BMW EV's - Battery modules replaced individually

[OVERKILL]

Very much the opposite of the recent Hyundai/KIA headlines coming out of Canada regarding the insane battery pack replacement prices with the pack alone costing >$42,000:

I stumbled across a thread on a BMW EV forum about a guy whose i4 needed a module replaced. The dealership swapped out the defective module, and then performed a full discharge/recharge cycle to balance the pack and returned it to him. I was then able to find the individual modules:

As well as double cell modules (which are more expensive):

This is a refreshingly different, and more logical, approach.

BMW sells every single component for the battery and housing individually. You can see some of those on the right-hand side in the pictures. In fact, it doesn't appear they even sell the entire pack as a unit. If part of the housing is damaged, you buy that part of the housing, if the housing and a module is damaged, you buy the housing and a module, if a section of the cooling system is damaged, you buy that section of cooling system.

Ultimately, this means the vehicle isn't getting written-off if the battery cover is damaged, which is what happened with the H/K examples, with the argument made by the dealer that the cooling system, which is integral to the battery, was damaged, requiring the replacement of the whole thing.

 

[demarpaint]

^^ A step in the right direction. ^^

 

[AZjeff]

Wonder what all equivalent BMW parts would cost compared to H/K $42k?

 

[SC Maintenance]

Very curios.

So according to wiki - "The 108 mm (4.3 in) tall battery in the i4 is made up of four modules with 72 cells each and three 12-cell modules, which is located in the floorpan in a process that's claimed to add rigidity to the overall structure."

So I assume the cheaper one is one of the three in the floor, and the more expensive one is one of 4? Do I have that right?

 

[TumblrDucks]

Is Tesla battery pack modular design? Companies that competing with Tesla are sacrificing all other aspects to get the range target. If the industry can't pull itself out of it, I'd like to see a legislation mandate a repairable design.

 

[OVERKILL]

Wonder what all equivalent BMW parts would cost compared to H/K $42k?

I'm sure you could select them all and put it together, but can you envision a scenario where that would be necessary?

 

[Finklejag]

The BMW CE04 scooter uses the same battery as the i4. I wonder what the cost to replace those cells?

 

[OVERKILL]

Very curios.

So according to wiki - "The 108 mm (4.3 in) tall battery in the i4 is made up of four modules with 72 cells each and three 12-cell modules, which is located in the floorpan in a process that's claimed to add rigidity to the overall structure."

So I assume the cheaper one is one of the three in the floor, and the more expensive one is one of 4? Do I have that right?

Yes, I'd assume so.

 

[OVERKILL]

Is Tesla battery pack modular design? Companies that competing with Tesla are sacrificing all other aspects to get the range target. If the industry can't pull itself out of it, I'd like to see a legislation mandate a repairable design.

No, the Tesla batteries, like the H/K ones, are a unit from what I recall, and the more recent ones are fully potted:

 

[AZjeff]

I'm sure you could select them all and put it together, but can you envision a scenario where that would be necessary?

Just curious about bmw vs hundy prices.

 

[OVERKILL]

Just curious about bmw vs hundy prices.

Totally get that, but the point is that there should never be a scenario where that's necessary, since each part is available individually.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

There are battery pack teardown videos on YouTube for all sorts of EVs. Tesla's in-house round-cell designs are potted after the cover is attached to ensure they don't move - making them exceptionally difficult to repair. By saving costs up front using a round cell, they simply moved the design problem of transitioning to rectangular-shaped pack further up the chain. Almost every other maker starts with a rectangular cell and I think eventually Tesla may as well.

All Hyundai-Kia packs can be disassembled down to a module level as far as I know although you currently can't buy new parts from them so packs are replaced as a unit. They do seem to move one step at a time as a company and I'm confident it will change for the better.

BMW might be adhering to EU right-to-repair laws and I expect all EV makers will move in this logical direction.

 

[Trav]

That should put the screws to Blofelds ripoff scheme. That almost sounds reasonable even to me.

 

[Cujet]

I see an opportunity to produce a modular/nesting battery pack with regulated output, that automakers can simply purchase. And R+R when they fail. Regulated, so a mismatch has no effect on the other packs. In other words, pack capacity is known and managed. So all deplete about the same time.

A form of standardization, to a specification.

 

[Ws6]

No, the Tesla batteries, like the H/K ones, are a unit from what I recall, and the more recent ones are fully potted:

HK batteries are not "a unit". They're assembled/taken apart module by module. Noone but Tesla makes battery packs you can't work on.

Here is one for sale, albeit used.
https://www.greentecauto.com/hybrid...-ev6-nmc-24v-107ah-2-37kwh-new-battery-module

Here are all the OEM parts to "make your own battery pack"
https://www.kiapartsnow.com/genuine/kia-0~375j4gi000.html

This is just stupid clickbait trash meant to denigrate new technology the same way they made scary anti-electricty cartoons a century ago.

 

[OVERKILL]

HK batteries are not "a unit". They're assembled/taken apart module by module. Noone but Tesla makes battery packs you can't work on.

Good to know. However, the dealership, in both cases, tried to sell the entire assembly; a "unit", which is worth more than the car.

Here is one for sale, albeit used.
https://www.greentecauto.com/hybrid...-ev6-nmc-24v-107ah-2-37kwh-new-battery-module

Here are all the OEM parts to "make your own battery pack"
https://www.kiapartsnow.com/genuine/kia-0~375j4gi000.html

Both parts you linked are for your EV6. The battery in the OP, and the cars that were written-off, were both Ioniq 5's. Do they use the same parts?

I went back and searched some more. I can find individual modules for the Ioniq 5, however, that's not what the dealership tried to replace, underscoring the issue at play here.

This is just stupid clickbait trash meant to denigrate new technology the same way they made scary anti-electricty cartoons a century ago.

Give your head a shake. Two people had their car written off because at the H/K dealerships, the price of the battery pack, which is what they claimed needed to be replaced, exceeded the value of the car. That's not a dig at new technology or anything else you want to dream-up here, it's a problem with H/K and their dealer network.

So, you have two options:
1. You can shove your head in the sand and conjure up all manner of ridiculous hyperbole in an attempt to defend it
2. You can acknowledge that H/K and their dealerships didn't handle this properly and that's a serious problem that needs to be addressed

BMW is clearly handling this properly. That's a learning opportunity for other marques.

Not everything is an anti-EV conspiracy. Sometimes manufacturers make stupid decisions, or their dealerships make stupid decisions, which can also be as a result of poor communication or policy choice from the manufacturer.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Porsche/Audi has had replaceable modules since the Taycan and E-Tron GT came out. Nothing new here.

 

[OVERKILL]

Porsche/Audi has had replaceable modules since the Taycan and E-Tron GT came out. Nothing new here.

As I noted in the OP, I happened to stumble across a thread about an i4 owner having an individual module replaced by his dealership and that prompted me to look up the parts. It was very apparent that BMW expects component-level replacement, as they don't sell the whole battery as a unit, but they do sell every individual part. That is why I made this thread.

This experience seemed to be in stark contrast to the two recent Hyundai Ioniq 5 owners in Canada, which there are threads about, who were told they needed new $42,000 (CDN) batteries. This is even more ridiculous now that @Ws6 has pointed out that the packs are in fact serviceable, so there should be no reason for two cars to be written off here, as there's no way the packs, in their entirety, were damaged. The only "out" I can see here is that certain components aren't sold separately, but from what I could find in a brief search, both the upper and lower covers as well as the modules are available. If necessary parts are not available, then that's again on HK, and not a fundamental EV problem.

 

[proveitwithdata]

Folks nothing to see here, but Dorman innovation, a first for the aftermarket...trademarked. OE LEVEL FIX.


https://www.dormanproducts.com/pages/products/hybrid/index.aspx?origin=homebanner



/s cause dorman quality


Once the evs age unit of warranty, i assume costs are gonna tumble down to the point where solutions like this will exist at 1/10 of the cost

 

[SC Maintenance]

Good to know. However, the dealership, in both cases, tried to sell the entire assembly; a "unit", which is worth more than the car.

This really is no different than when a brand new ICE model comes out - the supply chain for parts takes a while. I saw it myself as a kid working at a dealer in the 90's. Something unusual would break early, no parts in the system. Back then the dealer had a special helpline for such problems. The service manager would call and someone would help you - but it could take a while. I remember an instrument cluster in an Oldsmobile that was especially problematic. I think someone honestly went and fished one off the production line and shipped it. Back when people solved problems.

In the Canadian H/K cases they put out a statement that tried to indirectly blame their dealer, even though that was apparently the only option. This should tell you what you need to know about buying something from them.