA, electric vehicles cause most deaths on the road, since the blind can't hear them coming. So they need to fit some noise making devices to them, even a "cow bell" could work. Just curious if it does come out with a suitable safety device from the factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 Yes makes a pedestrian warning sound from an external speaker by default. Sounds like a noisy aircon.Oh, that car is in daily use with disc looking like that. 4500km up in 11 weeks. Definitely not parked off.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superdiy Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 4 hours ago, SilverNodashi said: ...even a "cow bell" could work. Thinking of the state of the roads in SA, it might break or fall off soon after it is installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 6 hours ago, Gerald_db said: Rust because we just hardly use them. In my experience there is just a massive difference between drivers when it comes to brakes, and I would expect that difference to be much more visible with an electric vehicle. For example... I bought my present vehicle with just 42 000km on the odo (that's practically new as far as I am concerned). By the time it had 60 000km on the pads and disks were finished. I had no idea if it was the previous owner, myself, or the car. The car was still in service plan, so it took a bit of effort to find the right parts outside the dealer network (because the dealer wants 4 times more), but that is another story. That was 7 years ago. I'm now at 153 000km with plenty of use left on the current set. In other words, my driving style probably gets double the mileage out of the same set of brakes :-) That same driving style only gets 30 000km out of a set of tyres though... so it's not all good :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 In other words, my driving style probably gets double the mileage out of the same set of brakes :-) That same driving style only gets 30 000km out of a set of tyres though... so it's not all good :-) Agreed. A friend and I bought the same model Prado. He needed new tyres at 32k and I got 128k out of the exact same tyres. I kid you not. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk ___ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 Got tired of the 14 hour slow charge so imported a 3-phase 22KW commercial office/hotel charge unit from the UK. Installed behind my business and pumping electrons into the i3 perfectly. I am loading it on Plugshare as a commercial charge point @R20/hour so that it is a legit business expense. The weak UK £ made it cost only R7500 inc courier and import vat.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk Clint and Mark 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepBass9 Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Quote I am loading it on Plugshare as a commercial charge point @R20/hour So that seems be be one of the few legitimate was to sell solar power without becoming an IPP? ___ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald_db Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 Exactly. I'm not selling power just a per hour fee irrespective of current draw.Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk ___, Mark and Chris Hobson 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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