BMW EV Charging 101 - Know These BEFORE BUYING!

[@BeamerView]

Amazon Store: BMW Accessories! www.amazon.com/shop/beamerview

[@Crisman111]

Hi again - as always, thanks for your great videos! You state, “You never want to charge with level 1 unless you really have to, say for emergency purposes.” Personally, I think Level 1 charging gets a bad wrap, when in fact, it works very well for me! I charge with Level 1 almost all of the time. The vast majority of my driving is around town. A level 1 charger gets me 3 to 4 miles per hour of charge, so charging from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am gets me 36 to 48 miles of range. That is plenty for my daily driving since I never take the car all the way to zero percent state of charge. The extra perks are that I didn’t have to spend the $1000 plus to install a level 2 charger in my garage, charging at home doesn’t take any time out of my day, and my electric company charges only 6 cents per kWh - as opposed to public chargers’ approximately 46 cents per kWh. Also, some say that level 1 charging is better for the battery (though, I think, nominally so). Again thanks! I just want to get the word out that Level 1 charging really can work for many drivers.

[@BeamerView]

Hey Michelle, thanks! It's always great to hear from you =) Thanks for sharing the level 1 insight! I can agree that if one is driving very minimally, it might just make sense to use level 1 in those situations, I can also see how this is more cost-effective and better on battery health as well. I guess it would greatly depend on one's driving habits, I personally drive a lot, and do like the convenience of being able to charge faster in case I needed it. Thanks again!!

[@Crisman111]

@@BeamerView Oh absolutely! It is a decision based on one’s daily routines and needs. As a newbie to EVs, charging/range was something I was really concerned about, given that the infrastructure isn’t built out yet, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I really didn’t need to think that much about it unless I was on a longer trip. No need to install expensive home Level 2 chargers. It all works fine for me with Level 1, and I can relax and just enjoy the car. ♥️

[@hbnhacthinhphongpiano5217]

Level1 good for battery .

[@hashalmesh]

6cents per kwh? Where do you live? here in the UK electricity at home is close to 36pence (in british pounds) per kwh which is approx 70 cents per kwh!

[@Crisman111]

@@hashalmesh I live in USA, Oregon.

[@Tlevy2]

Great video! Couple comments: Hardwiring a wall box is going to be the safest way to charge your car. NEMA outlets are not designed to be plugged and unplugged frequently. Also you can get slightly faster charging with a wall box. In the US a 50amp outlet will give a max of 40 amps continuous power. But with a hardwired charger working on a 60amp breaker you will get 48 amps.

[@BeamerView]

Hey Todd, thanks for sharing the insight! I'm also learning a lot from the shift in going into EV vehicles, I was not aware of the benefits you get from the wall box! I do believe once you have your flex charger setup in the NEMA Outlet that plugging and unplugging would be minimal and a benefit is that you'd still be able to future proof the setup in case something new pops up, and with BMW that does happen quite often. I might have to reconsider on getting the wall box now =)

[@ONI1013.]

Plugging in and out would be a non-issue bc you would get a dedicated wall charger mounted with a NEMA 14-50 plug and never unplug it. Most people would never use the charger that comes with the vehicle for mobile use- as your not going to go around your friend’s house or in plug and look for a free NEMA 14-50 outlets lying around. They would more likely just mount that one in the

[@Maurus200]

I am rocking a NEMA outlet with a 60 AMP breaker. I plan on getting a wall box that will plug in and won't be unplugged till I move. That is the benefit of not hardwiring. You can take the box with you.

[@BoojiBANTAN]

Thanks to you I enrolled in electrify America. My dealership never told me about this program when I bought my car. It took a week of me bagging them for them to finally give me the enrollment code.

[@TheWellingtonExperience]

Picking up my i4 next week and found this helpful. Thanks for sharing. Would love to see a video on what the vehicle delivery experience is like.

[@BeamerView]

Congrats on the i4 Wellington! Sure I'd love to add that one to the list! Reach out if you ever have any questions!

[@dylan-nguyen]

FYI at if you have an electric dryer 30A and use an adapter cable for the NEMA 14-50 then you need to limit to 24A (80% of the rated amps) Otherwise the $200 bmw charger oem 30A NEMA 14-30 adapter can communicate the reduced amps automatically

[@BeamerView]

Good to know!! Ty!

[@unholy691]

I sent you a message for help a few months ago for my drive assist plus which did not work on my IX. We finally we found it, even BMW couldn't find it. when you arrive in traffic and the drive assist plus appears, you just have to let go of the steering wheel and it works. No need to press the mode button. Simple but you have to know it. Same thing on my wife's new X1 which we just received. When you touch the steering wheel it disengages immediately.

[@BeamerView]

Hey Unholy! Was not aware of the steering touch for the function to work and not work. I've tried it once in the newer vehicles but I do see what you mean! Will have to try this out, thanks for sharing!!

[@iand8548]

The charger (the portable charger) you get from BMW with your i4,5,x,7, etc does both level 1 and level 2 charging depending on the plug used. If you use the 240V NEMA 14-50 plug you get faster/level 2 charging. If you use the 120V plug, then you'll only get level 1. The plug, in and of itself is not the sole determining factor as the charger must be capable of level 2. Given amperage, the range would vary per hour, I've been told 20% less than the circuit: example a 50amp circuit, the charger will utilize 40amps to charge the batteries.

[@BeamerView]

Yup they do cut back the amps a bit.

[@matthewbaas52]

Thanks very much for this video. We got Quixote a bit from it. We took delivery a couple weeks ago on a 2024 i4 M50. We love the car very much. I have a questioner you. Why is my mileage range decreasing when parked in the garage? The weather lately has been in the 20's at night. The garage is not heated. Any insight into this would be helpful. Thank you. Matt

[@PDXGTP]

Thanks for mentioning however I never like or subscribe before i watch the video, far too many videos dont get to the point that will answer the one simple question. Now, ill finish watching the video to see if you can answer my one simple question or just fail like all the others. Thank you.

[@BeamerView]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@paulnetter4323]

Very informative video. Helped me make a decision. ICE it is !

[@BeamerView]

Glad it helped! Congrats.

[@calvinrivera7758]

Hello from Los Angeles! I will be getting my i4 M50 at the end of this month (first time EV owner and very excited!) Thank you for this VERY helpful information!! I have a quick question! Is it bad to supercharge (Level 3) your EV every time it needs to be charged? Giving the fact that BMW gives us 2 years free with Electrify America. Would you recommend me installing the level 2 instead? I was planning to Supercharge it every time it needed to be charged (20-80 percent of course). Would you say this is okay to do?

[@BeamerView]

Hey Calvin, glad it helped. Although it’s said that charging level 3 is completely fine, as long as you keep it in the 20-80 percent range. I’d still play it extra safe and get a level 2 installed if you plan on keeping the car for a long time. It’s not too much to install in comparison to owning the vehicle it self and it may come in handy in certain times where the level 3 may not be readily available.

[@calvinrivera7758]

@@BeamerView great! Thank you for the reply! I’ll look into installing a Level 2. By any chance, do you know the approximate cost of installing a Level 2? What’s an average cost and do you recommend anyone in particular?

[@vamshipokala]

Can I install 60amps circuit 48amps level 2 charger or 50amps with 40amp charger

[@BeamerView]

I would ask a certified electrician. From BMWs end we only give the name of the socket which would be a NEMA 14-50 which is for most places.

[@vamshipokala]

I called the BMW conceirge team and they confirmed that I can install 48amps Juicebox at my garage.

[@BeamerView]

@@vamshipokala Got it! Thanks for the info.

[@UT3CTF]

Adjusting the *AC limit* in your electric BMW is typically only necessary in certain scenarios where you want to control the charging speed. Here are a few examples where adjusting the AC limit might be useful: ### 1. *Prevent Overloading a Weak Electrical Circuit* - *Example* : If you're charging from an older or shared electrical circuit (e.g., in a garage with multiple appliances running), you might want to lower the AC limit to avoid tripping circuit breakers or damaging the wiring. - *Scenario* : You're charging your vehicle at a vacation home with older electrical wiring, and reducing the charging current can help avoid overloading the system. ### 2. *Charging During Peak Electricity Demand Hours* - *Example* : In areas where electricity is more expensive during peak hours (time-of-use rates), you might choose to lower the AC limit to reduce the total electricity consumption during those hours, spreading the charge load over more time. - *Scenario* : In California, electricity is significantly more expensive during the afternoon and early evening. Lowering the AC limit helps reduce your peak usage and save on electricity costs. ### 3. *Avoiding Excessive Heat in Hot Weather* - *Example* : Charging generates heat, and in very hot weather, reducing the AC limit can help lower the stress on the battery and the electrical system, which might help with long-term battery health. - *Scenario* : You're charging your vehicle outside in extremely hot conditions, and you want to reduce the heat generated by lowering the charging current. ### 4. *Limited Power Availability in a Shared Charging Environment* - *Example* : If multiple electric vehicles are charging from the same power source (e.g., in a shared parking garage with multiple EVs), lowering the AC limit can help distribute power more evenly. - *Scenario* : You live in an apartment building with shared chargers, and multiple vehicles are plugged in. Reducing your vehicle’s AC limit allows others to charge more efficiently without overloading the system. ### 5. *Extending Charging Times for Battery Health* - *Example* : While modern EVs have sophisticated battery management systems, some owners prefer to charge more slowly to generate less heat and extend the battery’s lifespan by using a lower charging speed. - *Scenario* : You plan to leave your car plugged in overnight or for a long period of time and reduce the AC limit to extend the charging period at a slower rate, possibly reducing wear on the battery. ### 6. *Charging from a Generator or Low-Capacity Power Source* - *Example* : If you are charging your vehicle from a generator or a low-capacity power source (e.g., off-grid or during a power outage), lowering the AC limit can prevent overloading the generator. - *Scenario* : You’re charging at a remote location using a portable generator, and you need to reduce the power draw to match the generator's output capacity. ### 7. *Managing Charging in Cold Weather* - *Example* : Charging in very cold conditions can put stress on the battery due to the need for preheating. Lowering the AC limit can allow the system to focus more energy on preconditioning rather than fast charging. - *Scenario* : In winter conditions, you want to charge slowly to give the battery time to warm up and avoid stressing it with a rapid charge. In most everyday situations, like charging at home or at typical public AC chargers, you don’t need to adjust the AC limit. But these examples show when reducing it could be useful for managing power availability, system stress, or costs.

[@jasonmonroe5067]

Great Video. Super Helpful, and lots of great advice. Thank you!

[@BeamerView]

You're very welcome!

[@jc7906]

I'm deaf, but thankfully you know sign language. Thank you.

[@BeamerView]

Hahahahaha!

[@Crisman111]

… Also, my understanding is that Level 1 outlets typically have between 12 to 20 amps. I looked up how to check outlet amperage and found that the plug I am using is 20 amps. Just to be safe, I set a 15 amp limit.

[@BeamerView]

Great to know!! That makes perfect sense and a great reason on why to use the AMP Limit feature in the BMW!

[@ONI1013.]

I’m an EV owner with a L2 charger installed. If you’re going to use your charger as an L1 on a 120v outlet, you will still want it on a dedicated outlet with probably 20amp breaker. Otherwise, you may blow a fuse once you use any other garage appliances on that circuit with the charger.

[@StevenKadison]

Does BMW recommend plugging in every night or only when the level drops to 20 or 30%?

[@ericnewton5720]

Long long term consideration but yes, it’s technically better to just wait to charge until you’re below 30%. This generally will decrease the total number of full cycles. However, you have to weigh that against needing to gtfo sometimes. Lol

[@BeamerView]

It's recommended to keep the charge between 20% - 80% to maximize the life health of the battery. So to answer you're question I would wait till about 20 to 30% to start charging, but like the person who also commented, sometimes it's fine to charge it up often if you have to go somewhere urgent.

[@Sammyvanw]

Current Limit: If you have solar panels and your car is just standing on the driveway, you better charge your vehicle slow while it's sunny. In the summer, it's possible to drive for free.

[@BeamerView]

Good point!

[@roachlake5512]

Bravo man. Big help!!!

[@BeamerView]

Thanks again for watching another one, here if you ever have questions!

[@janchristenson9373]

I think how to set the amps needs clarification. Regarding AC level one: Why does your chart say 12-16 amps when the BMW Level One cable is clearly marked "10 Amps?" Regarding Level TWO: I have never seen on a public charger a recommended amp setting. Your chart states 12-80. When the public charger says nothing what do you use?

[@BeamerView]

The chart isn't related to BMW just some ballpark numbers, so follow what BMW says. 10amps for Level 1 Level 2 you can just set your amp all the way up, they are designed to provide enough output for the vehicle to take in.

[@user-yc3nd1pf9u]

hello, in the Charging Mode section, it looks like the "pre-condition battery" section to the right of "fan loudness" was not addressed. How do we best use this section and how far ahead of using a DC charger should the battery be pre-conditioned?

[@BeamerView]

The best way to go about this is by putting your destination into the BMW Maps. When the vehicle knows you're going to a charger, it'll begin to pre-condition the battery all by itself. The optimal temperature for the battery is 85 degrees F. You can also pre-condition it from the app as well. A good thing to do is set up a departure time in the app and the vehicle will do what it needs to as well.

[@user-yc3nd1pf9u]

@@BeamerView Thank you for this information. I've not picked up my car yet and am trying to learn all I can to take care of the car and the battery. I appreciate your videos, they are very informative. Thank you for taking the time to make them and for responding to my question 🙂

[@speckracing7165]

My bmw dealer is repeating that I can charge AC to 100% without problems every day. The new BMW battery should have no problem with that.

[@BeamerView]

I'd trust BMW over a BMW dealer any day. Even when you move the target from 80 percent+ it'll still say BMW recommends keeping it at 80 percent.

[@obieWanmotivation]

100% daily charge is not ideal and not necessary unless you’re driving 250+ miles daily with no fast charging available on your daily route.

[@jrfutube2013]

Will I be able to start my electric BMW during a very cold day if I have to park on the street for more than 4 hours?

[@BeamerView]

Yes it does allow pre-conditioning via the MY BMW APP.

[@davidherringgo]

Incredible ! excellent video I learned a lot, thank you. Even if I drive a M3 Tesla. 😊 Thanx

[@BeamerView]

Glad it was helpful!

[@danmcgee8850]

Even if i purchase the car through a company scheme, will the charger still come with the car? If so that would save a large amount of money.

[@BeamerView]

Each EV vehicle comes with a Fast charger with the adaptors like what we saw in the video.

[@saassociates2930]

Can you suggest how to use the rear view mirror of the driver as a camera view of the rear as it gets blocked by the 32 inch screen in the i 7 , BMW has messed up as it blocks the rear view for the Driver

[@BeamerView]

Great point, yes it would've been better to have the rear view mirror to be a camera built in instead of this. You can use the rear camera but only for slow parking speeds, press the parking assist button located near the gear shifter.

[@Kkthegoat878]

Love these videos now ❤

[@BeamerView]

Glad you like them! Thanks for watching!

[@philipchan2941]

Thank you 🙏

[@BeamerView]

Anytime!

[@davidt6757]

Does this BMW charge on the Tesla supercharger network NJ? If so how fast? Adapter, app needed? Ty

[@BeamerView]

The last time I checked it does not. You can get the adapter and plug into it but I believe Tesla hasn’t allowed the program to serve other brands just yet.

[@davidt6757]

​Thank you. The dealer told me it did....

[@obieWanmotivation]

Telsa will open up 7,500 of its superchargers by the end of 2024 to qualify for US government funding. Some (very few) have been rolled out as part of their testing phase. Search videos on KZbin 👍🏾

[@florinzeth]

why does it feel so tight inside? it almost looks single seater, it's the distorted effect of the camera maybe

[@BeamerView]

The recording is done in a wide angle view. So yes it may not look exactly how it seems. The space is reasonable, probably slightly less than the X5.

[@MrBazsi888]

PlugShare in USA. But in Europe, which is the best?

[@BeamerView]

Not sure on this one, have not heard of it yet but probably best to reach out to a local dealer there. Im based out of the US.

[@MrBazsi888]

where are you located ?@@BeamerView

[@capedbaldy2103]

My wallbox and the public charger only charges at 4 out of 11 maximum kilowatts and I need to wait 15 hours before it’s done can someone help me fix it to let it use the full 11 kilowatts?

[@BeamerView]

In your charging menu check where the “ac limit” is set to. Crank it all the way up to see if it helps or turning it off.

[@Maurus200]

Why did I find this AFTER I figured it out the hard way? 😅

[@BeamerView]

Better late than never!

[@scottstetson2879]

I have seen many people who have EV’s who keep their cars outside only since they are afraid of car fires. What is your experience with this? Would you keep your EV in the garage and charge it there?

[@BeamerView]

BMW wouldn't be in business if car fires were the case. I personally would only own a EV if I had a garage and I would park in the garage. If anything I'd be more concerned with charging it outside with all the different elements coming into play.

[@unholy691]

Hello from Quebec !

[@BeamerView]

Greetings!

[@jaredgleatoneats]

Q-Merit is the “middle man.” They essentially hire and “train” electrocutions to do EV installations. The markup these “electricians” or Q-Merit charges the customer is often times between 100% than the actual cost. Try and find an electrician that will do this at normal cost. Don’t allow this price gouging. What happened is, companies are offering a $1500 credit. These “electricians” know this and then will ask for considerably more.

[@neilohara6880]

I would prefer BMW to make 100% on the display 80% of the real battery charge. It just seems wrong to only goto 80%.

[@BeamerView]

Agreed! I would just do 100 percent if you're leasing the vehicle.

[@awmustang]

All EVs are setup this way (even Teslas) so that in your daily driving when you typically don't need the full range of the car, you are being easier on the batteries. If you could never access that extra 20% you would be hauling around 100's of pounds of batteries you could never use. But it's ok to use them occasionally. And in reality the automakers already do what you ask to a lesser extent. There are permanently parts of the battery you can't access. Even when you charge to 100% indicated or drain to 0% there's still more battery available. They do this so that the batteries last longer as fully charging and fully depleting is very hard on the battery. This is why cell phone batteries only last a couple of years. They don't have this buffer.

[@sergeytarasenko6664]

I charge 30% hour and a half💁🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[@BeamerView]

Haha, not bad if you don't plan on driving much =)

[@wobblybobengland]

Germans are waiting for the Dutch to use the Autobahns with their BEV caravan combos en-masse, take a 10 minute tank filling operation of today (oh the queues!) and mulltiply this time by three, then reduce the distance covered per fill by more than two-thirds, it's pure Schadenfreude.

[@BeamerView]

Great point!

[@woteverworks]

What bmw car are you in?

[@marlasota]

EV vehicle = electric vehicle vehicle.

[@BeamerView]

Haha I know! Lesson learned since the making of the video =)

[@gregmartin1757]

Dryers definitely don't use a nema 14-50 outlet! They use 30A outlets. Electric ranges often use a nema 14-50 . You probably shouldn't be giving people advice since i watched this and clearly you aren't any type of expert.

[@BeamerView]

Ahh thanks for correcting me, thank god I didn't become a electrical engineer.

[@Kekelius]

The Audio quality is horrible. Please use a proper mic. :)

[@BeamerView]

Will be investing in one soon! Thanks for the feed back.

[@itr835]

stop saying EV vehicles yeah? its Redundant

[@BeamerView]

You right! Thanks for pointing it out, will make adjustments!

[@Youtuberkt]

why am i talking to hand?

[@BeamerView]

Paid actor.

[@dougyt92]

So much fluff and bad presentation

[@BeamerView]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@JahCm]

Where is the fluff and what content would you have preferred to see/hear?

[@leonardferguson8413]

@@BeamerView Great presentation straight to the point.👍🏾

[@BeamerView]

@@JahCm =)

[@BeamerView]

@@leonardferguson8413 Thanks for the assurance!