Vehicle For Sale 2015 BMW i3 Range Extender - $14,950, Dallas Area

[res1afbe]

We're getting ready to list our 2015 i3 REX (73K miles) with the general public but thought we'd let everyone on the forum know ahead of time since this group can appreciate the love we've given to our i3. Here's a list of the important items:
- New HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY SET replaced under warranty by BMW dealership 2/2024 @ 70,092 miles
- New TIRES (front and rear) installed 2/2024 @ 70,117 miles
- New FRONT ROTORS and BRAKE PADS installed 6/2024 @ 70,998 miles
- New A/C COMPRESSOR installed 9/2024 @ 71,592 miles
- New MOTOR MOUNTS installed 9/2024 @ 71,592 miles
- BMW Scheduled Oil Service Agreement through 2/2027, transferrable to new owner
We've also upgraded the head unit to Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and have recently wrapped the roof with 3M vinyl to prevent further UV damage to the exposed carbon fiber.
Feel free to send a private message if you're interested.

 

[alohart]

Its trim level is Giga World, the second highest trim level and the lightest, most attractive i3 upholstery (Lodge), IMHO. It includes more durable real leather trim unlike Mega World (Loft). However, its wool fabric can stain and the outside edge of the driver's seat cushion can wear as drivers enter and exit, so I would want to see detailed photos of the seats were I a prospective buyer.

Options include the Technology & Driving Assist package (wider navigation screen, adaptive cruise control, plus other nice features) and 20" wheels and tires. I don't see the additional speakers included with the optional Harman Kardon entertainment system. Its paint color, Capparis White, is a standard, no extra cost color.

If the battery pack was replaced under its capacity warranty, there's no reason to believe that replacement would degrade more slowly than the original pack. If I bought this i3, I would plan for a noticeable loss of electric range over the next 5 years as happened with our 2014 BEV. However, that's not as important for a REx model as it would be for a BEV.

New motor mounts would have required the replacement of the left polymer motor mount bracket with the stronger aluminum version, a labor-intensive ($$$) replacement.

The CFRP roof would my only concern were I a prospective buyer. I would want to know how degraded the roof is because a replacement is very expensive (I received an $8k estimate) and I've seen no repair that had restored the roof to its original condition. Protecting the roof from further degradation was the right thing to do but suggests that some noticeable degradation had already occurred. However, black vinyl film absorbs UV radiation which will accelerate the degradation of the film; white would have been preferable. If this i3 has spent or will spend a considerable amount of time in direct sunlight, the vinyl film could degrade fairly quickly which could be difficult and as expensive to remove as installing it. If I bought this i3, I would consider removing the vinyl film before it degrades and painting the roof Capparis White which would have the additional benefit of reducing cabin heat and A/C load noticeably. However, the risk would be that the roof is too degraded to paint satisfactorily.

 

[Mondomensch]

However, black vinyl film absorbs UV radiation which will accelerate the degradation of the film; white would have been preferable.

That’s certainly true for heat load.

Not having actual knowledge about the UV absorption, I’d want to investigate further. For example, I know the zip ties for outdoor electrical use are typically dark colored, perhaps to provide UV protection? A very shallow net search surfaced opinions that brand/model of the film rather than color is what is important for UV resistance.

 

[res1afbe]

Its trim level is Giga World, the second highest trim level and the lightest, most attractive i3 upholstery (Lodge), IMHO. It includes more durable real leather trim unlike Mega World (Loft). However, its wool fabric can stain and the outside edge of the driver's seat cushion can wear as drivers enter and exit, so I would want to see detailed photos of the seats were I a prospective buyer.

Options include the Technology & Driving Assist package (wider navigation screen, adaptive cruise control, plus other nice features) and 20" wheels and tires. I don't see the additional speakers included with the optional Harman Kardon entertainment system. Its paint color, Capparis White, is a standard, no extra cost color.

If the battery pack was replaced under its capacity warranty, there's no reason to believe that replacement would degrade more slowly than the original pack. If I bought this i3, I would plan for a noticeable loss of electric range over the next 5 years as happened with our 2014 BEV. However, that's not as important for a REx model as it would be for a BEV.

New motor mounts would have required the replacement of the left polymer motor mount bracket with the stronger aluminum version, a labor-intensive ($$$) replacement.

The CFRP roof would my only concern were I a prospective buyer. I would want to know how degraded the roof is because a replacement is very expensive (I received an $8k estimate) and I've seen no repair that had restored the roof to its original condition. Protecting the roof from further degradation was the right thing to do but suggests that some noticeable degradation had already occurred. However, black vinyl film absorbs UV radiation which will accelerate the degradation of the film; white would have been preferable. If this i3 has spent or will spend a considerable amount of time in direct sunlight, the vinyl film could degrade fairly quickly which could be difficult and as expensive to remove as installing it. If I bought this i3, I would consider removing the vinyl film before it degrades and painting the roof Capparis White which would have the additional benefit of reducing cabin heat and A/C load noticeably. However, the risk would be that the roof is too degraded to paint satisfactorily.

Thanks for all the detail! And you're right, one could certainly expect a new battery set to perform the same as original, it's just comforting to know you get like-new battery performance in a 10-year-old car.

As for the motor mounts, we upgraded the motor mount brackets at the same time, electing to replace both sides even though only one mount was starting to leak. New mounts accommodate the increased bolt diameter of the next-gen mounts.

I have plenty of photos of the roof pre-wrap if the new buyer is interested in them, it was just getting to the point where some areas were starting to discolor. We considered both black and white for the 3M vinyl but in the end elected the carbon fiber look to remain consistent with BMW's original design. It's less than a year old and is holding up nicely but if refinishing in Capparis White is preferred the film should be easy to remove.

 

[JohnKelly]

"If I bought this i3, I would plan for a noticeable loss of electric range over the next 5 years as happened with our 2014 BEV."

I wouldn't. I drove my 2015 REX for 7 years and about 85,000 miles (total 110,000 on it) without noticing any range reduction whatsoever.. I'm sure there is some small amount of loss, but it has been imperceptible... getting the same range on the same trips at the same time of year. About 80 of the same round trips a year or so. I doubt all i3s perform as well as mine has or as poorly as yours did. A new battery, as long as it did not sit around at low charge levels for years... should be good for a very long time.

 

[alohart]

@JohnKelly, the experiences of 60 Ah i3 owners are really varied unlike those of 94 Ah and 120 Ah i3 owners. The battery pack in the 2014 i3 BEV that we bought new lost 25% of its capacity after 7 years but only 13k miles, unfortunately not quite enough to have our battery pack replaced under the capacity loss warranty. I know of 4 local 60 Ah i3 owners whose battery packs were replaced under the capacity loss warranty. A BMW certified i mechanic at our local BMW dealer told me that they're seeing an increasing number of 60 Ah i3's with "unstable battery cells" for which there is no fix other than a battery pack replacement. It's almost certain that @res1afbe's battery pack was replaced under the capacity loss warranty because very few i3 batteries seem to fail due to a defect.

I was stranded recently driving a very nice 2014 i3 BEV with only 45k miles when it suddenly shut off at 55 mph with a drivetrain error at a displayed 20% charge level with an estimated range of 12 miles. The voltage of its battery pack was lower than it should have been at a displayed charge level of 0% because the voltages of its cells varied so much that the BMS could not estimate its charge level accurately despite its cell charge level balance being good. The BMW mechanic told me not to drive at highway speeds, up steep inclines, or below a displayed charge level of 30% if I didn't want to risk being stranded again.

Alternatively, northern European 60 Ah i3 owners as well as you don't seem to be having significant battery pack capacity loss. I wish I knew the reason for the differing experiences. Our climate is warm year-round but never extremely hot. Maybe not having any cool weather causes the 60 Ah cells to degrade rapidly. However, our i3 was almost always parked in a parking garage whose temperature averages in the mid-70's, hardly extreme.

Maybe 60 Ah battery cell quality control wasn't as good as with 94 Ah and 120 Ah battery cells with some owners getting lucky while others didn't. That's why I don't trust 60 Ah battery packs and recommend that anyone looking for a used i3 BEV consider only 2017 and newer models. However, with a new 60 Ah battery pack, @res1afbe's i3 should have several good years ahead, and maybe more if the new owner is lucky. Having a REx makes the degradation problem less serious.