BMW i clever charging schedule
THE BMW i brand has become a pioneer in the field of sustainable and individual mobility, not only thanks to ground breaking vehicle concepts and drive technologies but also with the innovative services on offer.
The latest innovation is unique to the BMW Group and offers customers the opportunity to take advantage of favourable electricity tariffs or a high proportion of self-generated solar energy during the battery charging process of BMW i and BMW iPerformance vehicles.
The BMW Digital Charging Service takes into account not only tariffs with a variable price in the daytime, but also those that include predetermined highest and lowest prices. As a result, customers can take advantage of particularly favourable overnight rates.
It works by automatically scheduling the start and finish times of each charging process with a view to achieving the best possible cost efficiency or maximum proportion of green electricity. The charging schedule always ensures that the vehicle has the maximum battery capacity at the desired departure time and that the interior is also fully pre-conditioned.
In conjunction with the new BMW i Wallbox Connect, the Digital Charging Service can also optimise the use of the customer’s home solar panels to ensure the most cost-efficient method of vehicle charging. The amount of locally generated solar electricity is predicted based on the system’s performance data and the current weather forecast. Using this data, it is possible to determine the proportion of solar electricity that is not consumed in the home at the time of being produced and therefore be used for emission-free mobility.
For vehicles built from July 2017 onwards, the BMW Digital Charging Service is included for one year; thereafter, customers can renew their subscription to the service in the ConnectedDrive Store. For vehicles built pre July 2017, Digital Charging Service can be retrospectively added and renewed via the Connected Drive Store for the same annual fee.
Fast, safe and convenient charging with the new BMW i Wallbox Plus and BMW i Wallbox Connect.
The new BMW i Wallbox Plus is one of two home charging units available from BMW for the BMW i3, i8 and iPerformance Vehicles. Launched earlier this year, the BMW i Wallbox is 40 per cent more compact compared to its predecessor models and for added security includes integrated authentication using an RFID card (Radio Frequency Identification), enabling automatic identification of several vehicles.
With a charging output up to 11kW (with a three-phase supply), customers can recharge their vehicles 70 per cent faster than with a standard charging cable, for example, BMW i3 customers can charge their vehicles to 80 per cent capacity in less than three hours.
The new BMW i Wallbox Connect benefits from all the same features as the BMW i Wallbox Plus, however adds further intelligent and interactive functionality. The BMW i Wallbox Connect is fully Wi-Fi enabled for simple integration to home networks and compatible smart home systems, these include Loxone and MyGEKKO. Intelligent charging is also possible with Digital Charging now available from BMW.