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It's one thing to take the REx on a round-trip that uses up both the battery capacity and the fuel, and it's a totally different thing to try to treat it as an ICE with repeated stops to fill the gas tank and no opportunity to recharge the batteries to their full state. Expecting the i3 to treat you the same as an ICE on say a 200+ mile, one-way trip is just not realistic, especially if those miles contain some strenuous sections (long grades, high average speed, the need for comfort features (like in the middle of winter - who wants to be bundled up heavily for that trip?)). If your daily intended use exceeds the BEV's, but does not exceed the REx's, it might be worth the added expense and backup capabilities. Otherwise, it's just one more thing that needs maintenance that will affect overall operating costs, purchase investment, and complexity, not counting that it weighs more and detracts from the overall performance and economy verses the BEV. BMW foresaw that need, and at least in some markets, offers the rental of a more suitable vehicle. Of course, that's always an option to arrange for yourself, but as in my case, and I think this will be fairly common, my i3 is not my only vehicle, so I can pick and choose when and which one I choose for the intended task at hand. As an only vehicle, a REx may or may not suffice for all of your needs.
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