Subj : Moving on...
To   : All
From : Kurt Weiske
Date : Fri May 30 2025 07:51:07

I bought a BMW i3 in 2023, a little electric car with a range extender -
a 600 cc engine to charge the battery. Aluminum and carbon fiber
construction, quirky, fun to drive, great tech, fast, surprisingly
roomy. 120 miles range on electric and another 80 with the range
extender.

Alas, times change. It was great when I worked from home with the
occasional 40-50 mile trip. Now, I'm making a 150 mile round trip
commute twice a week. I have charging available at work, but a few
things bothered me.

It's a tiny car, and I've got a busy freeway commute with a mountain
pass full of people who don't pay attention which lane they're in or who
they cut off. I bet most of the jacked up SUVs can barely see my car.

It doesn't have a spare tire. The tires are generally odd - the fronts
and rears are different sizes, so you can't rotate them. They last
around 30K miles, one company makes all-season tires for it, and most
people have to order them. So, if I got a blowout, I'd need to tow the
car to a tire shop and have them order a replacement while I'm stuck on
the road somewhere.

On-the-road charging is hit-and-miss, at best. I'd guess my record of a
successful charge was around 50% - chargers that wouldn't initiate a
charge, chargers that were hung and wouldn't respond, chargers that
wouldn't read a credit card, or chargers that were no longer there.

I ended up buying an off-lease Lexus ES 300h. Based on the Toyota Avalon
platform, it's got a ton of room, seats 5, great seats, great tech, huge
trunk, Toyota running gear, and a listed 43/44 MPG. On my most recent
trip to work, I got 51 mpg!

Normal tires and a compact spare, too.

I was looking at a Prius Prime, as I'd like to be able to charge at home
to run errands and have gas for longer trips, but this cost less than a
new Prius, and it's a lot more car.
 
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