Please bear in mind I’m new to all this so I’m just feeling my way at the moment so trying to extract real world info from “marketing speak” is not easy as I don’t have any real day to day experience.
So here goes.
Are there any real benefits to having the BMW Wallbox?
There are 2 companies that will install 32amp Chargers for free (as opposed to £350 for the BMW item) what questions should I ask about these units – bearing in mind in 3 years time I may NOT have a BMW EV but some other brand.
If I choose a non BMW box will I be reducing my options with my I3 further down the track.
Is it cheaper to Fill you EV up with a 32amp charger or a std 240v socket – speed of charging overnight is no issue for me.
For UK members .... does anyone have any experience of using off peak (Economy 7 type) electricity deals . .. are they worth it?
Also something else I’ve learned.......
When is Fast not Fast ..... when its Rapid.
Whilst initially talking to BMW about chargers the word Fast and Rapid were often interchanged and no real significance was attached to either so I thought they were one and the same thing ie 80% charge in 30mins .... this is obviously NOT the case.
I think most NON EV people would refer to charging speeds of Slow, normal and fast .... but of course in the wonderful world of marketing nothing can be “Slow” (ie 10 hours charge time)
.... so 10 hours becomes “Normal”
3 hours becomes “Fast” .... which compared to 10 hours it is .... but I wouldn’t consider 3 hours Fast.
and 80% in 30 mins become “Rapid”
So in my discussions with BMW about would all the BMW “i” dealers have Fast chargers (Thinking these would be the 80% in 30mins type) ... I should have asked would all BMW “i” have Rapid chargers ........which the answer seems to be NO
So here goes.
Are there any real benefits to having the BMW Wallbox?
There are 2 companies that will install 32amp Chargers for free (as opposed to £350 for the BMW item) what questions should I ask about these units – bearing in mind in 3 years time I may NOT have a BMW EV but some other brand.
If I choose a non BMW box will I be reducing my options with my I3 further down the track.
Is it cheaper to Fill you EV up with a 32amp charger or a std 240v socket – speed of charging overnight is no issue for me.
For UK members .... does anyone have any experience of using off peak (Economy 7 type) electricity deals . .. are they worth it?
Also something else I’ve learned.......
When is Fast not Fast ..... when its Rapid.
Whilst initially talking to BMW about chargers the word Fast and Rapid were often interchanged and no real significance was attached to either so I thought they were one and the same thing ie 80% charge in 30mins .... this is obviously NOT the case.
I think most NON EV people would refer to charging speeds of Slow, normal and fast .... but of course in the wonderful world of marketing nothing can be “Slow” (ie 10 hours charge time)
.... so 10 hours becomes “Normal”
3 hours becomes “Fast” .... which compared to 10 hours it is .... but I wouldn’t consider 3 hours Fast.
and 80% in 30 mins become “Rapid”
So in my discussions with BMW about would all the BMW “i” dealers have Fast chargers (Thinking these would be the 80% in 30mins type) ... I should have asked would all BMW “i” have Rapid chargers ........which the answer seems to be NO