Any running projects using i3 motor?
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2026 6:25 pm
I've been lurking for a few months, gathering info and parts in preparation for an upcoming conversion project. The i3 drivetrain is appealing for a variety of reasons, but I'm concerned by the lack of completed projects. Searching the forum is a challenge, since "i3" is too short to be a valid search term, so I'm hoping folks can share info on projects I might have missed.
I'm aware of Scott166's Mini conversion (https://www.youtube.com/c/MiniLifeCrisis) and his posts on the controller-hacking thread (https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1296), but there haven't been any updates on that project for quite a while so I'm not sure if it's been successful. There's only one entry in the parameters database, and it's from his project and still labeled "experimental". I'm also aware of the Smart Roadster build (https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3640), but the last update on that thread was eight months ago, so I'm not sure how far it got.
Is anyone aware of completed, driving projects using the i3 motor? I know there's a huge ecosystem for Tesla and Leaf motors that's missing for the i3, but I'd welcome other thoughts on why so few projects seem to be using it.
I'm aware of Scott166's Mini conversion (https://www.youtube.com/c/MiniLifeCrisis) and his posts on the controller-hacking thread (https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1296), but there haven't been any updates on that project for quite a while so I'm not sure if it's been successful. There's only one entry in the parameters database, and it's from his project and still labeled "experimental". I'm also aware of the Smart Roadster build (https://openinverter.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3640), but the last update on that thread was eight months ago, so I'm not sure how far it got.
Is anyone aware of completed, driving projects using the i3 motor? I know there's a huge ecosystem for Tesla and Leaf motors that's missing for the i3, but I'd welcome other thoughts on why so few projects seem to be using it.