Strategy and compatibility for battery upgrade

[behaluka]

Hi All

I own a 2018 i-Miev with still quite decent range. However, I use it a lot for a specific route that involves a lot of elevation and it's getting closer every year to not make it on one go. So I would like to do the battery upgrade to generally make a better car out of this already super cool little thing.

I want to take time for the upgrade and not rush things. However, I still use it a lot so it wouldn't be an option to keep it as a project for multiple months (I know this will take me much longer than maybe for others ) So I'm thinking about buying a "donor" car to play around with its battery first and maybe just do a switch once this one runs. As luck has it, there is a run down i-Miev for sale close to me for quite cheap. Unfortunately, it's a 2010 model so the two might be quite far apart in terms of compatibility.

My plan is as following:

1. Buy donor car
2. Upgrade the battery of the donor car and get it to run with the NMC cells
3. Install CAN-bridge in donor car.
4. Remove batteries from both cars and switch electronics so the compatibility is achieved.
5. Install upgraded battery and CAN-bridge in my car.
6. Install old cells in donor car.
7. Enjoy new battery.
8. Sell donor car with average battery.

Does anyone see a major issue with this idea?

Thanks a lot for your inputs

 

[kiev]

Major differences in the electronics, wiring and connectors such that they are not interchangeable, e.g. OBC and DCDC, MCU, BMU.

 

[MickeyS70]

Does anyone see a major issue with this idea?

Thanks a lot for your inputs

As @kiev already mentioned there are major differences and you’re going to be stuck if you run into trouble with charging/driving etc, however as far as the HV battery is concerned, your plan could work out as long as you operate strictly on a cell level, i.e.

1. Remove all cells from donor car and replace with NMC
2. Install CAN bridge under passenger seat bench
3. Test all aspects

Once you’re happy with the performance,

4. Swap the NMC cells from the donor into your current car
5. Swap the CAN bridge from the donor car and put it inside the battery pack
6. Test all aspects

Finally move your current cells into the donor car; a LEV50 BMU won’t do harm to LEV50N cells but may not be able to ‘learn’ their improved capacity..

 

[behaluka]

As @kiev already mentioned there are major differences and you’re going to be stuck if you run into trouble with charging/driving etc, however as far as the HV battery is concerned, your plan could work out as long as you operate strictly on a cell level, i.e.

1. Remove all cells from donor car and replace with NMC
2. Install CAN bridge under passenger seat bench
3. Test all aspects

Once you’re happy with the performance,

4. Swap the NMC cells from the donor into your current car
5. Swap the CAN bridge from the donor car and put it inside the battery pack
6. Test all aspects

Finally move your current cells into the donor car; a LEV50 BMU won’t do harm to LEV50N cells but may not be able to ‘learn’ their improved capacity..

Yeah I guess it would have been too easy otherwise..
As I understand, I have to take a dremel to the battery cages to make the new cells fit. If i do that to the donor car, will I still be able to fit the orignial cells back into it?
Or are the cell packs at least somewhat similiar so they could be interchanged?

 

[MickeyS70]

Yeah I guess it would have been too easy otherwise..
As I understand, I have to take a dremel to the battery cages to make the new cells fit. If i do that to the donor car, will I still be able to fit the orignial cells back into it?
Or are the cell packs at least somewhat similiar so they could be interchanged?

You may get in touch with @alviseven as he has swapped cells over from a 2010 model

 

[pbui19]

I own a 2018 i-Miev with still quite decent range. However, I use it a lot for a specific route that involves a lot of elevation and it's getting closer every year to not make it on one go.

is this "specific route" non stop ? or there's a turn around point and sometimes for a top-off charge ? if there is a stop-over, thus an opportunity to add a bit of juice just enough to make the whole route, a portable power pack can be an option. Something like an Ecoflow, Bluetti "solar generator" for example:

 

[behaluka]

is this "specific route" non stop ? or there's a turn around point and sometimes for a top-off charge ? if there is a stop-over, thus an opportunity to add a bit of juice just enough to make the whole route, a portable power pack can be an option. Something like an Ecoflow, Bluetti "solar generator" for example:

View attachment 1104

It's a super easy to solve problem actually.. There is even a Chademo charger on the way where i'd have to stop for 10minutes to make it easily
I'm probably also just looking for reasons to do this conversion because I really want to
Thanks for the input tho