[Greenie]

I'm not sure how far we've come with battery cooling technology even though it's an integral part of electric vehicles. Since this is Mini's first EV, we don't really have much to base its battery cooling system on. Thing they'll go with something like Tesla's flattened cooling tube that runs through the battery cells or GM’s cooling plates in between the cells with the liquid coolant circulating through the plate? Most likely we'll see something similar to the i3, but I'm not sure if they still use refrigerant, thus eliminating the need for liquid coolant.

 

[Tandy]

Well at least they are going with the proper cooling system, unlike what Nissan has done with the Leaf. Found a video that showcases the battery pack found in the i3 and how simple everything is to tear down and work on. BMW's battery design on the i3 allows bad cells to be replaced individually.

 

[Greenie]

So it's air cooled from the AC unit, with air being pumped through aluminium tubes. So there's no liquid coolant circulating through the car. How effective is BMW's method?

 

[Coops]

I haven't heard about any serious degradation issues with the battery in the i3, so I'm assuming that their system is working as intended. It makes sense to pull cool air from the AC unit rather than using a new system that will put a further strain on the battery.

 

[Tandy]

Seeing as how the i3 has been out for several years, I'm sure that BMW has made significant improvements to the cooling system in that time. A liquid cooling system just sounds like another expensive component to replace, and I think everyone is looking to electrics to reduce running costs.

 

[Coops]

The Bolt has also been on the market for quite awhile, and there haven't been any problems with the liquid cooling system that its using. I have heard that the air cooled system that Nissan has implemented on the Leaf is prone to overheating, which is may worse by multiple quick charges in a single day.

 

[Greenie]

Liquid cooling seems like the superior method at this point, but also the more expensive option that some automakers are shying away from. If BMW/MINI does stick with air cooled, they need to install a very powerful fan so overheating is not a concern even in hot climates and with multiple QC charges in one day.