It is interesting to see that BMW have decided to offer an optional range extender with the BMW i3 which has been grabbing the headlines over the last few months. The range extender consists of a relatively small petrol engine which would be used to maintain the electric motor as the vehicle is moving.
While many people believe this is something of a “cheat” with regards to the principle of electric vehicles, is it sensible to offer this kind of range extender to the mass market?
I think so. It will help alleviate the ‘range anxiety’ issues most people have, even if they rarely or never use it. Question is how much will people be willing to pay for that option? Will it be another $10K to add it? I don’t know.
The range extender is about a $3000 extra and it certainly relieves range anxiety. After a month of ownership, the extender has only kicked in for it’s monthly maintenance run. As I intend the i3 to be my only car, knowing I am not limited to 100miles without a recharge is a big positive. In the long term, it will be unnecessary if ultra-rapid DC chargers become widely available & pigs take to the air.
Geoff
Hi Geoff,
I sense a little scepticism in your final comment [FONT=Wingdings]:)[/FONT]
There are rumours of various electronic vehicle battery power developments which could (and should) significantly extend journey capacity. Many believe that the 300 mile journey barrier is one which the electric vehicle industry needs to pass in order to go mass-market. What is your view on this?
I have as yet never needed a recharge on the road, but a 4 hour /AC charge only makes sense at one’s destination, so for electric to be practical for longer trips you need a range of 200miles with a network of widely available half-hour recharging stops.
I actually think the focus on range is artificial, as in the UK very few trips are 100miles each way and I could think of only one occasion in my 40 years of driving when a 20 mile round trip turned into a 400mile round trip. However range anxiety will be overwhelming until there is an ultra rapid charger pretty much on every corner … It will be different in the USA. Once it’s over 160 miles I think many will be satisfied, and I hope that when I replace the battery in my i3 I will get a lot more range as the technology improves.
Geoff
I think you’re spot on with your comments as statistics show the average UK motorists covers less than 80 miles per day. In many ways I think that the electric vehicle market has suffered because of a focus on EV technology as opposed to battery technology. However, the situation does appear to be changing and I fully expect some major developments in the battery technology sector over the next 24 months.