NHTSA Complaint #10817494 — 2015 BMW I3

2015 BMW I3 WITH RANGE EXTENDER (REX) JUST HIT 1000 MILES. HAD FOR 6 WEEKS. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN A FREEWAY AT 75 MPH USING MY ELECTRIC CAR. AS THE BATTERY WAS ALMOST OUT OF JUICE, I KNEW THE FUEL RANGE EXTENDER WOULD KICK IN. HOWEVER, WHEN THE EXTENDER KICKED IN, MY MPH IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO DROP. WITHIN THE 15 SECONDS, I WAS DOWN TO 35 MPH FROM THE 75 I WAS TRAVELING. I HAD THE ACCELERATOR FLOORED, BUT COULD NOT GET ANY POWER TO KEEP UP WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS TURNED ON. MY CAR AND I SAFELY NAVIGATED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THANK GOODNESS THERE WAS NOT A CAR FOLLOWING TO CLOSE OR A SEMI TRUCK. I WOULD BE DEAD OR IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF THERE WAS. MY CONCERN, CONSUMERS ARE NOT BEING WARNED OF THIS ISSUE... HERE ARE A FEW MORE FACTS THAT ARE RELAVATN 1. WHEN I DROVE THE CAR THE FIRST TIMER HE RANGE EXTENDER KICKED IN. I WAS NOT DROPPED DOWN TO 30-35 MPH, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH FREEWAY TRAFFIC JUST FINE 2.ON DECEMBER 29, 2015 II WAS TRAVELING ON A FREEWAY AT 75 MPH. THERE WAS A SLIGHT INCLINE. MY ELECTRIC HAD BEEN USED AND THE REX KICKED IN. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO DROP IN SPEED. I HAD THE ACCELERATOR PUSHED TO THE FLOOR IN HOPES OF GETTING THE CAR BACK UP TO A SAFE SPEED. HOWEVER, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. I HAD TO NAVIGATE MY DYING CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN 75 MPH TRAFFIC. 3.IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE I3 TO THE BMW SERVICE PROVIDER. INSTRUCTED BY THE SERVICE DEPT THIS IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. ERROR MESSAGE OF 0056 DID NOT HAVE ANY DESCRIPTION ON IT. NOT SURE HOW THE TECHNICIAN KNEW THERE WAS NOT AN ISSUE 4.INSTRUCTED BY SERVICE DEPT TO GO BACK TO MY SALES PERSON TO BE RE-TRAINED ON MY CAR. WHY ISN'T THERE AN INDICATOR LIGHT WARNING THE DRIVER YOU WILL BE LOOSING SIGNIFICANT POWER AND SPEED. PULL OVER TO A SAFE MPH? CONCERNED FOR OTHER CONSUMERS....SOMEONE WILL NOT BE AS LUCKY AS I WAS