[johntchow]

Just make sure you have downloaded your EA digital card to your wallet.

All I have to do is park in the stall, plug in the cable. Once the screen shows the payment options then I swipe my digital card on the reader and it will recognize the bmw program associated and then it starts charging.

Originally Posted by ok31

you're saying instead of choosing the pump number I just swipe the card/phone at the station and it's the same thing? Will try next time

[Road Trip]

This newbie says thank you to all who have contributed above. Very valuable.

[javapro]

So, the new 30 minute free charging enrollment codes cannot be used within the EA app? I was able to set up my free charging plan in the BMW app but the same code doesn’t work in the EA app.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by javapro

So, the new 30 minute free charging enrollment codes cannot be used within the EA app? I was able to set up my free charging plan in the BMW app but the same code doesn’t work in the EA app.

You do not need the EA app at all. The whole process is through the BMW app. Once you have the green “active” next to EA under charging services in the BMW app you are done.

[javapro]

Originally Posted by LVBMW

You do not need the EA app at all. The whole process is through the BMW app. Once you have the green “active” next to EA under charging services in the BMW app you are done.

I know but I wanted to set up an account in the EA app as well but it won’t accept my enrollment code.

[Call Me Bronco]

Originally Posted by javapro

I know but I wanted to set up an account in the EA app as well but it won’t accept my enrollment code.

there was advice at some point that this was not wise (and often bricked accounts). i have stuck with the bmw app and it works just fine. including plug and charge finally.

[CaboM4]

My post from G70 forum on this topic ... too lazy to write it all again:

Originally Posted by CaboM4

I have a '22 i4e40, '23 iXM60 & '23i7x60. The i4 and iX were delivered during the "era" when you could register with a Promo Code (ie your Prod # & VIN) directly in the EA app. The i7 was delivered in June '23 and at that point BMW was mandating the integrated MyBMW Charging for EA registration. Additionally, I have accepted and installed the certificate in my i7 for the "Plug & Charge" feature. Don't get me started on MGU21 and BMW, but short story - don't plan to get Plug & Charge offered to me on the i4 or iX.


My feedback on all:
----------------------
1. EA is a shit experience - no consistency of successful and seemless charging experience. Having flexibility to initiate a charge is key. The EA app will allow you to save an EA NFC Card to your Apple Wallet to initiate contactless "pay" at the DCFC dispenser, or you can select the charging station in the app, select the dispenser and "swipe to charge".

The EA app is locked to 1 single user for the free charging promo, however you can login as many iPhone as you want to the same account, so essentially anyone driving the car can take advantage of the free EA charging promo. The app looks at your GPS location, and requires location settings to be enabled for the app to work, so if you're not physically at the charger, you can't initiate a charge. Ask me why I know ... I'll tell you. My wife, who I love dearly, is the only person who perpetually will arrive at every single DCFC in the NJ area and have an issue 100% of the time initiating a charge. I am responsible for initiating her charges upon arrival due to so many of these painful events I get to partake in via telephone/Facetime.

Most important thing, have your "initiation method" ready, plug-in the car to the dispenser first, and then use one of the methods to begin your charge. Good Luck.

2. The MyBMW app seems to be a superior experience to the EA app. The integration to EA via APIs via the MyBMW app allows you to "Begin Charging" even if the dispenser thinks another vehicle is plugged in (and they clearly aren't). The EA app would prevent you in this scenario, so the experience is better.

Having used 1 & 2 many times, MyBMW app for initiating EA charging is hands-down superior and infinitely more reliable. Unfortunately BMW hasn't thought this out real far, and while you may share your BMW i key with other drivers in your household with their own MyBMW IDs, they don't share the EA charging to anyone listed as a "secondary driver" to the vehicle, so they can't initiate a free EA charge for that car. Luckily, the MyBMW app doesn't use GPS to validate you are at the charger to initiate an EA session. I can always initiate a charge at any EA charger (for my i7 of course ... wink wink) regardless of my physical location.

3. Plug & Charge. This is a bit more convenient than initiating from the MyBMW app, however I have had issues where the charge fails to initiate. In these scenarios, I have had to go into the vehicle iDrive 8.5 settings, and disable Plug&Charge. Disconnect the cable and let the dispenser reset. Then plug-in and initiate from MyBMW app has worked successfully.


Having said all of this ... I have ~7 months left on my mother's i4 and ~9 months left on my iX's initial 2 years free EA charging on those vehicles. I have the ability to migrate to the MyBMW app, but I choose not to so I have every available option to me for charging any of our family's EVs.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by javapro

I know but I wanted to set up an account in the EA app as well but it won’t accept my enrollment code.

I’m unclear why you would need or want to do that. My SA told me specifically not to use the EA app and use only the BMW app. This is apparently a change from how it was done before.

[Tigershark321]

Wouldn't this work if "plug and charge" is activated on your iX? It makes sense to me that if the VIN matches the account it should just work if someone else took your car to go charge. Or does it use the proximity of the phone with the myBMW app to determine if plug and charge will activate? If not then there is no point in going through all these steps unless there was a fault initiating a charge but EA on the phone never asks in major detail who is driving the car they just override the station and activate it.

Initially, I used to do the steps plugging in and selecting the station from my phone through the myBMW app. I haven't touched the app for charging specifically in over a month since I have had no issues with plug and charge. The only advantage of having the EA app on your phone is to see a more up-to-date feed of charger availability at a station since it seems there is more of a delay from the BMW Nav.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by Tigershark321

Wouldn't this work if "plug and charge" is activated on your iX? It makes sense to me that if the VIN matches the account it should just work if someone else took your car to go charge. Or does it use the proximity of the phone with the myBMW app to determine if plug and charge will activate? If not then there is no point in going through all these steps unless there was a fault initiating a charge but EA on the phone never asks in major detail who is driving the car they just override the station and activate it.

Initially, I used to do the steps plugging in and selecting the station from my phone through the myBMW app. I haven't touched the app for charging specifically in over a month since I have had no issues with plug and charge. The only advantage of having the EA app on your phone is to see a more up-to-date feed of charger availability at a station since it seems there is more of a delay from the BMW Nav.

Yeah, I don't think plug and charge has any connection to the phone, app, proximity of the phone, etc. It's related to the contract stored on the vehicle. A good point that the EA app has more up to date charger availability, and I do use it for that. But you don't need to completely setup your account on the EA app in order to check local charger status.

[NomoTesla]

The problem with using the MyBMW app is that the free charging is tied to only one BMW ID. If you share the car with a spouse who has their own BMW ID, the free charging will not transfer to their account and will not be accessible when they drive the car.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by NomoTesla

The problem with using the MyBMW app is that the free charging is tied to only one BMW ID. If you share the car with a spouse who has their own BMW ID, the free charging will not transfer to their account and will not be accessible when they drive the car.

Others have posted that they simply share the virtual free charging card from Apple wallet with others to share the free charging. Also, wouldn’t plug and charge work regardless of which BMW ID is active in the car? Worse case, just temporarily switch to a different ID to charge and then switch back.

[Tigershark321]

Originally Posted by LVBMW

Others have posted that they simply share the virtual free charging card from Apple wallet with others to share the free charging. Also, wouldn’t plug and charge work regardless of which BMW ID is active in the car? Worse case, just temporarily switch to a different ID to charge and then switch back.

So why bother changing who the driver is any way in the vehicle? Just log in as the primary BMW ID for that specific car to get the free charging that is linked. I'm just trying to think straight-forward than making it complex. I could send my friend in my car and I'm sure they could go on a roadtrip and plug and charge the vehicle without a hiccup. Leave it logged in as "you" don't mess around with logins.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by Tigershark321

So why bother changing who the driver is any way in the vehicle? Just log in as the primary BMW ID for that specific car to get the free charging that is linked. I'm just trying to think straight-forward than making it complex. I could send my friend in my car and I'm sure they could go on a roadtrip and plug and charge the vehicle without a hiccup. Leave it logged in as "you" don't mess around with logins.

Because maybe you don’t want your friend changing all your saved settings for seats, radio, mirrors, etc which you will then have to change back. To each their own of course.

[NomoTesla]

Originally Posted by LVBMW

Others have posted that they simply share the virtual free charging card from Apple wallet with others to share the free charging. Also, wouldn’t plug and charge work regardless of which BMW ID is active in the car? Worse case, just temporarily switch to a different ID to charge and then switch back.

What virtual free charging card? I don't have one. I have a digital key that I can share, but not a virtual charging card. How do you get that? All charging for the free EA plan has to be done through the BMW app.

EDIT - looks like I have the wallet card for charging and I had no idea

Also, plug-and-charge is currently not available for 2023 and earlier models like mine. STUPID.

Originally Posted by Tigershark321

So why bother changing who the driver is any way in the vehicle? Just log in as the primary BMW ID for that specific car to get the free charging that is linked. I'm just trying to think straight-forward than making it complex. I could send my friend in my car and I'm sure they could go on a roadtrip and plug and charge the vehicle without a hiccup. Leave it logged in as "you" don't mess around with logins.

Because my husband likes to have his personalized settings loaded when he drives the car. That's how it's designed to work and we are not interested in bypassing a major convenience feature simply to get the free charging for both of us as we should be entitled to receive.

Originally Posted by LVBMW

Because maybe you don’t want your friend changing all your saved settings for seats, radio, mirrors, etc which you will then have to change back. To each their own of course.

^^ this.

[BritInTheUSA]

Plug & Charge is tied to car not user I believe, and as others said if not then just share the wallet item from phone and use that to do the charging.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by NomoTesla

What virtual free charging card? I don't have one. I have a digital key that I can share, but not a virtual charging card. How do you get that? All charging for the free EA plan has to be done through the BMW app.

EDIT - looks like I have the wallet card for charging and I had no idea

Also, plug-and-charge is currently not available for 2023 and earlier models like mine. STUPID.



Because my husband likes to have his personalized settings loaded when he drives the car. That's how it's designed to work and we are not interested in bypassing a major convenience feature simply to get the free charging for both of us as we should be entitled to receive.



^^ this.

Problem solved it sounds like! Free charging for all!

[martinizer]

Originally Posted by LVBMW

Problem solved it sounds like! Free charging for all!

Not so fast! My EA free charging only pass shows up in the car and on my BMW app. For some reason I can't get it in my apple wallet. The wallet EA card is just a regular pay account.

All that should work with Plug and Charge, but I'm worried that if P&C doesn't work for my wife, I won't have the option of sharing from my Wallet.

Any ideas?

[BritInTheUSA]

Originally Posted by martinizer

Not so fast! My EA free charging only pass shows up in the car and on my BMW app. For some reason I can't get it in my apple wallet. The wallet EA card is just a regular pay account.

All that should work with Plug and Charge, but I'm worried that if P&C doesn't work for my wife, I won't have the option of sharing from my Wallet.

Any ideas?

I cannot remember how it got added to my wallet, I think it was during setup inside the MyBMW App. Never had to use it though, Plug & Charge has worked since day one for me.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by martinizer

Not so fast! My EA free charging only pass shows up in the car and on my BMW app. For some reason I can't get it in my apple wallet. The wallet EA card is just a regular pay account.

All that should work with Plug and Charge, but I'm worried that if P&C doesn't work for my wife, I won't have the option of sharing from my Wallet.

Any ideas?

If you go through the myBMW app and click the green "active" next to the Electrify America plan under charging services it should take you to an EA page where you can add to Apple wallet. This is how I got the EA free charging card into my Apple wallet.

[Tigershark321]

Originally Posted by LVBMW

If you go through the myBMW app and click the green "active" next to the Electrify America plan under charging services it should take you to an EA page where you can add to Apple wallet. This is how I got the EA free charging card into my Apple wallet.

BMW should have just made the memory seats standard honestly versus putting them behind a package option. Kinda silly for the cost of the vehicle. Oh well.

Following those steps it doesn't give that option when you hit the EA Active and the next menu just shows you have a 30-minute charging plan with no option to add to your Apple wallet. At the bottom for "manage my plans" just is going through the steps of setting it all up again.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by Tigershark321

BMW should have just made the memory seats standard honestly versus putting them behind a package option. Kinda silly for the cost of the vehicle. Oh well.

Following those steps it doesn't give that option when you hit the EA Active and the next menu just shows you have a 30-minute charging plan with no option to add to your Apple wallet. At the bottom for "manage my plans" just is going through the steps of setting it all up again.

The connection can be glitchy at times but worked for me. You might need to give it a day or two and try again. It should take you to an option on the EA site to add to Apple wallet.