4 ms·

My 2014 BMW i3 does this, at least with the European software on it. It's got a 2-cylinder motorcycle engine in the back that I can kick on at will (the US mode

My 2014 BMW i3 does this, at least with the European software on it. It's got a 2-cylinder motorcycle engine in the back that I can kick on at will (the US model, for silly reasons, doesn't give you this control unless you modify the system configuration over a diagnostic port). Works well. I've taken many long trips in it this way. Edit, for clarity: I have a US model with modded software. Without the mods, the ICE will kick on at ~10% battery. The mods let me start up the ICE whenever I want. But either way, it's more a backup generator than, say, a Prius setup.

KennyBlanken 4y ago
The range extender option was reportedly extremely unpopular among buyers. The i3 was also hideously unreliable, with lease turn-ins being practically given away at wholesale auctions. A substantial amount of pollution and efficiency loss is during warm-up, so activating the range extender when the battery is nearly depleted to maximize the extender's run time and thus maximize energy to pollution (and fuel consumption) ratio, is prudent...