How / where to charge?

[lucycan]

Dumb question - how do I know what kind of charger the i3 takes and where it could be charged? Is there a site someplace? For example I am looking to buy mine in Des Moines Iowa which would require a re-charge someplace near Mason City, IA. I found the following: http://www.localcarchargingstations.com/electric-charging-stations/Iowa-IA/Mason%20City/Community%20Nissan%20of%20Mason%20City/60985

but no idea if I could use this?

Also, what kind of fast charge are people buying for home? Whats the cost to buy and install?

Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

 

[i3green]

Dumb question - how do I know what kind of charger the i3 takes and where it could be charged? Is there a site someplace? For example I am looking to buy mine in Des Moines Iowa which would require a re-charge someplace near Mason City, IA. I found the following: http://www.localcarchargingstations.com/electric-charging-stations/Iowa-IA/Mason%20City/Community%20Nissan%20of%20Mason%20City/60985

but no idea if I could use this?

Also, what kind of fast charge are people buying for home? Whats the cost to buy and install?

Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

first, there are plenty of charing station in Des Moines. just download the most popular changing station apps or check it on you PC, print it and way you go.

to answer the home charger question, i would suggest to contact BMW for the installation of a Level 2 port. that is plenty fast since you usually park your car anyway for longer period and there is no need for a fast charging station, i even doubt that you could install one without changing major components in your house electric. I'm not even mentioned the financial disaster for a installation and support for one of these.

 

[alohart]

Dumb question - how do I know what kind of charger the i3 takes and where it could be charged?

Every i3 has an on-board charger and a J1772 charging port that is compatible with all Level 1 (120 volts AC) and Level 2 (208-240 volts AC) EVSE's (electric vehicle supply equipment). Every i3 includes a Level 1 EVSE that will charge an i3 from empty to full in ~20 hours. Every Level 2 EVSE capable of delivering 30 amps or more will charge an i3 at the maximum rate, just less than 4 hours from empty to full. Most EV owners have a Level 2 EVSE installed where they park and charge their EV's overnight.

Unfortunately, 3 high-voltage DC fast charging standards exist: Tesla, proprietary to Tesla EV's, CHAdeMO, a Japanese standard supported by all Asian EV's, and Combined Charging System (CCS), an American and European standard supported by American and European EV's including the i3. DC fast charging stations are not installed by EV owners but are available as public charging stations. Unfortunately for i3 owners, CCS charging stations are far less common than stations supporting the other two standards. However, a CCS charging station can charge an i3 from empty to 80% in ~30 minutes.

Is there a site someplace?

Many EV owners find that PlugShare is the most comprehensive site for locating charging stations. However, an i3 owner would need to filter out Tesla and CHAdeMO charging stations since they are incompatible with an i3.

Also, what kind of fast charge are people buying for home? Whats the cost to buy and install?

A Level 2 EVSE is basically just a heavy-duty switch implementing the J1772 protocol that allows the EV to tell the EVSE how much power it can accept which the EVSE will provide as long as it is capable of doing so, and which prevents the user from being electrocuted. Some EVSE's are basic devices that just implement the J1772 standard while others include optional features such as a WiFi transceiver to allow it to communicate with the Internet, status lights, a delayed start timer, etc. They all seem to be reliable. The choice comes down to cost and desired optional features.

Level 2 EVSE purchase prices range from in the $3xx's to ~$1000 depending on the power capability and features. Installation costs vary from nothing if a suitable electrical outlet exists where it is needed to a substantial amount if extensive electrical work must be done to provide the necessary power to the location where charging will occur.

 

[lucycan]

Great info Art, thank you! Looks like I could get something like this: http://www.clippercreek.com/store/product/charging-station-lcs-20-level-2/

Just need the 220V outlet installed.

 

[alohart]

Great info Art, thank you! Looks like I could get something like this: http://www.clippercreek.com/store/product/charging-station-lcs-20-level-2/

Note that this EVSE is capable of delivering only 15 amps, half of what the i3's charger is capable of using. Nevertheless, it would charge your i3 from empty to full in ~8 hours. If that's fast enough for your intended use of your i3, then maybe that EVSE is powerful enough. But since you'll need to have a 240 volt charging circuit and outlet installed, you might want to future-proof your charging circuit for a small percentage of the cost and make it a 40 amp circuit, if possible. If you do that, why not spend a bit more for an EVSE capable of delivering 30 amps so that you could charge your i3 at full speed for those times that you might need a faster charging rate? Keep in mind that an EVSE cannot deliver more than 80% of its circuit's rated capacity.

 

[lucycan]

More good info! So essentially you are saying since I have to run a 240V outlet anyways, why not get the highest juice possible. I appreciate the tips!

 

[Jeffj]

And just so there is no confusion on charging outside of your house - if you use PlugShare or any of the other apps, you only have to filter on J1772 to find L2 public charging that will work for your car (the same speed as your home EVSE). Plugshare shows 14 public charging locations in and around Des Moines. Searching for CCS will show you L3 charging, which is still pretty sparse outside of California and a few other selected cities - there are none in Des Moines (or anywhere in Iowa for that matter). Kansas City has 14 L3 stations, but that's too far away. You'll probably find yourself charging 90+% at home, so getting a home L2 would seem to be the way to go.