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We don't have the option of Auto Start-Stop here in Canada, but BMW must know that there are battery issues as my dealer included (for an extra fee of course) a battery charger when I ordered my car "to keep the battery properly conditioned" if I didn't drive the car for a while. I don't pay for extras like that, so I removed it from my order. But it raises a good question.
Our X1s also have brake-energy regeneration systems designed to capture energy while braking and charge the battery. This made me wonder... this sounds like a silly question, but do our cars have traditional alternators? Maybe these were removed in the name of weight savings, like the spare tire was, and that's why the battery can't be charged efficiently? Or maybe they used smaller, lighter weight alternators that aren't as powerful? Every other car I've ever had never exhibited drained batteries, even after sitting out in 2 weeks of sub -20C winter temperatures without being used.
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