When the BMW i3 first arrived available on the market in 2014, it was hailed as one of many most modern electrical autos of its time. With its carbon-fiber chassis, futuristic design, and sustainable supplies, it showcased BMW’s new imaginative and prescient for city mobility. However whereas the i3’s engineering was forward of the curve, its battery was not. Early fashions launched with simply 18.2 kWh of usable capability—good for about 80 miles of vary when new, or under 60 miles within the winter. We had one so we lived by these instances.
Right this moment, many first-generation i3s wrestle to handle even 60 miles on a full cost contemplating the battery degradation over time. Now, greater than a decade later, a Chinese language firm might have simply solved the i3’s greatest limitation.
Martigi Manufacturing (MTG), a battery retrofit specialist, has unveiled a high-capacity substitute battery pack for the BMW i3 that allegedly provides a big enhance in vary—as much as 3 times the unique—with out requiring main car modifications. Utilizing next-generation battery cells from Chinese language business big CATL, MTG’s improve transforms the i3 from a short-range commuter right into a long-distance electrical hatchback.
A Drop-In Improve with Fashionable Chemistry
The upgraded battery makes use of Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) chemistry and maintains the identical exterior type issue, voltage, and configuration as BMW’s unique pack. The package consists of 96 CATL cells organized in eight modules, with a complete capability of 154 amp-hours and 54 kilowatt-hours—in comparison with simply 60 Ah and 18.2 kWh within the unique i3. That’s a 156% enhance in capability over the earliest fashions, and nonetheless a 28% increase in comparison with BMW’s closing 42.2 kWh pack launched in 2019.
Importantly, MTG’s answer is suitable with all variations of the i3, together with the sooner 60 Ah and 94 Ah fashions, which make up the majority of used stock available on the market. The battery pack interfaces with the automotive’s current methods utilizing a modified battery administration system (BMS) offered in collaboration with Chinese language agency Echi Tech. All required wiring, connectors, and {hardware} are included within the package.
Whereas MTG markets the improve as a DIY-friendly product, it strongly recommends skilled set up as a result of high-voltage methods concerned.
Triple the Vary—At Half the Price
Vary positive factors are substantial. MTG claims that the 54 kWh battery can ship as much as 248 miles of driving on a full cost underneath superb situations. In real-world testing documented by the corporate, an i3 fitted with the upgraded pack traveled 186 miles on the freeway at a constant 62 mph—practically tripling the usable vary of many older fashions.
Much more spectacular is the pricing. The 154 Ah pack is listed at $5,800 on Alibaba, not together with transport or set up. A 120 Ah model, comparable in dimension to BMW’s closing i3 battery, is out there for $4,800. Each choices include a three-year guarantee and are rated for two,000 charge-discharge cycles.
Against this, a brand new manufacturing facility battery from BMW prices roughly $15,000 earlier than labor—pricing that has successfully rendered many early i3s uneconomical to restore. The MTG answer adjustments that equation dramatically. A well-maintained used i3 can now be bought for underneath $8,000. With the upgraded battery put in, house owners may have a 250-mile EV on the street for lower than $16,000—lower than the price of a base-model Nissan Leaf.
Here’s a video exhibiting the brand new battery pack:
