Could A BMW i3 Be The Last Car You Ever Own? – CleanTechnica

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Last Updated on: 18th March 2025, 10:01 am

I recently came across an article at The Autopian about some aging EVs that are coming back from the dead. How? By getting new batteries! Aside from batteries, EVs really have very little that can go wrong with them. There are so few moving parts operating at relatively low temperatures that most motors and electronics could easily go 500,000 or more miles, with a million miles well within the realm of possibility. So, if you could economically swap batteries out every 100,000–200,000 miles, you could have a car that lasts a lifetime, and perhaps can be inherited by future generations.

But there’s one big problem with the i3. Even when new, they didn’t have fantastic range. Most examples couldn’t go 100 miles, and it was common to own one with a motorcycle engine that could charge the battery up on longer trips. Even with the range extender (or REx), the car would need to have some battery left for climbing mountains, as the little engine couldn’t make enough power to sustain that for very long.

The good news is that battery technology is improving. Chinese companies are now teasing 49 kWh packs, which offer significantly more capacity than early i3s, and are still a good bit larger than the last years’ offering. Some owners have been finding them on Alibaba for around $6500. Other companies are claiming to offer 54 kWh packs, which would add even more range.

More importantly, a few adventurous people have laid down the cash and had a pack shipped into the United States. Depending on speeds, customers have been getting between 160 and 200 miles out of the packs, eliminating the need to worry about AC use, hypermile, and carefully plan trips.

The whole article is worth reading, as it goes deeper into the cells used, who has tried what, and the challenges involved in getting them to work well in the car.

The Wider Implications

I’ve said for years that the future of EV batteries can be seen in the present of hybrid batteries. Yes, EV battery packs are expensive, but they used to be far more expensive. The same is true for Toyota Prius batteries, which originally would cost thousands at a dealer if you wanted to get one swapped out to keep an older car running well. In recent years, the cost of a Prius battery has fallen well below $1000, installed in your driveway. Now, BEV battery packs are starting to follow along that same road, with prices for refurbishing an old, degraded EV dropping and dropping.

When the oldest i3 vehicles were sold, there were very few EVs sold in total. As the 2010s moved along, the number of EVs sold exploded. As much greater quantities of EVs like newer Nissan LEAFs, Teslas, Chevy Bolts, and many others start to degrade and need replacement (probably around 300,000–500,000 miles in many cases), the market for replacement batteries will get even better.

There will probably come a point when a refurbished battery pack will be available through your local AutoZone or O’Reilly auto parts store, including a core charge you’ll need to pay and get refunded when you bring in the old pack.

Featured image by Zach Shahan | CleanTechnica.