This is a wicked build, did you ever consider fitting the mini shell over the i3 floor pan or is the BMW too long? Also, was the battery pack too big to bolt straight to the mini floor as is (obviously with some modifying) see build XRTT by Shine Automotive or Frank with Matt Green but obvs they aren't electric
Hi Karl, thanks for the comments, the i3 is a deceptively big car, as big as my Qashqai so no chance of them matching up, the pack would be huge and leave me with no ground clearance. I'm sure there's a car out there that could body swap, that would be cool. I'll have to look up xrtt, watch a lot of Matt Green and obviously seen you on Instagram 😁
That pack looked really easy to dismantle, apart from removing the batteries of course. The eGolf pack I have was a nightmare. Do you mind if I ask what diameter squared the cables are? Mine was connected by 35mm2 insulated solid copper bars and some of them were the full length of the pack. BTW you need to be careful of the control module, it may have Caps in it that could be at full pack voltage.
Hi Ali, I've seen the Golf packs, they look like a nightmare to work on! I don't have much bare wire to get to but the outer diameter (including insulation) is 12.85mm, the insulation looks about 2mm thick. I hope this helps, cheers
@@MiniLifeCrisis VW used 35mm sq solid copper for the internal battery connections. I'm not certain about the external cables but I also plan to use 35mm sq for short internal connections and 50mm sq for external cables. 50mm sq has a diameter approx 8mm
Great video. Any chance you would measure the external dimensions of the battery box? Am interested in knowing the external width and length ( aluminium vertical to vertical ). Cheers.
I am sure there will people out there that would recommend HV gloves and or tools however I am not touching anything that is HV, I am merely removing the batteries from the battery box. I hope to be able to go through the whole build without needing to use tools on the battery modules apart from charging and testing. The connector is plastic and safe and the dangerous part of the battery is protected by a plastic cover.
As I'm not actually making contact with anything HV and just removing the modules I did not think HV gloves were necessary. I had already watched a video of this being done and understood where the dangers are.
@@MiniLifeCrisis It looked like the connectors were all well insulated but it's probably a good idea to have the HV gloves handy for the future. It's likely when you fit the pack in the car you will need them at some point.
@@flyingyakdeath there were rumours originally that BMW would do one more battery upgrade which would have been in this ballpark. It would have made the i3 even more appealing and, for me, would have been very successful. I'm sure someone out there will be able to do this soon
I’m surprised to see what a lousy production design this is by bmw. It looks like a prototype. The thermal connection, the rectangular coolant strips are horrible. The conductive efficiency there looks bad. No wonder the i3 was so expensive
thanks for detailing, can you tell which contact is positive on the external connector
This is a wicked build, did you ever consider fitting the mini shell over the i3 floor pan or is the BMW too long? Also, was the battery pack too big to bolt straight to the mini floor as is (obviously with some modifying) see build XRTT by Shine Automotive or Frank with Matt Green but obvs they aren't electric
Hi Karl, thanks for the comments, the i3 is a deceptively big car, as big as my Qashqai so no chance of them matching up, the pack would be huge and leave me with no ground clearance. I'm sure there's a car out there that could body swap, that would be cool. I'll have to look up xrtt, watch a lot of Matt Green and obviously seen you on Instagram 😁
That pack looked really easy to dismantle, apart from removing the batteries of course. The eGolf pack I have was a nightmare.
Do you mind if I ask what diameter squared the cables are? Mine was connected by 35mm2 insulated solid copper bars and some of them were the full length of the pack.
BTW you need to be careful of the control module, it may have Caps in it that could be at full pack voltage.
Hi Ali, I've seen the Golf packs, they look like a nightmare to work on! I don't have much bare wire to get to but the outer diameter (including insulation) is 12.85mm, the insulation looks about 2mm thick. I hope this helps, cheers
@@MiniLifeCrisis I guess that would make them approx 50mm sq then thanks.
I thought that but it seemed too big compared to yours 🤔
@@MiniLifeCrisis VW used 35mm sq solid copper for the internal battery connections. I'm not certain about the external cables but I also plan to use 35mm sq for short internal connections and 50mm sq for external cables. 50mm sq has a diameter approx 8mm
Great video. Any chance you would measure the external dimensions of the battery box? Am interested in knowing the external width and length ( aluminium vertical to vertical ). Cheers.
Hi, I've taken the outermost measurements, where the pack bolts up to the car.
Width = 895mm
Height = 160mm
Length = 1650mm
Hope this helps
I wonder if I could use the battery pack as a home battery to store my solar energy 🤔
Absolutely! Check out David Poz on RUclips, he does some great videos on home made sustainable living ideas like that.
@@MiniLifeCrisis Thanks Mini Live Crisis 🙏 I have a look there!
Thanks for the details
So no special high voltage precautions needed working on the battery?
I am sure there will people out there that would recommend HV gloves and or tools however I am not touching anything that is HV, I am merely removing the batteries from the battery box. I hope to be able to go through the whole build without needing to use tools on the battery modules apart from charging and testing. The connector is plastic and safe and the dangerous part of the battery is protected by a plastic cover.
I Like your High Voltage Gloves
As I'm not actually making contact with anything HV and just removing the modules I did not think HV gloves were necessary. I had already watched a video of this being done and understood where the dangers are.
@@MiniLifeCrisis It looked like the connectors were all well insulated but it's probably a good idea to have the HV gloves handy for the future. It's likely when you fit the pack in the car you will need them at some point.
I will, promise 😉
Seems like an easy module change if there was an aftermarket, higher energy density module available to drop in.
Definitely! I have the 60ah modules and the latest cars have 120 ah 🙂
@@MiniLifeCrisis yeah, correction, I was thinking higher than the 120ah. At least around 200ah.
@@flyingyakdeath there were rumours originally that BMW would do one more battery upgrade which would have been in this ballpark. It would have made the i3 even more appealing and, for me, would have been very successful. I'm sure someone out there will be able to do this soon
Cool
Thanks
I’m surprised to see what a lousy production design this is by bmw. It looks like a prototype. The thermal connection, the rectangular coolant strips are horrible. The conductive efficiency there looks bad. No wonder the i3 was so expensive
BMW didn't design this. It was outsourced to a London based engineering firm.
@@wreckage-vs5jv On the flip side the design lends itself for a 3rd party to insert some higher energy density battery modules to increase the range.