i4 M50 range impact in snowy weather?

duanecarson · 10-02-2023, 05:23 PM

I'm thinking about doing a road trip from the NW down to SoCal this winter. Most of the drive is fine but southern Oregon and northern Cal will have a mountain pass to head over.

Has anyone had any issues with driving in the snow (outside of general snow driving issues)?

And any idea how much the range has been impacted for you? I've seen stories on ~10% and up but curious about real experience.

I'm driving a 2023 i4 M50. Thanks in advance for any tips.

tooshay · 10-02-2023, 11:37 PM

Charge whenever possible below 40%. The cold, driving fast, and using the heater will drain the battery fast.

Flamesofgold · 10-03-2023, 10:30 AM

20-30 percent reduced efficiency based on what I noticed.

The longer the trip the more efficient the car will be. However, do plan on average 20-30% less range. Especially on short 5-15 minute drives.

note46 · 10-03-2023, 12:12 PM

Not sure about snow but in rain it's about a 10-15% loss (on the freeway) on my eDrive40.

duanecarson · 10-03-2023, 04:48 PM

Appreciate the feedback all!

eddiehaug · 10-06-2023, 06:34 PM

I drove it on snow last season (I live in Norway). Depending on the temp, you'll see about 30% shorter range on average.

The car drives fine on snow, but keep in mind that this is basically a RWD car that opportunistically engages AWD when needed. It's not the typical X-Drive car you may be used to. This means that you may feel the car slip a bit more on the ice and snow and, although the computers react quickly to losses in grip, it is not instantaneous. So just careful with how much you push it eventually.

Another thing is that the car is very heavy, so inertia could be your enemy during spirited driving on snow or ice, always be aware of your surroundings, the roads and adjust your driving style accordingly.

On snow, you'll also need either winter tires or all-seasons. For deeper snow and icy roads I'd say you definitely need winter tires, so keep that in mind.

F3_BMW · 10-06-2023, 09:11 PM

Last year on M50 running 18" winter for a 450 mile trip I avgd 2.6 m/kWh average temp 5 deg F

Flamesofgold · 10-07-2023, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3_BMW

Last year on M50 running 18" winter for a 450 mile trip I avgd 2.6 m/kWh average temp 5 deg F

How often did u charge during this trip lol.

I haven’t taken mine out to any real long trips

10-02-2023, 05:23 PM	#1
duanecarson New Member 8 Rep 7 Posts Drives: BMW i4 M50 Join Date: Aug 2023 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (0)	i4 M50 range impact in snowy weather? I'm thinking about doing a road trip from the NW down to SoCal this winter. Most of the drive is fine but southern Oregon and northern Cal will have a mountain pass to head over. Has anyone had any issues with driving in the snow (outside of general snow driving issues)? And any idea how much the range has been impacted for you? I've seen stories on ~10% and up but curious about real experience. I'm driving a 2023 i4 M50. Thanks in advance for any tips.
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10-02-2023, 11:37 PM	#2
tooshay Captain 313 Rep 757 Posts Drives: G20+M3 badge Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Temecula iTrader: (6)	Charge whenever possible below 40%. The cold, driving fast, and using the heater will drain the battery fast.
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10-03-2023, 10:30 AM	#3
Flamesofgold First Lieutenant 108 Rep 310 Posts Drives: None Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: New york iTrader: (0)	20-30 percent reduced efficiency based on what I noticed. The longer the trip the more efficient the car will be. However, do plan on average 20-30% less range. Especially on short 5-15 minute drives.
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10-03-2023, 12:12 PM	#4
note46 Lieutenant 260 Rep 439 Posts Drives: M Coupe, 328d SW, i4 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: East Bay iTrader: (1)	Not sure about snow but in rain it's about a 10-15% loss (on the freeway) on my eDrive40.
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10-03-2023, 04:48 PM	#5
duanecarson New Member 8 Rep 7 Posts Drives: BMW i4 M50 Join Date: Aug 2023 Location: Seattle, WA iTrader: (0)	Appreciate the feedback all!
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10-06-2023, 06:34 PM	#6
eddiehaug Lieutenant 752 Rep 517 Posts Drives: i4M50 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Norway iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 BMW i4M50 [0.00]	I drove it on snow last season (I live in Norway). Depending on the temp, you'll see about 30% shorter range on average. The car drives fine on snow, but keep in mind that this is basically a RWD car that opportunistically engages AWD when needed. It's not the typical X-Drive car you may be used to. This means that you may feel the car slip a bit more on the ice and snow and, although the computers react quickly to losses in grip, it is not instantaneous. So just careful with how much you push it eventually. Another thing is that the car is very heavy, so inertia could be your enemy during spirited driving on snow or ice, always be aware of your surroundings, the roads and adjust your driving style accordingly. On snow, you'll also need either winter tires or all-seasons. For deeper snow and icy roads I'd say you definitely need winter tires, so keep that in mind. __________________ Current BMW: i4M50 (G26, 2023) Previous BMWs: 330e Touring xDrive (G21, 2021), 330e (G20, 2019), 530e (G30, 2018).
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10-06-2023, 09:11 PM	#7
F3_BMW Private First Class 6 Rep 124 Posts Drives: '17 330xi Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Denver iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 BMW i4 M50 [0.00] 2017 BMW 330i XDrive [0.00]	Last year on M50 running 18" winter for a 450 mile trip I avgd 2.6 m/kWh average temp 5 deg F __________________ 2017 330i xDrive - current 2022 i4 M50 - on order 2009 335i xDrive - sold
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