I spent £62,000 on an electric car but it runs out of battery in just a few hours… now BMW is refusing to fix it
A DRIVER who forked out £62,000 for an electric car is furious as he claims the battery only lasts a few hours.
The parent traded in their BMW X5 diesel for the more eco-friendly BMW iX3 but is less than impressed with the result.
He says that not only is it unable to make cross-country trips without a recharge, it also fails to match much cheaper models.
And to make matters worse, the driver says the manufacturer blamed the vehicle's poor performance on factors such as using the aircon and heated seats - and is refusing to help.
The unnamed motorist told : "Last year I decided it was time to get an electric car, so I traded in my BMW X5 diesel for a BMW iX3.
"I wish I hadn’t. The battery is supposed to have a range of 285 miles but it performs so poorly on occasions that it is only able to show a maximum range of 145 miles.
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"We live down south and have family in the north of England, but the car won’t get us there in one stop.
"It took us nine hours each way over Christmas. We have three children and it was a nightmare."
The driver, from Essex, paid £62,000 for the green motor but "really expected better".
They say it performs significantly worse than their "brilliant" Peugeot electric vehicle, which cost less than half the iX3.
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Despite repeated attempts to resolve the issues with the dealership, BMW and BMW Financial Services, nothing has been done, it is alleged.
"I have never in my life experienced such a dismissive attitude," the motorist said.
"We first raised the issues with the car seven days after purchase, and with the benefit of hindsight, I should have rejected the car there and then."
The dealership later offered £50,000 for the motor, which is not designed for long motorway journeys at high speeds, but the anonymous parent feared they would simply sell it on for a hefty profit which would be "grossly unfair".
They later agreed to return the driver's £11,500 deposit, and accepted that the £2,600 paid so far would cover the cost of ownership over the last six months
A BMW spokesperson said: "A fully electric car will be the ideal choice for many customers now.
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"For some customers, a plug-in hybrid or combustion engine vehicle may be the more appropriate choice.
"For this reason, it’s important that both retailers and customers discuss individual needs before each vehicle purchase."