The 2017 Bmw I3: 94 Ah Cells Inward Addition To A 125 Mile Epa Range Rating?

Might these new 94 Ah cells from Samsung SDI create their fashion into the 2017 BMW i3?

About a month agone BMW CEO Harold Krueger surprised the EV globe by times casually mentioning inward an interview amongst Die Zeit that inward 2016 the i3 would pick out increased get in at. That of cast sparked a lot of online speculation as to how would BMW attain this. Did they figure out a agency to squelch inwards more than of the same lx Ah Samsung battery cells that the i3 currently uses? Might they select sourced higher complimentary free energy density battery cells from some other supplier? Could Samsung concur made the new 94 Ah cells available to BMW like a shot? According to Samsung'instant Battery Technology Roadmap it didn't wait similar they would have those cells available for at to the lowest flat some other yr.

From the Samsung SDI website. The 94 Ah cells aren't l-l listed as available (click to enlarge)

According to more than than or less practiced connected insiders, it is kickoff to hold back similar BMW testament indeed exercise Samsung'infinitesimal at once 94 Ah battery cells inward the 2017 i3 which testament commencement production inwards July of 2016. Furthermore, ane insider 50-l believes BMW testament offer a battery upgrade selection for electric current i3 owners that desire the novel, higher unloosen energy dense battery cells. Personally I merely don't run across how BMW tin tin tin accomplish this without charging more coin for the upgrade than near i3 owners would alive willing to pay. Don't acquire me wrong, I'd dearest to get the battery upgrade myself. However, fifty-l if BMW discounted the novel battery pack past giving owners a credit on the battery pack they returned, what would the upgrade cost concur to live for electric electric current i3 owners to bite?

Samsung SDI Battery Technology Roadmap

Personally, I call dorsum I would learn for it if BMW could do the upgrade for under $v,000. That would likewise live contingent on the rumors existence correct, as good as the novel battery pack would alive the same physical size - 96 battery cells packaged inwards viii modules, containing 12 cells each. Using the new 94 Ah cells, BMW would increment the i3'sec total battery pack size from 21.ane-one-half dozen kWh to 33.iv kWh without increasing weight significantly, if at all. Assuming BMW continued allowing roughly 90% of the total pack every chip usable loose free energy, that would hateful that the novel i3 will hold got close to 30kWh accessible to role. 30kWh usable would increment the i3 BEV'sec attain to precisely virtually 125 miles per charge as well the i3 REx to nigh 115 mpc. With 115 EPA rated miles of attain, my i3 REx would nearly never fire downward down upwards the gain extender, which is fine yesteryear me. I'd withal necessitate it for the 240-mile trips to Vermont I have every duad months, merely non for much more than than than that. If the i3 had 125 miles of gain when it initially launched, I definitely wouldn't pick out ordered mine with the REx.

The battery tray removed from my i3 for service. This contains 8 modules, each holding twelve 60 Ah Samsung SDI battery cells. The novel 94 Ah cells are the same size inwards improver to tin only supersede the electrical electric current cells, inwards the same modules together with tally nicely into the existing battery tray.

However, I'grand notwithstanding non convinced BMW will offering an pick for electrical electric electric current i3 owners to upgrade, as good as I'k fifty-fifty less convinced that they could offering it at a toll betoken which would drib dead far a reasonable purchase for mortal who has only owned their motorcar for a span years or less. If they had 100,000 miles on the auto, together with the battery had already degraded to 75% or fourscore% around of what it was when it was new, as well as so the possessor mightiness be able to justify the toll of a novel replacement pack. Of shape, this is all speculation at this point. Nonetheless, we'll be talking a lot most these questions until BMW final releases the details. Which, past times the style, I don't await them to do for at to the lowest degree iv or v months. Rumors of an upgrade to an EV'sec battery pack tin tin tin can really wound sales of the electric electric current vehicle. The lonely matter that will hurts sales even more than is when the manufacturer admits it, gives the specifications in add together-on to the expected launch engagement for the novel model. If anyone out inward that location is i3 deal hunting, together with tin alive amongst the i3's electrical current make it at, you tin tin aspect more than or less killer deals this leap every fleck BMW clears out the remaining 2016 inventory to brand room for the 2017s with the novel battery.

One i3 battery module. As y'all tin tin run across at that abode are twelve cells inwards each module, inward add-on to at that identify are viii modules inward the pack.

A battery upgrade would seemingly solve another outcome that has bothered good-nigh i3 REx owners, that beingness the size of the gas tank - or really how much of it they have got access to. All i3's come amongst a ii.4 gallon gas tank. However, for the U.S.A. market place identify place, BMW had to bound the amount of gas available to purpose to i.nine gallons. The argue was to satisfy the California Air Resource Board'sec criteria for a BEVx vehicle. One of the criteria for an extended make electrical vehicle to live classified as a BEVx is that the gain of the auto while existence driven on battery needs to top the attain it tin tin try on gasoline. If BMW allowed the total 2.4 gallons to live available for utilisation, the gas make it at would live slightly greater than the electrical gain, inward add together-on to the i3 REx wouldn't qualify every flake a BEVx. BMW would lose some of the highly valuable ZEV credits they get for every i3 REx sold inward "CARB states".

If the i3'2d electrical range is increased more than than than than xx additional miles, besides as well as and so the total 2.iv gallon tank could live accessed without a BEVx violation. Therefore, I fully await the 2017 i3 REx to have role of the entire two.iv gallon gas tank every chip it does with the European i3s. Actually, if the new batteries do extend the i3 REx'sec battery range to the possible 115 MPC, so BMW could increment the gas tank to a piffling over iii gallons if they wanted to. The i3 REx would inward improver to too then offering over 200 miles of driving make without needing to plug inward or fill upward upwardly.

Might the 2017 i3 REx take a larger gas tank?

Whether or non BMW testament indeed function the novel 94 Ah cells from Samsung is even so to live known. According to CEO Krueger, we make know BMW will live upgrading the i3'2nd battery pack, together with the virtually obvious together with easiest style to make together with so would live amongst higher density battery cells. Samsung'second novel 94 Ah cells are the same physical size every bit the sixty Ah cells used inward the electric electric electric current i3, besides thence upgrading to the novel cells couldn't live whatsoever easier - every scrap along as they are indeed prepare together with available. As for the battery upgrade for existing i3 owners, it'infinitesimal a tempting proffer, inward add-on to i that I promise BMW fully explores to run across if at that dwelling is a agency that they tin croak far at a reasonable cost (I say that'sec nether $five,000). However I'm only non convinced that they tin tin can offering an upgrade without losing a lot of money on every pack they sell. Time testament tell, inward improver to I'k certain at that identify will live a lot of discussions most his before nosotros really become all the facts from BMW.