[330 CSi]

How capable is the charger that BMW provides? How does it compare to say a ChargePoint Home Flex or Wallbox?

[FultonMDUSA]

Originally Posted by 330 CSi

How capable is the charger that BMW provides? How does it compare to say a ChargePoint Home Flex or Wallbox?

The included portable one is a "dumb" charger in that they are not configurable or accessible. Most chargers intended to be hardwired or plugged into a NEMA 14-50 outlet can be configured and are accessible by WiFi. WiFi integration with local power companies can sometimes save you money.

[Barry123]

It does the job it's designed to do without any problems. It's my home charger, as was the Tesla plug-in charger I used for 8 years prior to getting the iX.

[mfdutra]

It just works. It charges the car with 40 amps. More than enough.

[mf44]

Originally Posted by FultonMDUSA

The included portable one is a "dumb" charger in that they are not configurable or accessible. Most chargers intended to be hardwired or plugged into a NEMA 14-50 outlet can be configured and are accessible by WiFi. WiFi integration with local power companies can sometimes save you money.

Aside from the power company integration (which usually means allowing the utility to throttle your energy consumption), is there any real benefit to having a Wifi-enabled home charger (technically EVSE)? I might be missing something, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as though any of the features a Wifi EVSE would give you are already available via the car and/or BMW App configuration.

Not trying to challenge you on this, just genuinely curious what other advantages are out there, setting aside the utility discounts.

[NomoTesla]

Originally Posted by 330 CSi

How capable is the charger that BMW provides? How does it compare to say a ChargePoint Home Flex or Wallbox?

You can use the mobile connector from BMW in your garage plugged into a 240v NEMA 14-50 plug. The only difference between this unit and wall-mounted solutions is you'll get 8A additional current with the wall solutions. If you're going to use the mobile connector, try to minimize plugging/unplugging from the wall as that can cause issues over time with the plug connections.

[Barry123]

Originally Posted by NomoTesla

The only difference between this unit and wall-mounted solutions is you'll get 8A additional current with the wall solutions. If you're going to use the mobile connector, try to minimize plugging/unplugging from the wall as that can cause issues over time with the plug connections.

This is true ONLY if you install a 60A service (requiring larger diameter wires and a 60A breaker).

Personally, I'm more than happy at 40A. More heat is generated at 48A and I don't need the slightly faster charge rate. When I had my Model S, I charged at 32A because the Tesla didn't tolerate the voltage drop on the line at 40A (my run from the breaker box is 300 ft).

The minimize plugging/unplugging thing is an urban legend. I challenge anyone to find reliable documentation showing a problem doing so.

[Pictor]

Originally Posted by mf44

Aside from the power company integration (which usually means allowing the utility to throttle your energy consumption), is there any real benefit to having a Wifi-enabled home charger (technically EVSE)? I might be missing something, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as though any of the features a Wifi EVSE would give you are already available via the car and/or BMW App configuration.

Not trying to challenge you on this, just genuinely curious what other advantages are out there, setting aside the utility discounts.

Some people like to look at how much the EVSE dispenses vs how much goes into the battery to measure loss. Smart EVSEs might give you that insight. Personally, I just use the cars app for any control functions and prefer the simple 'dumb' EVSE with less to go wrong and I consider it an appliance.

[mf44]

Originally Posted by Pictor

Some people like to look at how much the EVSE dispenses vs how much goes into the battery to measure loss. Smart EVSEs might give you that insight. Personally, I just use the cars app for any control functions and prefer the simple 'dumb' EVSE with less to go wrong and I consider it an appliance.

Gotcha. Yes that’s the approach I took; I opted for a very durable, very simple clipper creek EVSE and rely on the car for any settings.

[330 CSi]

Originally Posted by mf44

Aside from the power company integration (which usually means allowing the utility to throttle your energy consumption), is there any real benefit to having a Wifi-enabled home charger (technically EVSE)? I might be missing something, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as though any of the features a Wifi EVSE would give you are already available via the car and/or BMW App configuration.

Not trying to challenge you on this, just genuinely curious what other advantages are out there, setting aside the utility discounts.

A smart charger doesn't necessarily communicate with your utility. In truth your utility can monitor your energy usage so it will know when you are charging with a dumb charger or a smart charger.

A smart charger can allow you to preset the times to charge so that you can take advantage of lower cost electricity if you are on a time of use electric plan.

Currently I have a smart charger. I get home at 7 pm and plug my car in, it does not start charging until 10 pm when the rate gets to the lowest price of the day. It will stop charging at 8 am when prices go up again. I don't have to remember to plug in only when the rates go down, the smart charger does that for me.

I also can monitor the usage and review and track costs by day, week, month or year.

It is a nice feature to have. It is not essential.

[mf44]

Originally Posted by 330 CSi

A smart charger doesn't necessarily communicate with your utility. In truth your utility can monitor your energy usage so it will know when you are charging with a dumb charger or a smart charger.

A smart charger can allow you to preset the times to charge so that you can take advantage of lower cost electricity if you are on a time of use electric plan.

Currently I have a smart charger. I get home at 7 pm and plug my car in, it does not start charging until 10 pm when the rate gets to the lowest price of the day. It will stop charging at 8 am when prices go up again. I don't have to remember to plug in only when the rates go down, the smart charger does that for me.

I also can monitor the usage and review and track costs by day, week, month or year.

It is a nice feature to have. It is not essential.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I’m still missing something, but can’t you schedule charging from the car, using the MyBMW app, the same way? Even with a dumb charger? I guess that’s what I’m getting at.

[FultonMDUSA]

Originally Posted by Barry123

The minimize plugging/unplugging thing is an urban legend. I challenge anyone to find reliable documentation showing a problem doing so.

Anecdotally, my phone charging adapters easily fall out of almost every electrical outlet in a hotel room or airplane. I could easily envision it could happen with a 14-50 outlet as well.

[FultonMDUSA]

Originally Posted by mf44

Aside from the power company integration (which usually means allowing the utility to throttle your energy consumption), is there any real benefit to having a Wifi-enabled home charger (technically EVSE)? I might be missing something, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as though any of the features a Wifi EVSE would give you are already available via the car and/or BMW App configuration.

Yup, unless a smart EVSE benefits you financially due to special rates or deals, there's probably minimal benefit compared to a dumb EVSE.

[330 CSi]

Originally Posted by FultonMDUSA

Anecdotally, my phone charging adapters easily fall out of almost every electrical outlet in a hotel room or airplane. I could easily envision it could happen with a 14-50 outlet as well.

I have a hard wired charger. If I had to do it again, I might do it with a plugin instead. The plugin will make it easier to upgrade in the future or take the charger with you if you move.

With NASC coming to most brands in North America, it is likely I'll need to upgrade. ...

Something I wish I thought of in 2019.

[Barry123]

Originally Posted by FultonMDUSA

Anecdotally, my phone charging adapters easily fall out of almost every electrical outlet in a hotel room or airplane. I could easily envision it could happen with a 14-50 outlet as well.

And yet a standard outlet is supposedly designed for constant plugging/unplugging the 14-50 has MUCH beefier contacts necessary for the higher amperage.

Maybe your problem is the cheap, lightweight metal of the made-like-crap Chinese phone charger

[exxxviii]

I wonder if the urban legend 14-50 outlet issues related to the cheap $10 Home Depot outlets versus the commercial-grade Hubbell or Bryant outlets?

[Pictor]

The biggest reason to for me to NOT go with the 14-50 plug and go hardwire is to eliminate one GFCI from the equation. We have one of each, hardwired EVSE and a plug-in EVSE. The plug-in EVSE will occasionally (once every 4-5 months) trip the built in fault protection requiring a restart while the hardwired EVSE has never had a fault trip.

As for wanting to bring the EVSE with you when you move, I don't know but I would be perfectly okay including the EVSE with the sale of the house and get a new one in the next home. If you're renting maybe that makes sense but for the sale of a home, it wouldn't be high on my list.

[Barry123]

In 9 years of charging using a 14-50, I've never had the breaker trip.

[sor]

Originally Posted by mf44

Aside from the power company integration (which usually means allowing the utility to throttle your energy consumption), is there any real benefit to having a Wifi-enabled home charger (technically EVSE)? I might be missing something, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as though any of the features a Wifi EVSE would give you are already available via the car and/or BMW App configuration.

Not trying to challenge you on this, just genuinely curious what other advantages are out there, setting aside the utility discounts.

My car has fancy scheduling, but my wife’s PHEV does not. I actually think it’s better to have the features on the charger, so you don’t have to program each vehicle or rely on the vehicle’s implementation as you switch vehicle leases over the years or whatever.

The smart charger I use knows to divert excess solar to my car, and will throttle dynamically based on the excess at any moment. My car can’t do that on its own.

The smart charger for my wife’s car is programmed to only charge during peak daytime hours, so she can plug in whenever and it will only charge during times when there’s likely to be solar available. Otherwise she will plug in at 7pm and drain our home battery into her car.

[mf44]

Originally Posted by sor

My car has fancy scheduling, but my wife’s PHEV does not. I actually think it’s better to have the features on the charger, so you don’t have to program each vehicle or rely on the vehicle’s implementation as you switch vehicle leases over the years or whatever.

The smart charger I use knows to divert excess solar to my car, and will throttle dynamically based on the excess at any moment. My car can’t do that on its own.

The smart charger for my wife’s car is programmed to only charge during peak daytime hours, so she can plug in whenever and it will only charge during times when there’s likely to be solar available. Otherwise she will plug in at 7pm and drain our home battery into her car.

Thanks for explaining this. I do see the value here, especially in your scenario. Very helpful info.

[tjohnson]

The advantage for me was being able to just leave the BMW charger in the vehicle, then I always have one with me, just in case. It would be a pain to unplug it every time and put it back into the car.

You can get the Emporia EV charger on Amazon for $399. Has Wifi and it's own app that works very well. I actually have two of them (one inside the garage and one outside for my 4xe Jeep) and they work well.

[Pictor]

Originally Posted by Barry123

In 9 years of charging using a 14-50, I've never had the breaker trip.

Makes sense. 9 years ago would predate NEC2020. I assume you don’t have a GFCI installed? Prior to NEC 2020 most states didn’t require a GFCI for a 14-50 installed in a garage. If you have only a standard breaker then it’s not a problem but a GFCI is now technically required and the cause of the problem.