[Chelmersteve]

I fully charged my i4 for the first time and it showed a range of 302 miles which is rather less than the WLTP figure.
I'm new to electric cars and wonder if this is normal

 

[Flyingman]

I have absolutely no idea, but was wondering if EVs are like ICE in that once you reach Empty on the fuel gauge you still have at least another gallon or so left in the tank, i.e. another 20-30 miles in it. I am frequently known to run on fumes!

 

[Chris_ni]

I fully charged my i4 for the first time and it showed a range of 302 miles which is rather less than the WLTP figure.
I'm new to electric cars and wonder if this is normal

WLTP is a mix of city and highway driving in ideal conditions (range will be significantly effected by the current colder weather). It’s almost always higher than the real world figures. The US EPA range is actually a little more realistic.
That said, over time the range estimate should adapt more to your driving style, so it may increase if you do mostly city/suburban driving.

 

[kipsate]

I fully charged my i4 for the first time and it showed a range of 302 miles which is rather less than the WLTP figure.
I'm new to electric cars and wonder if this is normal

Yes. Different companies have different approaches to this topic.

Tesla always displays the maximum possible range.
BMW learns from the driver and displays expected range based on driver's past style of driving.

I actually prefer Tesla's approach.

 

[XtBimmer]

I have absolutely no idea, but was wondering if EVs are like ICE in that once you reach Empty on the fuel gauge you still have at least another gallon or so left in the tank, i.e. another 20-30 miles in it. I am frequently known to run on fumes!

I've been known to run on fumes in the past but I've learnt with an EV, a change in cold Temps and wind, etc..can drop that range at the bottom real quick.

 

[Lord]

I've been known to run on fumes in the past but I've learnt with an EV, a change in cold Temps and wind, etc..can drop that range at the bottom real quick.

Now you should say "run on electrons'!!

 

[i4m50Norway]

I fully charged my i4 for the first time and it showed a range of 302 miles which is rather less than the WLTP figure.
I'm new to electric cars and wonder if this is normal

That is most probably because to have used quite a lot of electricity in your previous trips and/or the temperatures is low. On my i3, with WLTP range of 315KM, it reported 305 on Saturday. That was the first time this year with a value above 300, it has mostly been 220 - 250, but saturday was the first day this year with temperature above 10 degrees. And that day I drove my usual 200 km trip, with 100 km available afterwards. Earlier in the Winter it was nearly empty after that 200 km trip. So it estimates pretty good.

here is a link to a test of i4m50 :

Test av rekkevidde: BMW i4 M50 | NAF

Test av rekkevidde på BMW i4 M50. I NAFs rekkeviddetest sammenligner vi modellen på både sommerføre og vinterføre.

nye.naf.no

google translate :
drove 406 kilometers in the range test

The BMW i4 M50 was tested in the winter of 2022. The range test was run under relatively mild winter conditions, with dry roads through large parts of the test. The temperature was between 0 and -10 degrees.

The BMW i4 M50 drove a total of 406 kilometers. It is 91 kilometers shorter than the car's stated WLTP range.

With 10 percent remaining battery capacity, the driver had driven 340 kilometers.

The driver drove 12.4 kilometers after the car reported 0 percent left on the battery.

In total, the average consumption in the test was 19.6 kWt / 100 km
This is how it feels to run out of power

The BMW i4 M50 drove 12.4 kilometers after 0 percent. The driver reported speed limits as the most noticeable effect when the car went into power save mode.

The first warning that the car should be charged appeared at 40 remaining kilometers on the range estimate. The main screen highlighted the range / kilometer with yellow text and a hazard warning. The side screen informed well: The range is very short.

At 0 percent remaining battery capacity, the car was notified of engine power was reduced and encouraged to charge, while the air conditioner stopped working. The driver drove 12 kilometers further before the car lost all traction and stopped.

 

[J_P]

Earlier in the Winter it was nearly empty after that 200 km trip

You nearly gave me a heart attack when I read that. Then I read your post properly and realised you were talking about an i3 😅

 

[i4m50Norway]

You nearly gave me a heart attack when I read that. Then I read your post properly and realised you were talking about an i3 😅

Sorry for that. good that it was only "nearly".

The good thing about both the i3 and i4 is that they can deliver WLTP range in good conditions, with moderate speeds. Then I just drive slower if I need all the range I can get. I expect it to be the same with the i4 - but with the additional range - I will not be that focused on range. I think my main reason to get the i4 is that I can plan without be forced to stop at a supercharger, but will have enough range for a days drive, at least at norwegian speed limits. Of course there will be some days that I drive longer, but that might possible only be a few days every year.

 

[DWF700]

Thats about right for this time of the year my Ipace loses about 20% off WLTP and your predicted range has about same percentage loss in fact probably less than the Ipace depending on your wheel sizes etc.

 

[Magicrat]

I fully charged my i4 for the first time and it showed a range of 302 miles which is rather less than the WLTP figure.
I'm new to electric cars and wonder if this is normal

EPA rating here in the USA is 301 miles, so 302 is about right.

 

[Chas1]

I fully charged my i4 for the first time and it showed a range of 302 miles which is rather less than the WLTP figure.
I'm new to electric cars and wonder if this is normal

I would say WLTP range is all pretty much an ideal. A bit like MPG quoted for ICE cars. I think 300 miles can be achieved in i4 without too much effort though and careful driving will considerably exceed that. That’s my experience so far after 1000 miles in E40 Msport on 19” wheels.
There’s a few things to know about charging the battery. (Apologies if you know this stuff already). BMW recommend only charging to
80% for normal use and you can set this through the app easily enough. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t charge to 100% but 80% most of the time if you want to maximise your battery health. Similarly it seems charging at home off 7kw charger is better at minimising battery degradation than constantly fast charging. (I’ve gleaned this from YouTube videos eg Tesla Bjorn, not from BMW sources). Or if money’s no object just replace battery in say 7 years with lighter battery or more range or both as battery chemistry improves. BMW say they aim to make the drivetrain last lifetime of car estimated to be 450,000 km I think. Which will more than do for me.

 

[Ken7]

That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t charge to 100% but 80% most of the time if you want to maximise your battery health. Similarly it seems charging at home off 7kw charger is better at minimising battery degradation than constantly fast charging. (I’ve gleaned this from YouTube videos eg Tesla Bjorn, not from BMW sources). Or if money’s no object just replace battery in say 7 years with lighter battery or more range or both as battery chemistry improves. BMW say they aim to make the drivetrain last lifetime of car estimated to be 450,000 km I think. Which will more than do for me.

Frequent charging at home will be tough for those that live close to L3 chargers, given BMW’s 30 minutes of free fast charging for 2 years...especially those that live in areas with high electric rates.

 

[kindofblue]

Yes. Different companies have different approaches to this topic.

Tesla always displays the maximum possible range.
BMW learns from the driver and displays expected range based on driver's past style of driving.

I actually prefer Tesla's approach.

Tesla is notorious at overestimating their range where others like Ford, Porsche, BMW and others tend to underestimate their range. To me Tesla claiming 318 mi of range in our MY is disingenuous. I don't think we've ever gotten more than 270 miles at 65-70 mph freeway speeds.

Give me an accurate estimate any day.

 

[Chas1]

Frequent charging at home will be tough for those that live close to L3 chargers, given BMW’s 30 minutes of free fast charging for 2 years...especially those that live in areas with high electric rates.

I wish that was available in the UK but no such luck.

 

[i4m50Norway]

I wish that was available in the UK but no such luck.

But you get the Ionity agreement also in the UK ? 0.17 Euro/KWH ?

 

[Chas1]

But you get the Ionity agreement also in the UK ? 0.17 Euro/KWH ?

In UK we get free subscription to BP and Ionity and rates are 40p and 26p /kWh respectively. So it will be cheaper to charge at home overnight. Can anyone enlighten me about limiting amps during AC charging as the bmw app gives one the option to reduce from max 32 amps which obviously increases charging time? Is there an optimal AC charging rate?

 

[DWF700]

In UK we get free subscription to BP and Ionity and rates are 40p and 26p /kWh respectively. So it will be cheaper to charge at home overnight. Can anyone enlighten me about limiting amps during AC charging as the bmw app gives one the option to reduce from max 32 amps which obviously increases charging time? Is there an optimal AC charging rate?

Normally you will charge at 7Kw which is thereabouts 32A from an installed charge point. Unless you have a three phase supply in which case you can charge up to 22Kw. The charge point restricts the Amps the car can have to avoid blowing the main incoming fuse which can be raised to 100A from 60A on request from the DNO but you have to satisfy certain criteria before they will do that. Most charge points have a clamp to monitor the incoming current and will throttle back if necessary.

If you are charging from a 13A socket you should use a Granny charger that restricts the Amps to 13A, without that charger the car will try to pull 32A and bow the fuse in the plug. Guess you could also restrict current directly on the car by reducing down to 13A but there are safety issue to consider which the Granny charger should take care of.

 

[Chas1]

Normally you will charge at 7Kw which is thereabouts 32A from an installed charge point. Unless you have a three phase supply in which case you can charge up to 22Kw. The charge point restricts the Amps the car can have to avoid blowing the main incoming fuse which can be raised to 100A from 60A on request from the DNO but you have to satisfy certain criteria before they will do that. Most charge points have a clamp to monitor the incoming current and will throttle back if necessary.

If you are charging from a 13A socket you should use a Granny charger that restricts the Amps to 13A, without that charger the car will try to pull 32A and bow the fuse in the plug. Guess you could also restrict current directly on the car by reducing down to 13A but there are safety issue to consider which the Granny charger should take care of.

Thank you that’s interesting. I charge off a BMW 7kw wall charger which i installed for my i3 which caters pretty well for all my electron needs.