Types of BMW Chargers
When it comes to charging your electric BMW there are a few basic things you may want to know.
For starters, each level of charging delivers different charging speeds – and each EV has a maximum charge power that it can accept.
By selecting the right EV and charger you can reduce your hassle and installation costs.
To simplify it as much as possible think of charging in levels of 1, 2 and 3. Each type of charger runs on a different level of voltage, from slowest to fastest. So here’s a look at the various levels:
Level 1 Charger
This is a 120V charger with up to 4 miles per 1 hour of charging that works on both electric BMWs and plug-in hybrid BMWs.
Level 1 charging is charging from a basic 120V household outlet. (The same kind you plug your toaster into). BMW includes a level 1 OCU (occasional use charger) with all of their plug-in vehicles at no additional charge. While charging on level 1, you'll get three to five miles of range per hour.
For many electric car owners it’s the backup charger that comes with the vehicle, one that makes it easy to charge your BMW at any 120V power outlet, whether you’re at home or on vacation.
Level 2 Charger
This is a 240V charger that provides a bigger “pipeline” for electricity to flow to, say, your BMW i3. A Level 2 charger can charge up to 7 times faster than a Level 1 charger. You might want to select a Level 2 charger if you drive more than 30-40 miles in one day on a regular basis and if your electric utility offers time of use discounts.
Also, keep in mind these two factors that determine Level 2 charging speed when it comes to delivering power to an i3:
1. Maximum power output of the charger: Different chargers can pull different amounts of electrical current through their 240V circuit. More current = more power = faster charge. Most level 2 chargers deliver 3.3-10 kW of power to the i3.
2. Maximum power intake of your i3: The 2017 BMW i3 accepts up to 7.7 kW of charging power from a Level 2 charger. That much power can recharge an empty i3 in just 4.5 hours. Plenty fast enough to recharge every night.
How Your i3 Can Charge Autonomously
- Plug-in chargers must be manually connected to your charging port each time your charge. If you forget, you may have limited e-driving range.
- Wireless chargers enable autonomous charging. They transfer energy over the air from a pad placed in your i3’s normal parking space. A Vehicle Adapter receives the energy and charges your battery.
You can bring Level 2 charging home (for about $1,250)
A Level 2 Wallbox Charger can charge up to 30 miles per 1 hour of charging, which makes it a great way to completely re-charge your car to its capacity while you sleep. It’s the ultimate in electric convenience because it provides charging speeds up to seven times faster than the Level 1 (120V). When most of your charging is done at home, that makes a world of difference in terms of convenience.
To recap: A Level 2 charger can charge up to 80 percent capacity in just five hours and charges 7x faster than the Level 1. Don’t want to invest in the Wallbox? You can access more than 35,000 Level 2 chargers nationwide via EVgo.
Level 3 Charger
This is the fastest and most powerful level of charging available for your BMW. Also called DC Fast Charging it uses direct current instead of alternating current (AC). Unlike slower chargers, DC Fast Chargers Bypass the i3’s onboard charging system altogether to charge the battery directly. They can recharge the i3 battery to 80 percent capacity in just 20 minutes. Once it reaches 80 percent charging slows to safeguard the battery from overcharging
DC Fast Charging is probably not something you want to do at home because of the massive amount of power they use (and they carry of a price tag of $100,000 each). But it’s great for charging at public stations due to the high speeds. You are in and out in 20 minutes with 80 percent capacity. Not bad!
Another plus: BMWi3 drivers can get free public fast charging thanks to BMWs partnership with EvGo, a network that provides two years of free 30-minute DC fast charging sessions via its ChargeNow program. ChargeNow is available at participating EvGo chargers with the purchase or lease of a new BMW i3. EVgo is the nation’s largest public fast-charging network, powered by 100% renewable energy, that includes more than 800 DC Fast Charging locations nationwide.
For a map of station participating in ChargeNow DC Fast and ChargeNow by Evgo click here.
To Recap: How Fast Can I Charge?
There are 3 Levels of BMW Chargers:
- Level 1 (120 volt) charging. 13-16 hours for a full charge.
- Level 2 (240 volt) charging. 4-5 hours for a full charge.
- Level 3 (480 volt) DC fast charging. 20-30 minutes for an 80 percent charge.
Whether you're charging at home or on the go, BMW Charging is the comprehensive program for electrified vehicles. For more information contact BMW of Palm Springs at: 760-469-4242.