[TheIX]

Thought I'd quickly post a couple of photos showing what the iX displays when the charge port flap is open, and when the start button is pressed while a charging cable is connected

[Bird~Dawg]

Originally Posted by TheIX

I can confirm that you do get a warning that the charge port is open on the iX

It will also tell you to disconnect the charge cable and will not go into gear

Just tried and verified both

Thanks TheIX. I also went to the garage and tried to start my X5 PHEV with the charger plugged in. There must have been an OTA update since the last time I backed out of the garage with the flap open. This time it wouldn't even go to "ready" state let alone into gear. Told me to unplug and close the flap. Progress.

[PABrian]

Originally Posted by deathray

This might be a bit of an odd one: is there some sort of safety system that prevents you from driving away while your charger is plugged in?

I'm trying to decide where to put my charger in my garage and I'm wondering if I should worry about forgetting to unplug if I don't see it. There are probably a fair few missing block heater extension cords from back in the day that tell me if the vehicle doesn't prevent it, I should keep the charger in a very obvious location.

Every plug-in BMW has always prevented you from even getting to a "drive-ready" state if it's plugged in, even if it isn't actively charging. It'll wake up and screens will turn on, but when you press the brake and START/STOP button, it won't even pretend to turn on. Just good to know this is across the board for all BMW's EVs and PHEVs.

Originally Posted by UltimateMoneyShifter

With regards to the B&W vs HK debate (coming from someone who has not actually heard or seen the B&W system), there is the aesthetic angle to the B&Ws as well.

This is mostly based on videos and pictures but the metal speaker covers and lighting do add an additional touch of luxury to the cabin. A special highlight is the metal ceiling tweeters that break the swath of black fabric. I feel like they 'complete' the cabin. The HK system does look a little anonymous as they blend in with the black fabric trim.

I have always loved the design on the Burmester systems in the mercs and felt that they really elevated the cabin. I am glad to see BMW taking a page from that book with their own aesthetic sense.

Taking a page from that book? BMW's been there. Their B&O and B&W systems have always had metallic speaker covers with unique designs and lighting to set that system apart from the rest.

[NomoTesla]

Originally Posted by UltimateMoneyShifter

With regards to the B&W vs HK debate (coming from someone who has not actually heard or seen the B&W system), there is the aesthetic angle to the B&Ws as well.

This is mostly based on videos and pictures but the metal speaker covers and lighting do add an additional touch of luxury to the cabin. A special highlight is the metal ceiling tweeters that break the swath of black fabric. I feel like they 'complete' the cabin. The HK system does look a little anonymous as they blend in with the black fabric trim.

Except the B&W metal speaker covers are silver and do not match the rose gold/bronze trim elsewhere in the cabin. This is a miss IMHO.

[Evrim]

Originally Posted by cruzer666

TheIX thanks for all the info you put out! What is your charging routine ? Do you set the max charge to 80%, 85%, 90% and you plug the car in daily? Or?

I charge up to 80% at home and usually prefer to charge when the percentage is below 40%. Weather is getting better these days and this charging cycle is getting longer as well.

[cruzer666]

Originally Posted by Evrim

I charge up to 80% at home and usually prefer to charge when the percentage is below 40%. Weather is getting better these days and this charging cycle is getting longer as well.

I'm interested in your thought process. Why do you prefer letting it get below 40% before charging again?

Battery cells are used evenly so even if you charge from 70% to 80% every night, it doesn't mean you're using the same cells to operate the car from 80% down to 70%.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Evrim]

Originally Posted by cruzer666

I'm interested in your thought process. Why do you prefer letting it get below 40% before charging again?

Battery cells are used evenly so even if you charge from 70% to 80% every night, it doesn't mean you're using the same cells to operate the car from 80% down to 70%.

Thanks for the feedback!

I agree with your comments and thank you for sharing this information.

In fact this is my first EV, therefore I am also trying to test the car and checking figures in terms of range and consumption.

Most likely in coming months, I will be adapting to charging every day.

I remember as there is a saying; EV doesn’t park, it gets charged. Something like that

[cruzer666]

Originally Posted by Evrim

I agree with your comments and thank you for sharing this information.

In fact this is my first EV, therefore I am also trying to test the car and checking figures in terms of range and consumption.

Most likely in coming months, I will be adapting to charging every day.

I remember as there is a saying; EV doesn’t park, it gets charged. Something like that

Hehe, I'm genuinely interested if there are any best practices in terms of charging.

All I know so far don't charge over 80% unless you need it ; and don't go below 15% if you can help it. And don't fast charge all the time.

As far as charging frequency I haven't seen anything BMW specific. I'm not trying to make this complicated for myself so unless I find out otherwise I'll probably charge every night to 80%.

[NomoTesla]

Originally Posted by Evrim

I agree with your comments and thank you for sharing this information.

In fact this is my first EV, therefore I am also trying to test the car and checking figures in terms of range and consumption.

Most likely in coming months, I will be adapting to charging every day.

I remember as there is a saying; EV doesn’t park, it gets charged. Something like that

I received a card some years ago with my purchase that said "A plugged-in Tesla is a happy Tesla". EV batteries can only handle so many complete charge cycles. Shallower charging cycles are better for the longevity of the pack. For example, let's assume your daily driving takes 20% of battery capacity and you start at 80%. It's better to recharge that 20% every night, back up to 80%, than it is to run it down to 20% over the course of three days and then charging back up to 80%. The deeper the charge/discharge cycle, the more stress you put on the battery.

If you don't plan on driving your car for a while, it's best to keep it at 50%-60% state of charge for optimal battery longevity and minimum degradation over time. This was said by Elon Musk a few years ago during a Q&A. While BMW's batteries are slightly different than Tesla's, the basic concept should still apply.

[PABrian]

Originally Posted by cruzer666

Hehe, I'm genuinely interested if there are any best practices in terms of charging.

All I know so far don't charge over 80% unless you need it ; and don't go below 15% if you can help it. And don't fast charge all the time.

As far as charging frequency I haven't seen anything BMW specific. I'm not trying to make this complicated for myself so unless I find out otherwise I'll probably charge every night to 80%.

Originally Posted by NomoTesla

I received a card some years ago with my purchase that said "A plugged-in Tesla is a happy Tesla". EV batteries can only handle so many complete charge cycles. Shallower charging cycles are better for the longevity of the pack. For example, let's assume your daily driving takes 20% of battery capacity and you start at 80%. It's better to recharge that 20% every night, back up to 80%, than it is to run it down to 20% over the course of three days and then charging back up to 80%. The deeper the charge/discharge cycle, the more stress you put on the battery.

If you don't plan on driving your car for a while, it's best to keep it at 50%-60% state of charge for optimal battery longevity and minimum degradation over time. This was said by Elon Musk a few years ago during a Q&A. While BMW's batteries are slightly different than Tesla's, the basic concept should still apply.

Unlike Tesla's batteries, those used in BMW were designed from the ground up to be used in cars. That's why BMW's battery packs are a bit less susceptible to range fluctuation due to temperature, among other things.

In general, plug in whenever, wherever, at whatever charge. There is zero benefit whatsoever to waiting until the battery charge is lower before charging. It's always best to have that higher SoC at any given time in case you need to make a last minute longer distance drive too. Also, when level 2 charging, the charging rate doesn't really change until you're nearly full, so that won't be something to worry about.

With respect to only charging to 80% and not going below 15%, those are all in an ideal world, and only relevant to long term ownership. BMW builds in an artificial ceiling and artificial floor into their packs, so when they're showing 0%, they're not at 0%, and when they're showing 100%, they're not quite at 100%. That's why in the press release there are net and gross battery capacity numbers. They do this specifically to increase the longevity of the battery packs by preventing complete charges/discharges.

If 90% of your driving is shorter trips, then yeah just set the car to 80% and charge every night. If you leave it at 100% though, you're not actively doing damage to the battery pack every single day. They thought of these things.

[NomoTesla]

Originally Posted by PABrian

Unlike Tesla's batteries, those used in BMW were designed from the ground up to be used in cars. That's why BMW's battery packs are a bit less susceptible to range fluctuation due to temperature, among other things.

In general, plug in whenever, wherever, at whatever charge. There is zero benefit whatsoever to waiting until the battery charge is lower before charging. It's always best to have that higher SoC at any given time in case you need to make a last minute longer distance drive too. Also, when level 2 charging, the charging rate doesn't really change until you're nearly full, so that won't be something to worry about.

With respect to only charging to 80% and not going below 15%, those are all in an ideal world, and only relevant to long term ownership. BMW builds in an artificial ceiling and artificial floor into their packs, so when they're showing 0%, they're not at 0%, and when they're showing 100%, they're not quite at 100%. That's why in the press release there are net and gross battery capacity numbers. They do this specifically to increase the longevity of the battery packs by preventing complete charges/discharges.

If 90% of your driving is shorter trips, then yeah just set the car to 80% and charge every night. If you leave it at 100% though, you're not actively doing damage to the battery pack every single day. They thought of these things.

Do we know for sure whether BMW uses a top-end buffer? There's always going to be a bottom-end "anti-bricking" buffer due to the nature of Li-ion technology. If you completely discharge a Li-ion pack to true zero you kill it. I like the idea of a top-end buffer to reduce battery degradation over time. That's an area where Tesla hasn't learned its lesson yet. Customers don't like dropping so much money on a car to see the range degrade almost immediately (Tesla).

[venom21]

Big ask but, TheIX are you willing to do a 70MPH 0-100% range test loop ala OutofSpec/Inside EVs?

[cruzer666]

Originally Posted by NomoTesla

]
Do we know for sure whether BMW uses a top-end buffer? There's always going to be a bottom-end "anti-bricking" buffer due to the nature of Li-ion technology. If you completely discharge a Li-ion pack to true zero you kill it. I like the idea of a top-end buffer to reduce battery degradation over time. That's an area where Tesla hasn't learned its lesson yet. Customers don't like dropping so much money on a car to see the range degrade almost immediately (Tesla).

I4 for reference, has a 83.9kWh battery, out of which 80.7kWh is your usable capacity, that leaves 3.2kWh for "buffer". That is less than 4% for "buffer".

Top end buffer does not make sense as it would drop the advertised range and as we all know, range is important for everyone looking at an EV.

On the BMWusa website(https://www.bmwusa.com/charging.html), BMW recommends the following:
- Do not charge past 80% unless you need the full range
- Do not store the car charged below 20% or above 80%. 50-60% seems like a good rule of thumb like someone mentioned

There is no mention on recommended frequency which makes me think, frequency does not have an impact.

I understand BMW thought of all these scenarios but battery degradation is real, and having good EV charging habits is always a good idea. Also, in terms of long term ownership, I personally never keep cars for more than 2 years, but I like to be able to tell the next owner I took good care of it.

[TXSchnee]

Is there a recommended battery charge percentage, at the top end, in the owner's manual? I figure if it is in the manual, that is where I will set the charge percentage to, otherwise it should be fine charging to 100% all the time. In fact, GM and Nissan say that you should charge their EVs to 100%, so even among companies there is no set agreement on BEV battery management.

[cruzer666]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

Is there a recommended battery charge percentage, at the top end, in the owner's manual? I figure if it is in the manual, that is where I will set the charge percentage to, otherwise it should be fine charging to 100% all the time. In fact, GM and Nissan say that you should charge their EVs to 100%, so even among companies there is no set agreement on BEV battery management.

Yes there is, 80%. See below. I'm glad you mentioned the manual, I got all the clarity I needed heh!

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by venom21

Big ask but, TheIX are you willing to do a 70MPH 0-100% range test loop ala OutofSpec/Inside EVs?

Björn's range test:

[NomoTesla]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

Is there a recommended battery charge percentage, at the top end, in the owner's manual? I figure if it is in the manual, that is where I will set the charge percentage to, otherwise it should be fine charging to 100% all the time. In fact, GM and Nissan say that you should charge their EVs to 100%, so even among companies there is no set agreement on BEV battery management.

All things are not equal. If those cars use LFP packs then charging to 100% is preferable. What GM and Nissan say cannot be applied to your BMW unless you know what battery chemistry is being discussed. In the BMW manual they clearly state to keep it at 80% or less for daily driving needs. That sounds to me like the iX does not have a LFP pack. That's a good thing because LFP is less energy dense and does not allow for higher performance. It's likely GM and Nissan are using LFP packs to save on costs, but I don't really know.

[ggalanis]

Originally Posted by cruzer666

Top end buffer does not make sense as it would drop the advertised range and as we all know, range is important for everyone looking at an EV.

From watching way too many EV focused YouTube videos, there are a couple of good reasons to have a top end buffer.

1)With a top end buffer you can allow the car to regen even at 100% state of charge. Cars that do not have a top buffer essentially prevent or limit regen at the top end of your SOC. This is a problem for those who rely/use/prefer one pedal driving as it makes the regen inconsistent when you are doing a higher than normal charge for a long trip and are not expecting the lower or non existent regen.

2)With a top end buffer, you can hide some of the battery degradation from the user, particularly the initial degradation that occurs in the first few months. My understanding is that the batteries have an initial spike of degradation in the first 6 months of usage. So essentially, if your pack was able to give you 110kWh of usable energy when brand new which would show you 550km or range when full, after 6 months you will lose some of that usable capacity no matter what. You might only have 105 kWh after 6 months of usable capacity and you would notice a drop in your estimated range when at full battery which might now only show you 525km. Without a top buffer, you would notice this drop and likely be unhappy with it. But if they artificially limited you to 100kWh in the first place, your 100% usable capacity would not change even after this initial degradation and you would still see your 500km of estimated range when you charge at 100%. As long as they always told you it had 500km or range and 100kWh of usable capacity, this is better for most people.

[TXSchnee]

Originally Posted by NomoTesla

All things are not equal. If those cars use LFP packs then charging to 100% is preferable. What GM and Nissan say cannot be applied to your BMW unless you know what battery chemistry is being discussed. In the BMW manual they clearly state to keep it at 80% or less for daily driving needs. That sounds to me like the iX does not have a LFP pack. That's a good thing because LFP is less energy dense and does not allow for higher performance. It's likely GM and Nissan are using LFP packs to save on costs, but I don't really know.

GM does not use the cheaper batteries in their BEVs, not the ones in the price range of the iX anyway: https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...ectric-future/

I ask, because as someone that isn't keeping it long term, outside of warranty complications, why not charge it to 100% unless the owner's manual gives a definite AC charge top end percentage?

[TXSchnee]

Originally Posted by cruzer666

Yes there is, 80%. See below. I'm glad you mentioned the manual, I got all the clarity I needed heh!

Did you find the Level 2 AC percentages by chance? I don't plan on fast charging the iX.

[cruzer666]

Originally Posted by ggalanis

My understanding is that the batteries have an initial spike of degradation in the first 6 months of usage.

That is only a thing if there's something wrong with the batteries in the car. Degradation is better measured in miles driven, but in average, you should have about 2% degradation in the first 3 years or less, then about 4% in the first 7 years.

The top buffer does make sense if you don't want to know it's happening to the battery, but it's going to happen regardless, why not benefit from the full range before it does? I guess it's a preference, but that top buffer will make the EV less attractive as they can't advertise it's full range.

[cruzer666]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

Did you find the Level 2 AC percentages by chance? I don't plan on fast charging the iX.

Yep, it's in the AC charging section, they just mention keeping it at 80% is even more important if you do DC charging, but you should try to keep it at 80% max regardless of AC/DC charging.