How to Find The Battery Capacity In The BMW i3

[@bmwblog]

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[@johnbb99]

I'm sure this video is well-intentioned, but reading Max Kappa is misleading. Max Kappa is the BMS estimated snapshot capacity at that point in time, its based on external factors (temperature, current load), coulomb count, these factors are then fed into a statistical model to provide an educated guess of what the current capacity of the pack.

[@geoffreyturner4912]

Just about to buy an i3, so thanks for this useful video on capacity. It would be impossible to check without help such as yours, since it is so hidden deep in the menu

[@bmwblog]

Glad I could help! More to come!

[@Teesquared00]

Thanks for this little tutorial! Checked my 2015 i3 battery today, and the capacity is 17.4kWh out of 18.2-18.8 when new. 4-8% degredation after 6 years and 63000km. Very pleased with that - seems like the battery is high quality.

[@bmwblog]

Fantastic! That's really good capacity

[@jerryguitar1420]

When you write 17.4 kWh, is it the gross capacity or the usable capacity? Because when new it should have 18.8 usable and 22.0 gross capacity.

[@Teesquared00]

@@jerryguitar1420 I believe that is usable capacity.

[@MrDeathmute]

My 2014 i3 bev 17,2kwh Very good quality batteries!

[@johnbb99]

Yes, they are good batteries, and more important is the excellent BMS looking after it. But (as I posted nearby) Max Kappa is not a reliable measure, as it changes depending on various factors.

[@Ali_Shafai]

This was really helpful. Thanks. More like this would definitely be welcomed! 🙏🏽

[@bmwblog]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joanmcc752]

Very useful video when buying an i3. Really appreciate it

[@bmwblog]

Glad it helped

[@johnbb99]

Why the hidden menu battery reading is NOT an indicator of battery health. Max Kappa is the BMS estimated snapshot capacity at that point in time, its based on external factors (temperature, current load), coulomb count, these factors are then fed into a statistical model to provide an educated guess of what the current capacity of the pack. There is no way to display the battery SoH on an i3. (But it's almost certainly fine, as many have done 100,000 miles with no noticeable degradation. BMW did a good job of making sure the car looks after the battery well.) The best thing you can do is to regularly leave it on AC charge until **and after** it has reached 100% charge capacity. This is when cell balancing takes place. This information (on how cell balancing is managed on the i3) was given to some lucky owners who were given a workshop tour at the BMW UK HQ.

[@lilys.9340]

Can you give an explanation of this, in more detail or include a link to an article or video explaining it? Thank you! "The best thing you can do is to regularly leave it on AC charge until *and after* it has reached 100% charge capacity. This is when cell balancing takes place."

[@matswessling6600]

seems wrong since you shouldnt charge to 100% regularly.

[@johnbb99]

@@matswessling6600 The simple answer is that is only true [if at all] for some EVs. It appears that the advice for some EVs is not to leave it at 100% SoC for any length of time. In 3 years of EV ownership [I now have two from different makes] I find htere is a lot of confusion, much hearsay, a fair bit of BS, and too much generalisation. Also don't take lab tests done on one particular type of battery in one circumstance to dictate how to treat others. See the Google drive link I posted nearby - if it works for you. It explains why it is beneficial for the i3's battery to be AC charged to 100%, and then left with the charger connected. It is then that cell balancing (essential for battery SoH and maintaining capacity) is done. I'm told teslas [eg] do it differently.

[@yaasmiynjensen5963]

This is about battery health. It is absolutely an indicator of degradation which is important. You can use your warranty in the first 8 years of the manufacturing date if it is 70% or below to have the battery packs in this car replaced. If you are buying a used EV you should be aware. In this case it is at 89%.

[@johnbb99]

@@yaasmiynjensen5963 So you know better than the engineers at BMW's UK headquarters? I'd like to know what reason you have for thinking that you are better informed than them about the i3. I repeat:- *Max Kappa is not a reliable indicator of battery SoH.* May I suggest you re-read my post above?

[@jasonplatts4526]

Great video thanks so much... I got 28.6 for my 17 with 40 000 miles happy with that.. ...had the car for ages but never tried doing... I'll be more concerned nearing 8 years lol.. Thanks again!

[@bmwblog]

Glad it was useful. And thanks for following us

[@LarryMiles-x7u]

Hello. So I have watched your video many times I’m not sure if I missing something but after I push and hold to unlock I put in my number but after that it doesn’t have anything other then unlock. Any ideas? Thanks

[@ranideshpande]

Very useful …Thank you for making this video

[@d1penndorf]

@BMWblog - I could use interpretation assistance. The usable capacity is always less than the possible battery capacity (e.g., 2019 is 42kw, but per some sources, only 38kw is usable). So which number should the output of this hidden menu be compared against? (just ran it on a possible-to-purchase used 2019 i3 and got 38.9kw; since this is higher than 38, I think that's a good thing?)

[@bmwblog]

Seems like a good result, assuming ambient temps were mild 60-80F

[@cougjimmy]

Fantastic video. Thank you so much for this great information. And also thank you for not saying VIN number.

[@bmwblog]

Glad it was helpful!

[@KenliMusic]

This was really helpful! Thanks for posting. I'm about to go look at a pre-owned i3. Wondering if there's anything else not obvious to a non-expert to look out for.

[@bmwblog]

You're welcome. The battery capacity is the most important thing. Not sure there is something else as equally important.

[@KenliMusic]

I’ve had my pre-owned i3 for about 3 months. Such a great car. We have a model 3 as well and they both have/do things the other doesn’t. My wife prefers the i3. It’s a great tool around town car.

[@mamadouaziza2536]

@@KenliMusic things to look for other than battery compacity are the engine mount bolts and the actual engine mounts. You want to be sure your car has the updated bolts and the non plastic engine mounts. If your i3 has a REx you want to check the engine oil and the overall condition of the engine. Check the tires for treads (make sure the tires have treads). Check the service menu to see if routine service has been done. If you have the REx look under the front hood and check the 12v battery and see if the fuel line is rubbing against the battery terminals (during a recall, a clip was placed on the fuel line to keep it from touching the terminals). If you have parking sensor, you should check to see if they are working. If you have park assist you should check to see if your i3 is capable of self parking. Check the cruise control etc.

[@cjmac2786]

Apparently always check that the air con is working well inside the car as its the same system used to cool the battery pack and could lead to costly issues down the line if it isn't working. ?

[@ChrisBaumbach]

Super helpful. Thank you!

[@bmwblog]

Glad it was helpful!

[@AG-wz1um]

Thank you for this very informative video!!

[@bmwblog]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stuartdavis594]

Hi. I’ve done this on my i3 before but when I just tried I only got the message “reset not possible” on the screen. Any ideas?

[@SunSin91]

Mine 5.5 year old 2017 i3 94ah show 27.4 kw at 83000km, but its 4 degrees outside. Curious to see if this number actually changes with temperature. Ill check again when its around minimum 10 degrees. Also I rarely fast charge, but I did fast charge 2 times yesterday for the first time since last summer. I read that fast charging doesnt adjust cells voltage, and the cell with lowest voltage is the calculated capacity. But charging "slow" allows the car to adjust the cells voltage and equal them and with that possible to gain some capacity.

[@bmwblog]

Slow charging is def the way to go.

[@SunSin91]

@@bmwblog you mean 7.4kw or 3.4kw AC charging as "slow", thats the one I havent figured out what triggers the battery cell balancing, def not on DC charging.

[@bmwblog]

Let me try to find out for sure.

[@Nesta2288]

Very helpful. I'd also like to know what the cost is to replace a battery pack in the US. Thx.

[@bmwblog]

Honestly not sure. BMW does not offer that

[@ded32]

I checked on mine today, bought yesterday, 38,5 120ah 2019. What is soc when new?

[@bmwblog]

42. kWh but around 38 kWh usable

[@zammO74]

Brilliant. 2 and a half year old i3S 42kw 19,000 miles bat capacity is 38.7. Hardly ever rapid charged it, I only ever trickle charge it on a 3 pin at home in the garage 👌🏼

[@bmwblog]

That's really good

[@zammO74]

@@bmwblog good to know buddy Thankyou

[@johnbb99]

Bear in mind that max kappa is not a relable guide to battery health. See my other reply/posts.

[@davechesky494]

Thank you very helpful! I have a 2014 with a 22kwh battery My test showed 14.6. Can you tell me if this should be of concern

[@bmwblog]

How many miles on the car?

[@anastasiiazelinskaia5892]

Can you help me? I have 2017 with 25.4 and miles 82.000 miles. what percentage do I still have in the battery? Thank you 🙏🏻

[@mamadouaziza2536]

but how much battery kw was usable when the battery was new? Although its a 33kw battery, isn't only 30kw was available?

[@bmwblog]

It's likely that the onboard computer shows the usable battery levels. It would only make sense

[@NigelR8]

Really useful :)

[@bmwblog]

Glad it was helpful!

[@hortense8361]

Hi, nice video and glad to see an author responding to community comments ! I just purchased a 2017 94Ah bmw i3 70 000 kms, the battery capacity is 27,5 kWh on 33 kWh. But what is exactly the net capacity of the car when it was new ? Because 83,33% of health is not very good… also it’s winter time, don’t know if it decrease the result. Is there a way to increase the capacity ? Thank you for your answer 😊

[@bmwblog]

This was the net capacity: 27.2 kW net usable

[@TechyGamerVibeZ]

Take it to BMW while it’s still under warranty. I believe you have one more year left on your Battery warranty and have them check the battery for free

[@dianatranaude3726]

Hi I would love your advice on this. I’m looking at a used 2015 w/range extender and the battery capacity is at 15.1. It has 22k miles on it. It’s been in mainly warm weather (FL, TX, AZ, CA). Would this be worth it, if I drive about 75 miles daily for work?

[@bmwblog]

Luckily you have the REX, so that helps. But look into potential issues with the REX on 2014-2015 models. I've seen a few in some forums having problems after a while.

[@haricherry6711]

Hi I have BMW i3 2017 model and when I charge it full it’s showing 71miles only , can you help on this

[@bmwblog]

That might be the best range you get considering the small battery on the first gen i3

[@carsreview9988]

Nice video. Do you have video about Park Assistant?

[@bmwblog]

Yes I have. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3PcmIeXnN6YnNk

[@pahu47]

I found this bc I was looking to swap an I3 battery pack into my FIAT 500e. I read it can be done fairly easily as the individual cells are the same size/same mfr(Samsung) However, BMW pack is 33 or 42 kWh(depending on year), where the FIAT pack is only 24kWh

[@EleTruk]

Did you ever actually do this?

[@MrFabianschmidt]

Thank you so much for a great video! This may be a silly question, but is this net, or gross battery capacity you see? I got 38,9KWh at my 2019 model.

[@bmwblog]

This is the net capacity

[@MrFabianschmidt]

@@bmwblog Thanks.👍

[@monikadevelopments]

I’ve seen this on other car. How do U get 38,9 capacity if the netto capacity on a new car starts from 37.9? I understand weather conditions affect the result, but how does the battery “get better” with time?

[@suemartin8914]

Very useful thanks

[@bmwblog]

You're welcome

[@bradlevantis913]

This was great. Thanks

[@bmwblog]

Glad it was helpful! Don't forget to subscribe. We have a few more i3 videos coming up!

[@danscar5277]

Very helpful, thank you. My 2014 i3 Bev with only 16k miles only has 94% battery kappa. Primarily level one and occasional level two. Cant DC charge.

[@bmwblog]

Glad it helped! If you can use L1 and L2, you're better off. DC is great, but it will def affect the battery capacity more

[@sidewalkapp]

For a 2014, would 12kwh and 67% battery "ladung" be ok? What does this mean exactly?

[@ketch___3666]

For the i3, the "Batt. Ladung" is the current charged level of the battery, i.e. how full it is. Just tells you you are at 67% full at that moment. The "Batt. Kappa" tells you the estimated possible capacity of the battery now, i.e. an idea of the condition compared to when new.

[@CandycaneBeyond]

How do you get the temperature to display on the screen?

[@TechyGamerVibeZ]

Keep pressing the button on the left stalk til it shows the temp

[@Ronald-un4dk]

i’m still a little confused on the kWh score .. is a lower kWh score better or the other way around ? thanks for the info !

[@bmwblog]

The higher the score, the better. It's like the iPhones battery. You wanted to not degrade too fast

[@F1oydRose]

Hi, thanks for the tip, does it also work the same way for hybrid BMWs?

[@bmwblog]

Good quest. We haven't tried. We might do one with our X3 hybrid

[@dennisbird5901]

I have a 2014 i3 Rex. Status says 14.4 kWH out of 18. I still get 65 to 75 miles on a full charge. Do you know how that can be with this battery depredation?

[@bmwblog]

Lots of factors. Outside temperature, driving style and speed, etc

[@leoalex3165]

Hi, i am about to buy a bmw i3 100k miles 42kw model 2015 and battery capacity showing 15.4 is that ok ?

[@Tuigo]

Salut, as-tu acheté cette i3 ? Je pense que la batterie est bien vielle si ça indique 15.4kwh. Combien de km es-tu capable de faire avec ? A+, Fabien.

[@JohnTreloar-ql2od]

Went to the mechanic and had the 12 volt battery changed mileage went done from 92 to 56 is the 56 range normal or is there a way to reset this. Car has about 42000 miles

[@bmwblog]

I'm not sure if it's related to the battery. I would ask the dealer if there is a way to reset it

[@nelsonpereira81]

What are your thoughts about a 2014 60ah with Rex, 68000km on the clock and battery at 75% (13,5) ? Is it too risky?

[@bmwblog]

That is a tough one. The overall range won't be great honestly. Now you do have the advantage of the REx, so that will offset the electric range. Do you have the option to test it for a day and see what range you can get out of it?

[@jonnowocky8179]

I have a 2019 94ah (28.3kwh) i3 with 90,000 miles - checked today and it is showing 27.7kwh available. Incredible.

[@bmwblog]

That's pretty good

[@jtstudios7383]

Hi thank you for the informative video. By any chance do you know what to do when the display screen doesn't match the battery status? For instance Yesterday we charged the vehicle in a charger point station, it took more than 1 hour to charge the vehicle from 9% to 35% but just we we finally finished. I tuned on the vehicle (2015 bmw i3) And the display was at 14% but the battery display was at 35% This car its a freaking nightmare

[@bmwblog]

That's a strange one. Never seen it before. Have you reached out to a dealer to see if they can run a diagonistic on it?

[@choddo]

Where was the 14% being displayed? And was this supposed to be a 50kW+ unit?

[@jonr1513]

My kappa shows 13.1 max @95% charge 2015 rex. Is this bad? 96k miles

[@bmwblog]

It's not great, but it's kinda expected I guess. Those early i3s had low range

[@thehikingchannel8452]

I recently bought a used 2014 bmw i3 rex at 54K miles. Batt.Kapa Max is at 15.8 kWh, is this a good number?

[@bmwblog]

It's within the range it seems. That 2014 also had the smallest battery

[@jasonplatts4526]

Is 29.6 highest number possible on 2017 rex? Thanks.. Great video!

[@bmwblog]

That's a good question. Haven't measure a brand new one. Even though BMW says the usable capacity is 27.2 kWh for the 33kWh model

[@jasonplatts4526]

@@bmwblogk.. Thank you!

[@yannymcgr6500]

​@bmwblog this is exactly what I found like a number 27.2kw from 33kw 🤔. Yesterday I charged my 2017 i3 REX to full for first time and my result was 28.5kw with 100% battery ladung. Could you tell me please what this means if is said that i3 94ah should have max batt capacity of 27.2🤣🤣🤣

[@andrewgriffith2173]

Thank you

[@alfreny2901]

Hay un error en tu calculo, la degradacion no es 70%, debes calcular contra la capacidad utilizable, no la bruta. Me parece que tienes mas del 90% disponible

[@cesarmedina2585]

My 14 rex 70.7k shows 15.6 kwh but while flashing…?

[@bmwblog]

What's flashing?

[@ZIRWA-MAHBEER]

Hi, I found 2015 i3 with 25000 KM, as you are user of i3 do you recommend me to buy this car? My yearly car use is 12-14k KM.

[@bmwblog]

What's the battery capacity left on it?

[@Rafachino1]

I got a 2015 i3 I did the test and I got 16.2 out of 22 should I start get worried??🤔

[@bmwblog]

How many miles on it? Also, the charging numbers also matter

[@mamadouaziza2536]

it depends on if your battery was warm, outside temperature, was your battery fully charged? How many miles are on your car? How many DC Fast Charging cycles has the battery had? Is the car typically charged to 100%? Its recommended to only charge to 80 to 90 % in order to preserve battery capacity. Also, only DC Fast Charge when absolutely necessary because the more you DC Fast Charge the more you degrade the battery. Also the battery is warrant for 8 years from time of original purchase by first owner and if the battery falls below 70%, BMW will replace cells in the battery to get the battery above 70%.

[@mamadouaziza2536]

When new, the battery never read 22kwh, it read 19 or 18kwh.

[@kyrrekarlsen]

nice thx

[@MrGray360]

Thank you just bought 2017 BMW i3 Rex 2days ago so I am learning.

[@bmwblog]

Enjoy it! You will have fun with it. We cover the i3 topic quite a bit

[@Good-Enuff-Garage]

God I hate single button multi function operation, it is so unintuitive, oh just press and hold it for 3 seconds oh, just hold it in for 10 seconds, LOL

[@oscarprendergast7295]

You and me Both - THATS why I love the I phone so much - totally intuitive - I’m so surprised here at S this is German tech - they are the leaders in auto tech - the japs sit back and let the Germans take all the first steps which is smart if your afraid and sneaky (a Japanese hallmark) but it guarantees that of you engage in this behaviour, your car is basically guaranteed to be an antique - pls refer to the latest Lexus (pursuit of perfection my ass)&

[@richardrobertson-m9v]

hi my name is chuck i live in sarasota i checked my battery on my i3 like you said and put in my vin number and its a 2015 model with extended range and it said my battery was like 15.1 not sure if that means its used 15 percent of its life but my problem is i bought the car last week and when i charge it on my house charger on 110 ac it will only charge to 58 miles but the honda dealership i bought it from said it would charge to about 72 to86 miles per charge can you tell me what it should charge at

[@bmwblog]

That's the capacity of the battery. If I recall correctly, the original net capacity of the battery was 19 kWh. So this is why you're getting less miles than the original car

[@jerryguitar1420]

29.6 kWh is the gross capacity, which is supposed to be 33.2 for a new car? Is that correct? This would be a loss of 3.6 kWh capacity.

[@bmwblog]

I think 29.6 is the net capacity

[@avant74]

Brand new battery net value: 29,6...29,9 (Gross: 33Kwh) Nominal capacity by BMW: only 27,2 as a basis of 70% of rest capacity after 100.000km or 8 years. After 80.000km 2% decrease to date.

[@adrinshah5500]

Hi i have problem with my bmw i3 stock on drivetrain

[@dougabbott8261]

Anyone upgraded their battery through BMW? Cost?

[@bmwblog]

It's not possible in the US through the dealer. Not sure if anyone independently had done it

[@amind953]

Is it worth to buy 7 years ago with 91000 mile on it ?

[@bmwblog]

What's the battery capacity?

[@amind953]

@@bmwblog 27.7 kwh its 2017 94AH AND KTS RANGE EXTENDER

[@andresmcdonaldsims4974]

❤❤🎩

[@usamericans6045]

That's 94% capacity - so it's just 6% degraded?

[@bmwblog]

That's correct

[@z00h]

@@bmwblog isn't that accounting for the buffer? So it hasn't really degraded that much?

[@ulfr1066]

Go Gophers

[@bmwi3eti3svoitureelectriqu85]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5K1kK2Kic2CqM0 En français pour info

[@wkrp10splayer19]

utter bullshit. it should be a *lot* easier to obtain that information. its like a video for why you don't want to buy i3

[@bmwblog]

Keep in mind: this car was conceived around 2006-2007. Car Software and EVs were not a thing back then

[@benhalkon6478]

Thanks - very helpful ❤

[@LarryMiles-x7u]

Hello. So I have watched your video many times I’m not sure if I missing something but after I push and hold to unlock I put in my number but after that it doesn’t have anything other then unlock. Any ideas? Thanks

[@cjmac2786]

Hi bud, you have to push and hold again, if my memory serves me correctly, and do the same again to enter each step, i.e. keep pressing until you see the next option you want to open. 🤞

[@LarryMiles-x7u]

Hello. So I have watched your video many times I’m not sure if I missing something but after I push and hold to unlock I put in my number but after that it doesn’t have anything other then unlock. Any ideas? Thanks