Question, Rex, does it allow you to do a 500 mile journey only stopping to top-up the fuel? Can you fill the fuel tank multiple times and keep on going? Or do you need to stop and let it charge for a while?
Yes. You can stop and top up the fuel as many times as you want. It is like a “get out of jail for free” card when the electric range is not enough. Always nicer to travel on electric power though as smoother,quieter and no emissions.
@@markymarkreviews oh wow, so it's a great car. Truly a city EV and good range. But also a long range vehicle for those rare occasions. Omg they really should have marketed it better. I've had BMW, very nice cars. Never knew just how good the i3 was, is. Is. And thanks for the great video. You covered a lot.
You are only limited by the amount of fuel you put in. The small 9 litre tank gave about 80-100 miles of extra range when used on a motorway. On measuring, it gave around 45-50mpg
Thank you for the video. I am new to EV's and would like to know if there are EV forums that you recommend joining to ask general questions. Some I have seen are predominantly US based, but I am looking for a UK site that is well populated with frequent content. Thanks.
A friend let me drive hers. It was a 2014 with REX. Probably the nicest car I've ever driven. She bought it used and with an extended warranty / service contract. When she found out it was going to be discontinued, she went to the BMW dealer and traded for a brand new one!
Great feedback. It is a massive shame that BMW decided to cancel this model instead of fitting a slightly bigger or more energy dense battery in it. Is/was so ahead of its time. BMW have just reverted to huge,heavy,bloated (and inefficient) EVs now. I hope your friend has many years of enjoyable motoring from her i3. MM
Thanks for sharing this very thorough review Mark! It sounds like the eovolt is in my opinion the best fold up to go for if you want reliability, solidness, and dual town / mild off road capability. It looks like the eovolt has no design faults unlike the other more futuristic looking bikes. For people who are new to e bikes especially fold ups, the most important features you need are reliability, the availability of parts (like gear replacement) locally and a solid battery that won't surprise you by cutting out when you're in the middle of nowhere. I'm so glad I watched Mark's videos otherwise I'd have gone for a futuristic bike to discover that the app required doesn't even work on my phone!! I;m definitely a Francophile so am looking forward to trying the eovolt :)
Yes. I don’t see why not. It is obviously not a manual/stick shift car. But all round visibility is excellent and turning circle superb. My only query would be that you may be “spoiling” the learner, learning in such a lovely car. Their real next car owned may not be quite as nice! 😊 MM
I’m a 6’3” physically fit guy. I weigh about 93-95kg. The fact that this is edging to the limit of this bike is ridiculous. Add to that, the fact that you can buy a moped or a second hand car for less than this, makes the Gocycle an impossible purchase
Depends where you live? UK? And the individual service centre. Some do not like EVs at all as consider them dangerous to work on. I would advise you to contact a local BMW independent specialist. I no longer have the i3. My family member who now owns it took it to his local independent specialist to sort a problem out with the heater. But an oil change etc is straightforward. I only ever used a BMW main dealer. Car almost 7 years old now. MM
0:56 BMW chose to go with Ah instead of KWh because they want you to check the range and not be stopped by a small battery; these cars go far on a small battery because they weigh only 70% of a "normal" EV.
If the bike is set up for the N. American market, (via the app) then the boost "collar" works as a moped. As long as it is twisted and held in position it you can ride without pedalling. Higher top speed also. Not entirely legal in the UK though without insurance etc. Mine is set up for the UK (now) after initially being set up from purchase for the N. American market.
Good question. I don’t think they supply an “IP” waterproof rating. There are no upwards facing vents on top of the unit so water will not get in easily in a heavy downpour. I guess to be safe just keep it covered up with a jacket or umbrella if you are worried. After setting the pressure and pushing the on button,it does its thing automatically. MM
How are you getting on with your GoCycle atm Mark? Been thinking about getting one myself but I have read so many negative reviews, mainly about the after sales, that are making me very hesitant...
Will have to do a follow up video! Still an excellent e-bike but some definite ups and downs over the 2 years. Mostly ups! Important to have a good dealer back up. MM
The title of the video should be changed - you are basically introducing the car and not talking about its condition after four years and your impressions about using this car for four years...
Will depend on the individual person. You have to step up slightly and in to an i3. The sills are not “that” wide. You may have to take the people intended to an i3 to see how easy or difficult it is. MM
Hi when you insert the plug and have it on schedule charge not charging yet and lock the car is the plug locked? Because on mine it's not anyone could just pull out the plug.
The cable should lock in if the car is locked. If not, check the menus in the car. There are options about the charge port cable remaining unlocked or locked when plugged in etc.
considering the brompton top electric bike is 4 grand as well, i think its understandable, my only gripe would be the tacky phone holder, dunno if i would trust my phone to those rubber bands, but overall its a great design.
I considered the e-Brompton as well. But it was a bit of a mess design wise as the electric stuff is very much a retro fit. Cables everywhere. The phone holder rubber bands are a bit naff but do the job! And don’t mess up the folding part of the bike. I actually tried the QuadLock mount which was excellent and much neater but I hated their iPhone case as way too bulky and slippery,so back to the GoCycle rubber bands for me. MM
I am based in the UK. Was set up for the N. American market from the shop I bought it from. But this can be changed in the app at any time depending on your local laws and regulations/speed limits etc. MM
It’s a bit of a mess. Dealers of any manufacturer are finding it difficult to come to terms with loss of servicing revenue that EVs will undoubtedly bring. In the UK, Officially it is 2 years or 20,000 miles. But Hyundai also say there is an “optional” Inspection service at 1,3 & 5 years! Apparently if you do these ones which should be FREE but some dealers charge for, then it covers you for the Anti-Perforation Warranty. Sounds like a mess and it is. Tesla have no “Servicing Regime”. They say just bring it in if you have a problem. Which is how it should be for EVs. There is NOTHING or very little to “service” on an EV. Hope that helps. MM
One question from a new Gocycle owner: how do you secure your bike with a lock? I fear the bike could easily be stolen if I lock the frame to a post, because the folding mechanism might be broken easily and then one could steal the bike in a second.
I don't. My whole plan with this bike was that I would fold it up and take it with me. That includes in my local supermarket where I use it as a trolley by putting a large re-useable bag on the front when the bike is folded as it is easy to push. Bike theft is endemic in the UK. Whether a bike is locked up or not. I would never leave it outside and unattended. It will be stolen. It is small and expensive after all. If you think you will often have to leave it locked up on a street setting frequently I would advise you to get a cheap normal bike I am afraid. If there is one thing I have learnt from my bike riding friends is just how many bikes they have all had stolen. It is sad state of affairs. MM
Nice series of reviews! On level ground do you have to pedal ‘hard’ to get the gears to auto up shift from 2 to 3? Also I have occasional ‘clunking’ when changing gears. Dealer says cable stretch? Bike is a few days old.
Predictive gear shifting essentially works with the speed you are going. If you have your phone mounted and the app on, you can see the speed clearly. In practice 0mph to 7mph you will stay in first gear. As soon as you are above 7mph (7.3mph?) then the GoCycle will automatically shift in to 2nd gear, as long as you pause your cadence briefly to allow the gear change. And then when you go above 14mph, it will change up in to 3rd gear., if you pause the peddle cycle just momentarily. And vice- versa is true as you slow down and eventually stop. The GoCycle will change down gears. No need to pause the peddle cycle, the bike just down changes from 3 to 2 to 1 etc.as you slow down. It is totally intuitive and the auto gear changes work well vs speed. If you want you can turn off predictive shifting in the app and use the manual shift lever on the handlebars. Certainly no clunking on mine when changing gears but it may be worth seeing if they smooth off with time.May be a new bike thing and take time to bed in? MM
@@markymarkreviews thanks. The clunking is now not so frequent after approx 50 miles. It happened to another user who was pedalling when gears were changing, but I thought that the GC protected itself from this. He had to pay a lot for the repair!
@@adrianandlaura Well thats not good. I hope spaces like this help us all to correlate faults and issues on what is an expensive e-bike, so we can see if some things are more common than others and or expensive to fix! MM
@@markymarkreviews your videos convinced me to get the GC. I have had 5 faulty Brompton Electrics in a year, so am a bit worried about e-bikes now. GC seems to have been made a lot better. I think my issue may be gear cable stretch, and the gears may need a small adjustment. I was thinking that the upshifts were ‘effort’ related rather than ‘speed’ related, which has reassured me.
@@adrianandlaura I love Bromptons but the electric was an obvious retrofit and very messy. I did test ride one before getting the GC. Carrying the battery around after folding the Brompton did not appeal either and changing modes/power levels, I think you had to be stationary. 5 faulty ones is definitely not good! I felt starting this long term review would help others decide. I am a paying customer after all and not connected with GoCycle, so I am hoping mine remains reliable. It is a joy to ride. Will hopefully do a 1000 mile review soon.
I really like my 2017 i3 REx but ive had 2 flat tires in the first 30 days of owning it...🤦♂️, If u buy this car definitely buy the tire & wheel coverage from an official BMW dealership
Did your i3 come with the optional 20” wheels? They seem to be very puncture prone. I had one puncture with the standard 19” wheels. Big screw through the centre. Just required a standard tyre repair. MM
Predictive. Never used manual. It is very intelligent and seamless, at all times. Great when coming to a standstill at the traffic lights as shifts down to 1st gear so always ready to scoot off fast.
