2017 i3

[lacycler]

Anyone know about the battery capacity of the next model? Hear it's going to increase mightily. Thanks

[jadnashuanh]

That should become clearer in the next few months, as they are scheduled to start building them in July.

[TomMoloughney]

Anyone know about the battery capacity of the next model? Hear it's going to increase mightily. Thanks

I'm sticking with what I guessed back in November:

http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-2 ... d-125.html

[iseebirdsfly]

I was ordering i3 Rex recently and I was asking if I should wait till June for MY 2017 for more range. I was assured by dealer that there won't be range increase this year and that it is scheduled for the next year instead (~2017 June together with face lift). It looks like its some kind of different wiring/controller and I was also told that I will be able to retrofit this "range increase" for the price of ~1400 eur (which makes me think it cannot be different battery). He also told that the range increase will be ~20Km.
Dealer told that he emailed my question to BMW and got this information directly from it. According to the dealer there won't be any technical changes this year.

I cannot tell how accurate all this is but I decided to order i3 Rex without waiting for June.

[Jeffj]

MY 2017 goes to production in July with a reported increase in AER of ~40 miles (~50% increase in AER). No official data has been released yet, but information seems solid. No indication of whether new batteries will be available as a retrofit to existing cars, but seems unlikely due to low demand and high cost.

[jadnashuanh]

While there is a secondary market for used batteries, I doubt they will recover a lot of their costs, so retrofitting the new ones while the old ones are still working is probably not a sound financial decision. While technically, it is probably possible, we won't know for sure until later. For the cost involved, it may just end up cheaper to trade the car in on a new model, but again, only time will tell. Now, if you still own the car when the existing batteries need replacement, that may end up being 2-3 or more generations better, and the range increase may be worthwhile.

Personally, it's not a big deal, as my use does not stress the existing batteries.

One thing to consider, few public EVSE's will charge the i3 at its maximum, so increasing the capacity of the batteries also means longer time to recharge them fully. This will also apply to CCS units as well. There is no clear indication of whether the onboard charging circuits will also be upgraded, and if so, the cost involved would raise the price considerably. The computer needs to know of the increased capacity to get all of the range estimates, so that means new software build, and the hardware may not be compatible, which then also means changing some of the computers...things aren't always easy.

[iseebirdsfly]

I contacted my dealer based on new articles that are appearing (thanks yozp2p). He promised to investigate the situation and I will post the follow up when I know something new.
We explicitly talked about MY2017 when I was ordering it and I was very concrete that I want to wait for MY2017 if it has increased range but obviously it was all verbal and was not in the agreement. I'm confused now.

[OWG]

I was ordering i3 Rex recently and I was asking if I should wait till June for MY 2017 for more range. I was assured by dealer that there won't be range increase this year and that it is scheduled for the next year instead (~2017 June together with face lift). It looks like its some kind of different wiring/controller and I was also told that I will be able to retrofit this "range increase" for the price of ~1400 eur (which makes me think it cannot be different battery). He also told that the range increase will be ~20Km.
Dealer told that he emailed my question to BMW and got this information directly from it. According to the dealer there won't be any technical changes this year.

I cannot tell how accurate all this is but I decided to order i3 Rex without waiting for June.

Congrats on the new i3Rex! I am jealous!

I too have been shopping i3 Rex and inquired at the dealer (Toronto). They had no information whatsoever on the 2017. In fact, the only models that they are currently pushing are the 2015's and they have plenty in stock. I think in Ontario, there is an overstock on 2015's as BMW have yet to apply to have the 2016 model rebate qualification from the provincial government. Without that rebate, I cannot see anyone buy a 2016 MY i3.

Anyways, I took the 2015 demo model for an extended test drive (3 days) and loved it. It is true when they say once you drive an electric car you do not want to go back. I confirmed the cars range worked for my commute (90km each direction, 2 days a week) and was so close to purchase. BMW were offering $4500 off MSRP (Suite with Tech pkg), winter wheel and tire pkg (~2K) and the current rebate in Ontario is $13K. But.....after all the reading I have been doing I held off. It seems clear that there is a new 2017 (2016.5??) model starting production in July. I decided that I would at least wait to hear more on the new model, what's changed and make my decision later. I figure at worst case, I will still get a good deal on a 2015 or 16 MY if the 2017 is not what is expected or BMW do something crazy and increase the price substantially.

I will tell you though, after I dropped off the demo model, my impulsive side was screaming in my head. That was quite difficult to decide to walk away and wait.

Bottom line though, I found the BMW dealer to be of no use when it came to the 2017 model. They are either completely in the dark or really good at hiding it. Either way, I will be getting the car and hopefully all the information will be released soon so I can make the final decision.

[jadnashuanh]

BMW does not alert the dealers to what's coming until things get much closer to production dates. You'll see some info coming in car magazines and maybe as the result of interviews, but most car companies do not release details on upcoming model year changes until late...now, they might release info on an entirely new model to build up interest, but not so much on an existing one, which is more likely to reduce current MY sales.

At least in the US, how you define a model year and how long it is available is defined, but fairly broad. The i3 production, starting in July will be called a 2017, and that's not all that uncommon in the industry. What is somewhat uncommon is the short cycle for the 2016 MY. But, car companies have been introducing new models for delivery in the fall called the next model year for eons. MOdern production has gotten away from that for at least the majority, but in Europe, there is still a very common summer vacation period, and car manufacturers tend to take advantage of that to make MY changes.

[iseebirdsfly]

The dealer reached back to me with the update:
- MY2017 will have increased range.
- According to the dealer there will be no design changes but there might be new color and rim option.
He was nice enough to agree that he miss informed me and I can choose wherever I want to take MY2016 or wait for MY2017. I said I don't want MY2016 anymore and now I'm waiting for a conclusion wherever I can cancel the agreement altogether for now or have to wait for new model with current agreement.

Just to make it clear: before signing I talked to him that I want to wait for increased range model and agreed to order MY2016 only when I was guaranteed there are no changes this year.