[cheerlessbog]

> with the range extender, basically turns the car into a hybrid

That's not fair since (unless you mod it) the REX only kicks in when you get to 6% battery. In the year I have been driving the i3 I have used less then a gallon of gas.

[windexh8er]

What's not fair? That the range isn't that of it's EV peers and so instead of address this with longer range batteries BMW made a cognizant decision to give buyers the option of a hybrid? Think about your statement: "In the year I have been driving the i3 I have used less then a gallon of gas." That would terrify me more than dealing with electric range for extended trips from time to time. Why? Because gasoline has a shelf life and all IC components are generally built and expected to run on a frequent basis. If that engine truly didn't run for almost a year, and let's say that is normal for i3 owners, then BMW is going to have a large number of those "range extender" customers needing repair for failed injectors and/or fuel pumps. I don't know enough about the i3 but I'm guessing it runs by force over the year, even if not required, to overcome this? Even then you have the issue of stale, non-stabilized gas.

[cheerlessbog]

Yeah it runs for 10 minutes each month. The motor is from a BMW moped so the maintenance should be simpler than a regular car engine plus it is never heavily loaded - always runs at optimum RPM. I occasionally put in a 1/4 gallon to freshen it up.