[injin09]

A significant part of my driving is local, however there are a few times per week when I have to drive past the electric range and the long distance trips once or twice a year.

Every time I've tested the 330e, it's had more than 30% charge so the electric motor was always engaged. What's the acceleration and power delivery like once the battery is depleted? Is it much worse than a 330i?

Thanks in advance.

[madpistol]

According to everything I've seen/read, it's got the same motor out of a 320i, which means it will feel lethargic, especially when you consider the extra mass from the battery pack.

[DRuw]

although that is true, my experience is that with simple brake regeneration, the power is fed directly back into the battery pack and accelerating is then done with electric power using as much gas during constant driving as possible.
I am really surprised about the battery power as well. I drive it 100% electric on normal days and it is very easy to accelerate fast enough to be quicker than the rest of the cars at the traffic lights

try to get a test drive for a longer period of time or ask them to have it empty when you get it.
I am impressed with the range and yes, only on gas it's a bit sluggish buy that hardly happened till now (1750kms total, 1050 electric)

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by madpistol

According to everything I've seen/read, it's got the same motor out of a 320i, which means it will feel lethargic, especially when you consider the extra mass from the battery pack.

I believe you are wrong. BMW saves approximately 20% of the battery capacity to extend the life of the battery pack. I believe that BMW lets you invade that remaining 20% for boost.

[gavinwong]

If you don't have any e boost remaining, then it can be pretty sluggish (in lower speeds, seems to be better at kick down at around 90kmph)
Think the ICE alone is only about 180bhp.

Thread here about some of the comparisons between 330i and e

https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1762993

[gavinwong]

Just done a 1200km journey. Amsterdam to Lake Garda in Italy. Started with a full charge and got 48km out of it, but it regenerated 60km of range on the trip thanks to the roads in Switzerland.
Average petrol consumption was 6.2l per 100km. Which I didn't think was too bad considering the fun I had on the journey through Germany 😬

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by gavinwong

Just done a 1200km journey. Amsterdam to Lake Garda in Italy. Started with a full charge and got 48km out of it, but it regenerated 60km of range on the trip thanks to the roads in Switzerland.
Average petrol consumption was 6.2l per 100km. Which I didn't think was too bad considering the fun I had on the journey through Germany 😬

wow 6.2l/100km is around 38+mpg, that is not far off from my best hwy 42mpg on 330i.

Was there any recharge opportunity along your journey, e.g. a lunch/dinner break, or sleepover along the Alps?

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by gavinwong

If you don't have any e boost remaining, then it can be pretty sluggish (in lower speeds, seems to be better at kick down at around 90kmph)
Think the ICE alone is only about 180bhp.

Thread here about some of the comparisons between 330i and e

https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1762993

So when eboost is depleted, what is your estimated 0-60 time? Is it around 8 seconds?

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by gavinwong

If you don't have any e boost remaining, then it can be pretty sluggish (in lower speeds, seems to be better at kick down at around 90kmph)
Think the ICE alone is only about 180bhp.

Thread here about some of the comparisons between 330i and e

https://g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1762993

Agree. The key question is whether one has boost left. If one is on a track with a 330e one would likely exhaust any boost. But in normal driving, there should always be boost, just not always have all electric driving.

I have been driving a BMW PHEV for almost five years and have never failed to have boost.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

I have been driving a BMW PHEV for almost five years and have never failed to have boost.

Let's say electric-only range is exhausted and ICE kicks in, kicking down a few times can still exhaust remaining eboost, correct?

If so then it is up to how long the driver cruises before battery has enough juice for another eboost.

I think when u said "have never failed to have boost", u might have been readjusted to eboost-with-enough-juice, instead of eboost-on-demand.

[gavinwong]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

wow 6.2l/100km is around 38+mpg, that is not far off from my best hwy 42mpg on 330i.

Was there any recharge opportunity along your journey, e.g. a lunch/dinner break, or sleepover along the Alps?

Yeah was pretty impressed considering the car was fully packed with the seats down as were away for a month. Also a heavier foot than usual on the autobahn 😉
No overnight stop in Switzerland this time. Only stop breaks for 10-15 mins every 2.5 hours and then about 45 mins for lunch. No opportunity to plug it in. Total trip was about 13.5 hours I think.
0-60 time would be a guess at around 8. Tbh I've not timed it even when boost is available.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

So when eboost is depleted, what is your estimated 0-60 time? Is it around 8 seconds?

Originally Posted by gavinwong

0-60 time would be a guess at around 8. Tbh I've not timed it even when boost is available.

320i 0-60 mph is reported at 6.7 seconds. Taking into account the extra weight of the battery I’d guess the 330e could do it in around 7.0 seconds.

[fereke]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

Let's say electric-only range is exhausted and ICE kicks in, kicking down a few times can still exhaust remaining eboost, correct?

If so then it is up to how long the driver cruises before battery has enough juice for another eboost.

I think when u said "have never failed to have boost", u might have been readjusted to eboost-with-enough-juice, instead of eboost-on-demand.

I'm in the same boat as SteveInArizona, never found myself without boost (-on-demand) in real life.

Sure, driving full electric until ICE takes over in then kicking it down, braking hard and flooring again many times would probably result in no juice anymore at some point, but that would be quite an artificial situation - at least for me. And I wonder which of the brakes or the battery would fail first

In practice, I quite often find myself in situations where there is either some engine braking or not demanding the full power from the ICE which means battery can be charged. And the car does that quickly for the first "few miles" of e-autonomy.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by fereke

I'm in the same boat as SteveInArizona, never found myself without boost (-on-demand) in real life.

Sure, driving full electric until ICE takes over in then kicking it down, braking hard and flooring again many times would probably result in no juice anymore at some point, but that would be quite an artificial situation - at least for me. And I wonder which of the brakes or the battery would fail first

In practice, I quite often find myself in situations where there is either some engine braking or not demanding the full power from the ICE which means battery can be charged. And the car does that quickly for the first "few miles" of e-autonomy.

That is great feedback, so 330e can swap back into hybrid mode and efficiently recharge using engine braking/cruising. And gavinwong's 38+mpg data points prove that too.

Now it somewhat makes sense why BMW engineers use 180HP vs. 250HP version of 4-cylinder, namely, while the reduced power band costs mpg if pushed, drivers do not suffer much before battery has enough juice to sustain another bursts(or 2?) of eboost.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

That is great feedback, so 330e can swap back into hybrid mode and efficiently recharge using engine braking/cruising. And gavinwong's 38+mpg data points prove that too.

Now it somewhat makes sense why BMW engineers use 180HP vs. 250HP version of 4-cylinder, namely, while the reduced power band costs mpg if pushed, drivers do not suffer much before battery has enough juice to sustain another bursts(or 2?) of eboost.

Yeah. But like Tim Taylor I want more...AKA the 545e!!!! Damn...they won't sell the thing in the US.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

Yeah. But like Tim Taylor I want more...AKA the 545e!!!! Damn...they won't sell the thing in the US.

My 15-mile 330e test drive was not enough to get another eboost burst, so the drive was a bit underwhelming.

But I can see how daily use can be planned to start with full charge, then stay in hybrid mode by default, and only eboost/EV only once in a while.

The key disadvantage is mainly trunk space and range on road trips, so one has to weight in pros and cons.

[DRuw]

well, in the Netherlands, electrical power is way cheaper then gas. I charge the car at night and start in the morning fully charged.
I drive approximately 45kms to work where I can charge as well so when I leave after work it's full again.
So I basically drive ev
On the long drive, I put it on hybrid or adaptive and make sure that electric is depleted at the end of the drive so I drive as efficient as possible.
Eboost is available as soon as you have breaked 3 or 4 times or simply coasting a bit and I'm really surprised on how efficient that works!
Just driving on the highway doesn't charge the batteries, unless you push the button to actively regenerate or drive in sport mode.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by DRuw

well, in the Netherlands, electrical power is way cheaper then gas. I charge the car at night and start in the morning fully charged.
I drive approximately 45kms to work where I can charge as well so when I leave after work it's full again.
So I basically drive ev
On the long drive, I put it on hybrid or adaptive and make sure that electric is depleted at the end of the drive so I drive as efficient as possible.
Eboost is available as soon as you have breaked 3 or 4 times or simply coasting a bit and I'm really surprised on how efficient that works!
Just driving on the highway doesn't charge the batteries, unless you push the button to actively regenerate or drive in sport mode.

It is good the active regenerate/sport mode for charging up, I will try that if I can get 330e loaner@service.

3-4 brakes to charge up is pretty good, so city driving can refill eboost too.

[Denni5]

I recently bought a 330e and I'm actually happy with the millage.
I commute 65 km (one way) and I'm able to charge it both at work and my house.(55km out of the 65km is highway)
So for one way trip, I drive about 30km electric and the rest 35km with gas; so far I'm averaging 4.1l/100km with 76% Fuel remaining and total 279km on odometer. I'll be posting a review on how 330e does for a long distance trip after about a month or so. But so far it seems great

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

My 15-mile 330e test drive was not enough to get another eboost burst, so the drive was a bit underwhelming.

But I can see how daily use can be planned to start with full charge, then stay in hybrid mode by default, and only eboost/EV only once in a while.

The key disadvantage is mainly trunk space and range on road trips, so one has to weight in pros and cons.

You are correct about the reduced trunk space. My son, daughter in law and one year old grandson were taking a trip. I offered to swap cars with them so they would have my better car for the trip. But they couldn't fit all the stuff they needed to take a trip with a one year old.

It would have been much better given the space reduction if they had made the hybrid a hatch instead of a trunk.

[bmw34me]

I asked this exact question at the dealer when I picked up my 330e.
They told me that the battery will always have a minimum amount of charge even if you never plug it in. So that at all times the car has access to all it's horses and it never turns into basically a heavy 320i.
They also said driving like that would be very very costly

I am still in the first 1000km so haven't tested 0-100 times with&without charge yet. If I do I'll report here.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by bmw34me

I asked this exact question at the dealer when I picked up my 330e.
They told me that the battery will always have a minimum amount of charge even if you never plug it in. So that at all times the car has access to all it's horses and it never turns into basically a heavy 320i.
They also said driving like that would be very very costly

I am still in the first 1000km so haven't tested 0-100 times with&without charge yet. If I do I'll report here.

I don't think a battery can maintain minimum charge without some type of power source, so the reality should be that the car tries its best to use cruising(when enabled) and regenerative brake to recapture energy.

So the car does turn into a sluggish 320i with extra 400+lb when battery does not have enough juice, but the driver can adapt to hide that sluggishness by not demanding power during that window of recharging.

It is similar to BEV drivers needing to plug in at low-rate hours, and hide on-the-road (slow) charge time with breaks/stayovers, and limp to next charge port during road trips.

I do wonder what is effective mpg when a 330e driver starts a road trip of, say, 1000 miles, with 100% empty battery.

Or what is hybrid range with a full (10.6 gallons?) tank and 100% empty battery.