Just how much would it cost to replace the entire battery pack in a BMW i3 here in South Africa? Well, brace yourselves, folks: it’s by no means a small number…
While doing research for our recently published BMW i3 Buyer’s Guide, we decided to find out exactly how much it would cost to replace the entire lithium-ion battery pack in this compelling little electric car. After all, if you’re purchasing a 2nd-hand EV, it’s a number certainly worth knowing.
Before we delve into our eye-opening discovery, here’s a quick reminder of the i3’s time on the local market (head over to the aforementioned buyer’s guide for the detailed background). This innovative electric car launched in Mzansi in 2015 in 60-Ah guise, before upgrading to a 94-Ah battery pack late in 2016 and a 120-Ah item in 2019. In each case, the battery pack comprised 8 modules, each with 12 cells.
Throughout its local lifecycle (it was discontinued in 2022), the i3 shipped standard with an 8-year/100 000 km battery-pack warranty. Although we understand that BMW Group SA has never been called upon to replace an entire battery pack in an i3 – the battery was developed “to last for the full life of the vehicle”, after all – we were nevertheless curious to find out the cost of this big-ticket component. Ready for the numbers? Well, brace yourself.
Armed with a VIN for a 2015 i3 (60 Ah), we approached a local BMW dealer and were presented with a whopping R432 049 battery-pack replacement cost. Even the chap in the parts department was absolutely floored by this figure. For the record, that price covers all 8 modules but doesn’t include fitment. In the case of this 2015 model, it’s also more than the estimated retail value of the vehicle itself, which no longer enjoys warranty coverage on its battery.
What about a new 8-module battery pack for a 2019 i3 (120 Ah), again confirmed using a valid VIN? Well, the price here rises to an even more frightening R483 644 (again, excluding labour and any consumables). While we unfortunately couldn’t determine a cost for a 94-Ah battery replacement, we’re guessing it would fall somewhere between the 2 figures above.
Keep in mind, of course, that the modular nature of these battery packs means a faulty or failing module could be individually replaced, likely greatly reducing the bill. We should also reiterate that we’re unaware of any i3 owner in South Africa who has had to go the route of replacing the entire pack (and such an instance would surely result in an insurance write-off anyway).
In fact, South African Shaun Maidment, owner of the highest-mileage i3 in Africa, told Cars.co.za that his 2016 60-Ah model is still going strong on the original battery after a whopping 364 000 km. Indeed, our research suggests that battery degradation – never mind complete failure – has yet to prove much of an issue for the i3 on the whole, even when it comes to the early models. That said, keep in mind that degradation of any lithium-ion battery can be accelerated by various usage factors.
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