Upgraded my electric ride - 2017 BMW i3

[GrumpyCat]

Driving the i3 is quite a bit different with the “always on” regeneration. Lift off the throttle and the i3 slows quickly and turns on your brake lights so the guy behind you won’t get surprised. I used to own a Leaf and you could turn the regeneration on or off which would be nice but the BMW doesn’t allow that; it’s always on!

Be aware the i3 doesn’t always regenerate. You might also note the term “regenerate” is never used in the manuals. They say “energy recovery”, and go farther in stating here is no recovery below approximately 12 MPH. At that point BMW drives the motor in reverse to provide one pedal driving to a complete stop but they are afraid to tell you that.

An electric motor/generator can not generate much at low RPM therefore it can not provide significant useful braking force.

Tesla leaves the brake pedal as a pure brake pedal, no software enhancements. And the accelerator pedal also does nothing more than whatever the motor will do. At cooler temperatures Tesla’s warning chimes are agreesive at informing the driver of reduced or nonexistent regenerative braking. The car drives really weird without regeneration. With, it drives a lot like a big V8 with manual transmission

 

[pezzy84]

Not sure if BMW had upgraded the mount by 2017 but you might want to check into the broken motor mount issues that plagued the i3 - seems it can be a very very expensive problem if not under warranty.

 

[andreigbs]

Congrats! I see a little i3 running around my town, the only one of its kind, and it always makes me smile.

You should look up BimmerLink and BimmerCode, two very important apps for BMW owners. The first is a very good in-depth scan tool that can check many things and erase faults, while the latter is a coding tool that enables/disables certain features that you car may currently have locked.

You'll need to use a compatible OBD2 device, like the Veepeak or something like that. All under $50 and you have a powerful scan tool and coding tool combo any BMW enthusiast should own.

 

[Scout1]

Be aware the i3 doesn’t always regenerate. You might also note the term “regenerate” is never used in the manuals. They say “energy recovery”, and go farther in stating here is no recovery below approximately 12 MPH. At that point BMW drives the motor in reverse to provide one pedal driving to a complete stop but they are afraid to tell you that.

An electric motor/generator can not generate much at low RPM therefore it can not provide significant useful braking force.

Tesla leaves the brake pedal as a pure brake pedal, no software enhancements. And the accelerator pedal also does nothing more than whatever the motor will do. At cooler temperatures Tesla’s warning chimes are agreesive at informing the driver of reduced or nonexistent regenerative braking. The car drives really weird without regeneration. With, it drives a lot like a big V8 with manual transmission

Really?!? Are you speculating or do you have a source on that reversing the motor to provide one pedal driving? I'm surprised due to the emphasis BMW has placed on efficiency and driving the motor in reverse would seem a waste of battery energy. On the other hand, I have to admit I'm a little baffled on how the i3 keeps such strong decel all the way to a stop. My Fiat and older Leaf didn't do that so perhaps you are right!

 

[Scout1]

Congrats! I see a little i3 running around my town, the only one of its kind, and it always makes me smile.

You should look up BimmerLink and BimmerCode, two very important apps for BMW owners. The first is a very good in-depth scan tool that can check many things and erase faults, while the latter is a coding tool that enables/disables certain features that you car may currently have locked.

You'll need to use a compatible OBD2 device, like the Veepeak or something like that. All under $50 and you have a powerful scan tool and coding tool combo any BMW enthusiast should own.

Thanks! Yeah, I've been looking for something I can read codes with. Do both these work on all BMW's or just the i3? I already have an OBD2 device to link with my smartphone but I thought I read somewhere a standard OBD2 device can cause damage to the I3. That true?

 

[Scout1]

The engine is not from any scooter. However BMW buys many motorcycle engines from Rotax.

Ahhh... I think you are right! BMW does make a 650 cc scooter with a similar engine but it has 60 hp while the REX only has 36 hp. So while it's similar, it's definitely not a scooter engine! Seems that it is built by Kymoco to BMW specifications although I heard it may be assembled in Germany instead of Taiwan.. not really sure!

 

[Scout1]

Not sure if BMW had upgraded the mount by 2017 but you might want to check into the broken motor mount issues that plagued the i3 - seems it can be a very very expensive problem if not under warranty.

Wow, thanks for the heads up; didn't know about this! I'll do more reading but it sounds like BMW did some upgrades in 2015 and 2016 so my 2017 should have the fixes in place. But I'm sure going to remove the engine cover and do some looking at these motor mounts!

I have noticed from a stand still it doesn't allow full power to be applied immediately compared to when you punch it at 25 mph, it takes off instantly. So I expect the software fix to limit torque is already programmed into mine...

 

[Scout1]

Wow, thanks for the heads up; didn't know about this! I'll do more reading but it sounds like BMW did some upgrades in 2015 and 2016 so my 2017 should have the fixes in place. But I'm sure going to remove the engine cover and do some looking at these motor mounts!

I have noticed from a stand still it doesn't allow full power to be applied immediately compared to when you punch it at 25 mph, it takes off instantly. So I expect the software fix to limit torque is already programmed into mine...

I peeked under the bonnet, well under the back floor pan anyway and yes, I do have the upgraded metal motor mount so I should be good on this.

 

[andreigbs]

The two apps work with all BMWs, Minis, and all other BMW-related vehicles. They will literally save you hundreds of dollars just in regular maintenance, they're a solid investment and cheap if you think about it.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Thanks for post Scout. I always like to check where the power is coming from and it looks like most of it is hydro. Chart is a bit old so I’m not sure if coal is still a even a player.

 

[GrumpyCat]

I have noticed from a stand still it doesn't allow full power to be applied immediately compared to when you punch it at 25 mph, it takes off instantly. So I expect the software fix to limit torque is already programmed into mine...

One of the difficulties in building an EV is to create a motor controller which does not “skirp” tires every time off the line. Early homebrew EVs using industrial controllers had this problem. Smooth starts were hard. Is not that hard to do today.

My Model S pulls noticeably harder when it hits 35 MPH.

 

[JeffKeryk]

My Model S pulls noticeably harder when it hits 35 MPH.

Giving a Tesla some throttle at 35 MPH is the "whoah" moment... And you smile so hard your face hurts.
And your passengers are terrified!