2015 BMW I8 high voltage battery

Increase rangeGeneral informationThe vehicle contains comprehensive technolo‐
gies for reducing the energy consumption and
for maximizing the range.
The range depends on a number of different
factors.
The implementation of certain measures, driv‐
ing style and regular maintenance can increase
range and thereby also reduce the environ‐
mental impact.
Remove unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Remove attached parts
following use
Attached parts on the vehicle impair the aero‐
dynamics and increase the energy consump‐
tion.
Closing the windows
Open windows increase air resistance and
therefore lead to greater fuel consumption.
Tires General information Tires can affect energy consumption in various
ways, for instance energy consumption can be
influenced by tire size.Check the tire inflation pressure
regularly
Check and, if needed, correct the tire inflationpressure at least twice a month and before
starting on a long trip.
Low tire inflation pressure increases rolling re‐
sistance and thus raises energy consumption
and tire wear.
Standing air conditioning Run advance climate control, refer to
page 127, in the vehicle during charging if pos‐
sible before driving off.
Heating and cooling operations are very en‐
ergy intensive and substantially reduce the
electric range.
Look well ahead when
driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.
By maintaining a suitable distance to the vehi‐
cle driving ahead of you.
Driving smoothly and proactively reduces fuel
consumption.
Longer braking procedures result in more effi‐
cient charging of the high-voltage battery via
energy recovery from braking.
Use coasting
When approaching a red light, take your foot
off the accelerator and let the vehicle coast to
a halt.Seite 144Driving tipsIncrease range144
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 891 - II/15

Charging vehicleVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
The concept
The vehicle can be charged using various
charging cables at charging stations or hous‐
hold sockets. Control and monitoring of the
charging process are handled completely au‐
tomatically. The charge current strength can
be set by means of the Control Display.
General information High-voltage batteryThe high-voltage battery is used as an energy
accumulator. The high-voltage battery can be
charged by energy recovery during the trip or
via the power grid.
When charging via the power grid, you can
chose between the following variants.▷Level 1 charging via a household socket.▷Level 2 charging via a Level 2 charging sta‐
tion.
Level 1 charging is possible via a household
socket within a voltage range of 100 volts to
240 volts.
For optimal use of the energy from the power
grid, charging at a Level 2 charging station,
such as BMW i Wallbox, is recommended.
Charge current
The charge current strength is indicated in am‐
peres.
The vehicle cannot automatically detect the
maximum permissible charge current strength
of the power grid during charging via a house‐
hold socket or charging station.
Level 1 charging Prior to the first Level 1 charging at your own
household socket, as well as when charging at external electrical power sockets in Level 1,
the allowed charge current strength must be
determined, e.g. by a qualified electrician.
The charge current strength for Level 1 charg‐
ing, refer to page 155, can be adjusted in the
vehicle in three steps.
At delivery, the charge current for
Level 1 charging is set to "Low".
Depending on the country-specific version,
one of four ampere ratings is printed on the
Level 1 charging cable. This ampere rating is
the limit which must be adhered to for the vehi‐
cle if the charge current is set to "Maximum".
According to the market-specific version, the
charge current strength changes differently if
the setting "Reduced" or "Low" is selected."Maximum""Reduced""Low"8 A6 A6 A10 A7.5 A6 A12 A9 A6 A15 A11.25 A7.5 A
Depending on the charge current, the charging
duration changes.
Seite 150MobilityCharging vehicle150
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 891 - II/15

Maintaining charging state
Should it be necessary, e.g., to conserve the
electrical range for a later point in time on the
trip, the current charging state of the high-volt‐
age battery can be maintained with Maintain‐
ing charging state, refer to page 64.
Hints Working with electrical current
When working with electrical current, ob‐
serve the safety regulations. Otherwise, with
high voltage or excess current there is a risk to
persons and property, e.g., from electrocution
or fire.◀
Have the charging device checked be‐
fore commissioning
Before the initial charging process, have your
own charging device checked at the charging location by a qualified electrician, that is,
charging port on the vehicle, charging cable,
charging station or household socket and con‐
nected circuits. Otherwise, there is a danger of
damage to the vehicle and overloading of the
supply mains at the charging location.◀
Follow instructions at the charging sta‐
tion
When working with electrical current, follow
the instructions at the charging station. Other‐
wise, there is a risk of an accident.◀
Make sure that the charging device is in
flawless operating condition
Only use the charging device in a flawless con‐
dition. Otherwise, a risk of fire may result, e.g.,
from the device heating up because of, say,
worn contacts or damage.◀
No simultaneous charging and refueling
Do not refuel while a charging cable is
plugged in, and maintain an adequate safety
distance from highly flammable materials. Oth‐
erwise, there is a danger of personal injury andproperty damage from burning fuel vapors,
e.g., if the charging cable is improperly plug‐
ged in or unplugged.◀
Have the charging port cleaned by
trained personnel
If the charging port is dirty, have the car
cleaned only by appropriately trained person‐
nel. Otherwise, there is a danger of injury from
high voltage.◀
Charging cable General information
Use a Level 1 charging cable, Level 2 charging
cable or the permanently installed charging ca‐
ble of a charging station to charge the vehicle.
Different charging cables can be required de‐
pending on the country.
Hints Use approved charging cables only
Use only approved charging cables or
charging stations for charging. Otherwise,
there is a danger of property damage or per‐ sonal injury, e.g., from burning cables. Informa‐
tion about the approved charging cables can
be obtained from the service center.◀
Use the charging cable only for charging
the vehicle, and do not extend it
Use the charging cable only for charging the
vehicle and do not extend it with cables or
adapters. Otherwise, it may not be possible to
complete the charging process or property
damage might occur, e.g., due to a cable fire.◀
Do not use any damaged charging cables
Do not use any damaged charging ca‐
bles. Otherwise, there is a risk of injury from high voltage.◀Seite 151Charging vehicleMobility151
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 891 - II/15

4.Connect either a Level 1 or Level 2 charg‐
ing cable to the household socket or the
port on the charging station.5.Open charging port flap.6.Connect charging cable to the vehicle, re‐
fer to page 152.
At high temperatures, initially the high-voltage
battery is cooled. The charging process can be
started with a delay.
Display of the charging status
The charging status is indicated by the indica‐
tor light at the charging port.
▷Lamp white: charging cable can be con‐
nected or removed.▷Lamp flashes yellow: charging process is
being initialized▷Lamp blue: charging process is started at a
set time.▷Lamp flashes blue: charging process ac‐
tive.▷Lamp flashes red: fault in the charging
process.▷Lamp green: charging process completed.
When the vehicle is locked, the indicator lamp
goes out after some time.
When the vehicle is unlocked, the blue indica‐
tor lamp flashes continuously. The other indi‐
cator lights go out after some time.
To check the charging process, press the

key on the remote control. The charging status
is indicated on the indicator lamp. In some
cases the vehicle is locked.
Additional messages regarding the charging
status, e.g., probable end of charging or the
planned departure time, can be displayed in
the instrument cluster, on the Control Display
and via the BMW i Remote App on the smart‐
phone.
Planning charging process The charging process can be adapted to con‐
straints, e.g., the cost of electricity. The vehicle
can control the charging process in such a way
that the charging process is completed at the
departure time. A departure time must be set
for this purpose, refer to page 156.
The following settings are available:▷Immediate charging.▷Set time window for favorable charging.▷Set charging via a Level 1 charging cable.
If drive readiness is switched off, changes can
be made on the Control Display. Departure
time can only be changed once. Scheduled de‐
parture times are not adjusted. Settings for
standing air conditioning and loading process
are accepted for planned departure times too.
Immediate chargingThe charging process starts as soon as the
charging cable is connected.
1."Settings"2."Charging"3."Charge immediately"
Setting time window for favorable
charging
When departure time is set, a time window for
charging with a favorable electricity rate can be
set.
1."Settings"2."Charging"3."Low cost charging"Seite 154MobilityCharging vehicle154
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 891 - II/15

4.Set rate begin. Turn the controller until the
desired time is set and press the controller.5.Set rate end. Turn the controller until the
desired time is set and press the controller.
Setting charging via a
Level 1 charging cable
Depending on the electrical mains, the vehicle
must be charged with a different charging cur‐
rent strength, refer to page 150.
1."Settings"2."Charging"3."AC charging power:"
Settings are stored. When you change charg‐
ing locations you also might need to change
the setting for charging.
Set the charge current strength at other
household sockets to "Low".
Stopping charging process The charging operation can be stopped at any
time by removing the charging cable and con‐
tinued at a later time by connecting the charg‐
ing cable in order to use other loads on the
power connection or to prevent simultaneous
high power from multiple loads.
The charging operation is interrupted when the
vehicle is unlocked and automatically resumed
after a brief time or when it is locked.
Continue charging operation If the charging operation is interrupted, e.g.,
through a temporary power failure, the charg‐
ing operation is automatically continued after
the interruption.
Terminating charging process
1.Removing the charging cable from the ve‐
hicle, refer to page 152.2.Stow the charging cable as required.3.Close the charging port flap.4.Lock vehicle if it is unlocked.Displays in the instrument
cluster
The charging state indicator light, refer to page 77, shows the charging state of the high-
voltage battery in the instrument cluster, if op‐
erating readiness is switched on. If all seg‐
ments are filled, the high-voltage battery is
fully charged.
Even if no segments are filled, the high-voltage
system is still under high voltage.
Information regarding the charging process are
shown on the charging screen, refer to
page 76.DisplayMeaningBlue plug: charging process active
or completed.
White plug: charging interruption.Running light: animated with active
charging operation.End of charging time or set depar‐
ture time.Charging progress bar.Indicator in blue: charged electrical
range.Indicator in white: maximum electri‐
cal range.White clock: departure time set.
Blue plug: charging process active
or completed.
White plug: charging interruption.Climate control activated at depar‐
ture time.Flashing: ventilation active.Seite 155Charging vehicleMobility155
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 891 - II/15

DisplayMeaningFlashing: heating active.Flashing: cooling active.
Departure time
The concept For optimum range and climate control, the
departure time can be set before parking the
car.
With a set departure time, the vehicle is cli‐
mate controlled during the charging process
when climate control is set. Climate control
output is reduced during the trip. This in‐
creases the range during electric driving.
The following settings are possible at depar‐
ture time:
▷Climate control at departure time.▷Planning a one-time departure time.▷Planning of up to three regular departure
times per day of the week.
If drive readiness is switched off, changes can
be made on the Control Display. Departure
time can only be changed once. Scheduled de‐
parture times are not adjusted. Settings for cli‐
mate control and charging operation are also
applied for scheduled departure times.
Climate control at departure time
1."Settings"2."Departure time"3."Precond. for departure"
Setting departure time
1."Settings"2."Departure time"3."Departure 1:"4.Set the day of the week if needed.
Turn the controller until the desired day of
the week is set and press the controller.
To select other days of the week, repeat
the operation.5.Set the time.
Turn the controller until the desired time is
set and press the controller.
Up to three departure times can be set.
Activating the departure time
1."Settings"2."Departure time"
Set departure times are displayed.3.E. g. "Activate depart. time 1"
Up to three departure times can be activated.
The set departure time will be deactivated, if
the departure time was ignored three times in
a row.
Climate control General information
The following settings for climate control of
the vehicle are possible:
▷Activate stationary climate control immedi‐
ately, refer to page 127.
With stationary climate control activated
and no charging cable connected, the
range is reduced.▷Planned climate control at the set depar‐
ture time, refer to page 128.
Discharged high-voltage and
vehicle battery
General information
In addition to the high-voltage battery, the ve‐
hicle has a 12 volt vehicle battery, which is re‐
Seite 156MobilityCharging vehicle156
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 891 - II/15

quired for operation of the onboard electron‐
ics.
With a discharged vehicle battery, no operation
of the vehicle is possible.
Place vehicle in service
To place the vehicle in service, charge as
usual.
If there is no possibility of charging on site,
contact the service center.
Charging vehicle with a discharged
vehicle battery1.Unlock the vehicle, if needed, using the
integrated key, refer to page 38.2.Secure the vehicle against rolling.3.Connect either a Level 1 or Level 2 charg‐
ing cable to the household socket or the
port on the charging station.4.Attach charging cable corresponding to
the charging socket connection.
Charging is started. The charging status is
not displayed. Do not open vehicle during
this time.
After several minutes, the vehicle is slightly
charged. The onboard electronics are ready
again. It is again possible to open the vehicle.
The charging status as well as the charging
state of the high-voltage battery can be dis‐
played again.
If the vehicle battery cannot be charged, con‐
tact the service center.
Seite 157Charging vehicleMobility157
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 891 - II/15

HintsDo not perform any work on the lighting
system
Have any work on the lighting system, includ‐
ing bulb replacement, performed only by a
service center. Due to the high voltage present
in the system, there is a danger of fatal injuries
if work is carried out improperly.◀
Irritation of the retina
Never look directly into the headlights or
their light sources for a lengthy period of time,
otherwise this could irritate your retinas.◀
Do not remove the covers
Do not remove the covers, and never
stare into the unfiltered light for several hours;
otherwise, irritation of the retina could result.◀
Changing wheels
Hints
When sealants are used, an immediate wheel
change when there is a loss of tire inflation
pressure in the event of a flat tire is unneces‐
sary.
Which is why no spare tire is available.
The tools for changing wheels are available as
accessories from your service center.
Jacking points for the vehicle jack
The jacking points for the vehicle jack are lo‐
cated at the positions shown.
Vehicle battery
The vehicle battery has 12 volts. The battery
supplies the onboard electronics with energy.
Information about the high-voltage system, re‐
fer to page 150.
Maintenance
The battery is maintenance-free.
The added amount of acid is sufficient for the
service life of the battery.
Further information about the battery can be
obtained from your service center.
Battery replacement Use approved vehicle batteries only
Only use vehicle batteries that have been
approved for your vehicle by the manufacturer;
otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged and
systems or functions may not be fully availa‐
ble.◀
After a battery replacement, have the battery
registered on the vehicle by the service center
to ensure that all comfort features are fully
available and that any Check Control mes‐
sages of these comfort features are no longer
displayed.
Charge vehicle battery Do not use any charging devices
Do not charge the vehicle battery with an
external charging device; otherwise, there is a
risk of property damage, e. g., to the vehicle's
electronics.◀
Charging a discharged battery, refer to
page 156.
Power failure
After a temporary power loss, some equipment
needs to be newly initialized or individual set‐
tings updated, e. g.:▷Time: update.Seite 181Replacing componentsMobility181
Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 960 891 - II/15