Using salvage BMW i3 for solar battery storage?

[bwilson4web]

Hi,

Has anyone seen someone trying to repurpose a salvage, BMW i3 for battery storage with a solar array?

I am reaching out to EVTV Motor Works who have done Tesla battery packs and I understand once looked at BMW i3 batteries.

I see two technical approaches:

BATTERIES ONLY - pull and/or rewire all modules in parallel for a massive, 48 V pack and use COTS inverter and solar cell electronics. Given the low duty cycle, cooling would be minimal.

BATTERIES and DRIVE ELECTRONICS- more complex, the motor is replaced by an interface to spoof the motor inverter to generate 3-phase power, 240 VAC, 60 Hz, to provide an independent power source for major home appliances and EV charging.

Yes, I am aware of the isolation fault mechanism.

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

 

[OyaNET]

I'm exactly on this topic.
I have made a smaller system using salvaged cells from a 60Ah pack to make a 48V system with a custom BMS, and using a commercially available inverter to tak care of the charging/discharging from solar.
However my aim is to build a full system for a hybris installation, what is capable to operate in island mode also. Plan is to use AC coupling for charging the battery pack, insta the Rex engine as a backup genset, and use a solar inverter what is capable of connecting to two independent strings, one of which is going to be connected to the HV connection of the battery pack.
Isolation relay between the battery pack and grid, and proper charging management by actively managing the evse should do the work as I have surmised - but haven't gone into detail yet.