How to charge your electric BMW

You may not miss finding a public EV charging network in your residential town. Access methods of these stations may vary; others require an RFID card, whereas, in others, you will need a smartphone app to access their charging services. Most of these public charging stations, however, require the customer to have an account before use. Although most of the public EV charge points allow free use, some few others necessitate payment. The price rates of the BMW charger services comprise a connection fee, pence per hour, and pence per kWh. The two main public charging options for your electric BMW include:

Direct Current (DC) Stations – These stations are quite powerful or what others may call “intimidating”. DC stations are large and have a high output, usually 50 kW. They are designed to ensure that the BMW car gets a quick charge of up to 80% of the battery level in just a few hours. To use these stations, you are to equip your vehicle with a DC charging port. Before you start recharging it, be sure that it is properly plugged into the charging cable. Be sure to use a DC station display. A communication will then be set with the EV, and this, in turn, triggers the charging process to begin in a few seconds. When the battery reaches the 80% threshold, the station point continues to charge in a normal mode. This ensures that the lifetime of the battery is not adversely affected. If you would want to discontinue the charging process, press the STOP button on the station’s display. It’s that simple; therefore, this option should not intimidate you.

Alternative Current (AC) Stations – These stations are widespread. On the regular, the station charges at a speed of 3.6 kW. It has a 3-phase charging system that charges the BMW i3 and BMW i8 models three times faster than other electric cars. It has a charge battery capacity of 33.2 kWh and a large capacity of 7.4 kW for 4 hours.

Charging your electric BMW at the comfort of your home is not only convenient but is also cost-effective; just like charging your smart phone. Nowadays, Government grants have been availed for home installation of EV charge points. A home BMW charger is usually rated at either 7 kW or 3 kW. The ones with a high power-driven wall-mounted unit tend to be costlier than those that are low-powered. Plug-in car manufacturers have partnerships and deals that have charge point suppliers. As part of the BMW purchase, such manufacturers offer customers a home charge point for free. You can, therefore, get your vehicle electrified even before leaving your driveway, thanks to the BMW Wallbox and the standard charging cable. These are the two main ways of charging your BMW from home:

i Standard Charging Cable – If you are using the i standard charging cable, you only need a regular outlet to get a quick charge. This cable offers flexible use and has a charging power of up to 10A. It is 5m long and is thus very convenient and flexible for use from wherever you have parked your BMW electric car. The predicted charge time from the cable varies depending on the BMW model and the charge power. To reach the 80% charge, it takes approximately 15 hours. The greatest benefit of this charging cable is that it is compatible with all the standard domestic power outlets.

The BMW i Wallbox Connect -This option is a quick way to get your BMW electric car recharged, and it takes only a few hours. It is the perfect match for your BMW Plug-in or BMW i Hybrid model. The i Wallbox has a compact design which has smart cable management. The cable management has a high charging rate that ensures the charging experience is uniquely convenient. This charging option will get you back on the road speedily. At the highest charging power, your BMW will be charged to up to 80% in only 3 – 5 hours. The charging process begins automatically after the car is connected with the charging cable.

Do you feel powered up? If you do, let’s keep it that way. Whether your model is a BMW i3, BMW X5 xDrive40e, BMW 225xe iPerformance Active Tourer, or BMW i8, you will get the charging option that best suits the needs and preferences of your BMW electric car. Would you want to integrate the station into your home system or get your car charged at a public station, you have various options to choose from.