BMW i3 sat nav update
i3 and i3s, about 2013 to 2022: the Professional and Business units each changed once, so the right map depends on your car.
Sat nav update result
We identified your Map Update!
Type in the VIN and the check names the unit your i3 left the factory with, the map that suits it and how that map is activated. Checking is free.
Which sat nav does the i3 have?
BMW’s electric city car was built from about 2013 to 2022, with a facelift in about 2017/18. Over that time it could leave the factory with one of four navigation units: two with Navigation Professional and two with Business navigation. Which one your i3 or i3s has depends on the option it was ordered with and when it was built:
| Unit | Typically fitted | Navigation | Map to order |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBT | About 2013 to 2017 | Navigation Professional | NEXT, typed FSC code, £39.99 |
| NBT EVO (ID5/ID6) | Later cars, from about the facelift | Navigation Professional | EVO, FSC file, £59.99 |
| EntryNav | Earlier Business cars | Business navigation | ROUTE, typed FSC code, £39.99 |
| EntryNav2 | Possible on later Business cars | Business navigation | WAY, FSC file, £59.99 |
All of these dates are approximate. The units changed by build rather than on a fixed date, and the facelift years are themselves a range, so an i3 registered around 2017 or 2018 could fall on either side. For cars from that period, the VIN check is the only dependable way to see which unit is fitted.
Easier than ever
Which map does your i3 need? Just type your VIN.
We have made it easier than ever to find the right map and confirm it is compatible with your navigation unit. Type your VIN into the search box at the top of this page and we will show the unit your car was built with, the map it needs and the price. Checking is free.
One change on each side: how to tell the i3 units apart
Think of the i3’s navigation as two lines, each with a single step. Professional cars began with NBT: regional NEXT maps, a FAT32 stick and a code entered on the screen. From about the facelift they moved to NBT EVO on ID5/ID6 software, which uses the Europe-wide EVO maps, an exFAT stick and an FSC file in place of the code. Business cars started out with EntryNav, again with a typed code and the ROUTE maps, and later ones may have EntryNav2, which brings the WAY maps and an FSC file.
In other words, the move from a typed code to an FSC file happened on both lines, but not necessarily at the same moment. Two i3s of a similar age, one Professional and one Business, may be activated in different ways.
- Professional, about 2013 to 2017: NBT, NEXT, typed code
- Professional, from about the facelift: NBT EVO, EVO, FSC file
- Business, earlier cars: EntryNav, ROUTE, typed code
- Business, later cars: EntryNav2 possible, WAY, FSC file
Business vs Professional navigation in the i3
Because each tier changed once, the price of an i3 update tracks the age of the unit as much as the tier. The older unit on either side costs £39.99: NEXT for NBT on Professional cars, ROUTE for EntryNav on Business cars. The newer unit on either side costs £59.99: EVO for NBT EVO, WAY for EntryNav2. No package works on any unit other than its own.
The tier makes a bigger difference to CarPlay. Only a Professional i3 with NBT EVO can be activated by USB; a Business i3 cannot, and nor can an earlier Professional car still on NBT. Comparing used i3s with CarPlay in mind? Put each car’s VIN through the check first.
How to update the maps in your i3
Run the VIN check
Find out whether your i3 has NBT, NBT EVO, EntryNav or EntryNav2.
Pay for your package
£39.99 for NBT or EntryNav cars, £59.99 for NBT EVO or EntryNav2 cars, guide included.
Format the USB stick
NBT and EntryNav maps need FAT32. NBT EVO and EntryNav2 maps need exFAT, plus the FSC file.
Activate the maps
NBT and EntryNav ask for the code on screen; NBT EVO and EntryNav2 read the FSC file.
NEXT and ROUTE come as East or West Europe: you install one, and each includes the main roads of the other. EVO and WAY need no region choice, as each covers Europe. If your i3 takes a typed code, the order includes a Lifetime FSC code where your unit supports it, so future map versions come at no extra cost; ask us by email when you would like one. If it reads an FSC file, that file is generated for your car’s VIN alone: place it on the stick as the guide describes and keep its file name unchanged. Keep the i3 parked safely until the installation has finished. For dealer and DIY prices side by side, see BMW sat nav update cost in the UK.
Apple CarPlay in the i3
The i3 appears on our list for USB CarPlay activation: the entry covers 2018 to 2021 i3 cars (it is listed together with the i8), and it applies to cars with NBT EVO and Navigation Professional. Activation starts at £49.99, and two options can be added for £10 apiece, FullScreen and Video in Motion. Apple CarPlay activation explains how the process works.
An i3 that still has NBT needs a hardware retrofit, not a USB activation, and the Business units fall outside the offer altogether. The list begins at 2018 while NBT EVO arrived from about the facelift, so for a car built close to that change, confirm the unit with the VIN check first.
The i3 is a model of its own
Most BMWs on this site have an earlier or later generation, or a close sister car, with its own guide to compare against. The i3 does not: there is no related model page, and what applies to another BMW of the same age is no guide to yours. Treat this page and the VIN check as the reference for your i3 or i3s.
If you are new to how BMW activates its maps, BMW FSC code explained sets out how a typed code and an FSC file differ, which is the main thing that changed on the i3 over the years. For CarPlay on NBT EVO cars, the Apple CarPlay activation page has the details.
BMW i3 sat nav FAQ
Does an i3s take the same maps as a standard i3?
This guide covers the i3 and i3s together, and the same four units apply to both. The badge does not decide the map: the navigation option and when the car was built do. Enter the VIN and the check reads the unit in your car directly.
My i3 dates from around the facelift. Which Professional unit is in it?
That is the hardest group to call. Professional cars from about 2013 to 2017 typically have NBT, and later cars from about the 2017/18 facelift typically have NBT EVO, but the changeover was not a clean date. Since NBT takes NEXT and NBT EVO takes EVO, a registration year is too blunt a guide: let the VIN check settle it.
I have an i3 with Business navigation. What should I order?
That depends on which Business unit it has. An earlier car with EntryNav is updated with ROUTE (£39.99), and you type the activation code on the screen. A later car may instead have EntryNav2, which needs WAY (£59.99) and reads an FSC file from the stick. Neither package installs on the other unit, and the VIN check tells you which you have.
Can Apple CarPlay be activated in my i3?
Our compatible list includes 2018 to 2021 i3 cars, and USB activation, from £49.99, is for those with NBT EVO and Navigation Professional. Earlier Professional cars that still have NBT would need a hardware retrofit, and a Business i3 is not covered, so check the VIN before you count on it.
Do I get a Lifetime FSC code with my i3 map update?
Only if your i3 takes a typed code. That means NBT with the NEXT maps or EntryNav with the ROUTE maps, where your unit supports it. An i3 with NBT EVO or EntryNav2 activates from an FSC file, which is outside the Lifetime FSC code offer.