Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the upgrade cost?

Our new 42kWh battery upgrade costs $6700 plus tax, including installation. We offer a $500 discount if you let us keep your old batteries (same regardless of capacity).

Can I buy the battery kit from you?

YES! We'd be happy to ship you a kit. Although shipping can be a few hundred dollars due to the safety requirements of shipping batteries and the crate size. Contact us regarding your situation and we can help get you a quote.

How long does installation take?

In MOST cases, your car will be back in your hands within 48 hours. Note that it is impossible to guarantee a time due to the nature of repairs and parts availability , but this is generally ample time. That being said, We will not cover costs for auto transportation, rentals, accommodations, lodging, losses, or any other costs incurred by downtime or extended repair times. Please prepare accordingly.

How do I make an appointment?

email us (via email address on home page) There is a $2000 deposit to reserve a battery of which $500 is non-refundable.

Who are you?

We're a team of EV enthusiasts and wrenchers who love their i3 like you! We have decades of experience working on cars and electronics. Most interactions will be with Boomer, as our engineering team is located in alternate locations.

Why dont you sell the big capacity batteries we see all the ads for?

We have had hands on time with all popular upgrades and have found that many of them have very poor/dangerous construction quality and/or substitutions made to the temperature management systems with the suppliers of those systems. We are much more interested in providing a safe, high-reliability battery that we can feel confident will provide you years of useful service. Those other brands offer a warranty, but will likely not be around when you need it honored. We will be!

I hear your batteries are from China, OMG!

Yep, just like the phone youre viewing this with on the seat youre sitting on, everything these days comes from a factory in China. Contrary to internet lore, Chinese doesnt mean bad. Yes, there are many Chinese manufacturers make cheap products that are cheaply made have a reputation for filling the market with "cheap" items on Temu and Ali, etc., but our batteries are not cheap knockoffs or cheaply made, theyre real Grade A cells from CATL (the biggest battery mfg in the world), encased in rugged aluminum boxes that go through Chinese and US based quality controls. If anyting was not up to snuff, it wont make it in your car. We proudly stand behind our products.

What is the warranty?

Warranty terms are here: CURRENT WARRANTY TERMS

What range can I expect?

The upgraded battery provides an real world range of 150+ miles depending on upgrade/capacity (contact us for latest), depending on how you drive (speed and style) and environmental considerations (geography, temperature) .

I hear my AC may explode, will this cause my AC to explode?

Modern AC compressor failures can be problematic due to the nature of their internal operation, leading to expensive repairs. This is not a maintenence or usage issue, it is internal wear of metal parts and unfortunate luck. Our service will not affect your AC system except to capture and clean the refrigerant & oil and refresh it to factory specs. We use state of the art equipment to capture and clean your refrigerant, use Authentic Sanden SP-A2 PAG Oil (BMW Sourced), and OEM seals and valves to replace old leaky ones. We perform AC service as BMW directs. Compressors might fail, but theyre not actually touched in our battery service, and therefore are not covered by our battery/parts warranty. Optionally, we can premptively replace the compressor at the same time as the battery for a small $100 upcharge plus market compressor cost (or bring your own).

I read online that these batteries flex when you stand on them! I saw a video!

True, BUT! if you were to perform the same "test" with the BMW factory batteries the same thing happens! In this video, the battery displayed is only partially assembled and and not fully supported the way it is supposed to be in the i3. Yes, if you have a partially assembled part on your car, regardless of where it was made, it wont be as strong as when it is assembled. Our batteries are complete, durable, and when installed they are comperable to the OEM ones. Our batteries have machined aluminum cases and are strong enough to stand up to the abuses of regular driving, like the originals. This FUD rumor is perpetrated by a shop owner who is upset because their business is charging large sums of money for junkyard batteries.

Can I visit your facility or take a tour?

Unfortunately, at this time, we do not allow customers or non-employees inside our facility, and no tours are available.

Does the upgrade require custom programming?

Yes, custom programming is required for the upgrade to function properly. We do this in-house.

Does the upgrade affect my BMW warranty?

Yes, BMW is highly likely to deny warranty after this install as hardware and software modifications are required for this to work

Does the upgrade affect my custom coding?

Yes, custom programming may be affected "VO" modifications done individually are generally ok (like bimmercode), but full updates, I-STEP or SME/EME or module programming cannot be performed after this battery install , or the range calibration factors will be incorrect and reprogramming will be required (warranty does not cover this). The car will be ok but you wont see the full range available (it may revert to original battery specs)

Does the upgrade change anything else?

Besides improved range no user functions change charging at full speed is still possible at the speed your BMW normally takes, but it will take longer due to the larger capacity to charge