BMW puts stupid slow chargers in stupid locations to match their stupid EVs

[David99]

Let me get this straight. You think it's stupid to have a charger at a museum where people spend an average of 3 hours? Depending on the car that's getting 60-80 miles. How is that stupid?
I think it's stupid to plug your EV in at a DC charger for 3 hours where it blocks the spot for more than 2 hours because it's done charging after less than one hour.

 

[roguenode]

Let me get this straight. You think it's stupid to have a charger at a museum where people spend an average of 3 hours? Depending on the car that's getting 60-80 miles. How is that stupid?
I think it's stupid to plug your EV in at a DC charger for 3 hours where it blocks the spot for more than 2 hours because it's done charging after less than one hour.

No, quoted and was responding to McRat's contention: "I do get a kick out of the "I'm going to drive a long distance to go see a park, then hang out for only 1 hr crowd" and pointing out that having a level 2 charging station in a national park does not necessarily provide the opportunity to charge so complaints can be valid, even if you were planning on spending many hours. The level 2 charger at RMNP is one current example of this I have experienced. For an i3 owner, they would likely need that charger to return home, but they may not get the opportunity to charge while there and have no way of knowing if they will in advance, so, it's not a very effective charging solution. Ymmv.

 

[jelloslug]

I agree it's not feasible on the highway for trips. It's very feasible for a destination where people stay a few hours (such as the Thomas Edison museum we're talking about).

By the way I looked at the video of the announcement on electrek.co and the BMW person answering the question said the i3 fully charges to 100% on the unit in question (30A) in 2-3 hours. The BMW web site says it takes 3:30. Either way, that's more a testament to the smallness of the i3 battery than to the speed of the charging.

I had an i3 with the smaller battery. On 7.2 kw charger, a full charge would take over three hours.

 

[David99]

There are issues with L2 chargers as well as L3. There are all kinds of issues with chargers in general. Not knowing if it works or will there be one available. Will someone park there over night, will someone block a L3 charger longer than needed and many others. Those are all general issues and has nothing to do with BMW being stupid or their cars being stupid.

 

[SageBrush]

Isn't BMW selling a 25kW DC charging station for $6500? That's not good enough for a highway, but it's perfect for a destination of an hour or two. If they're going to donate something to promote EVs, why not donate something that makes EVs seem practical? 30A charging wouldn't even give 25miles/hr at 208V commercial power.

Indeed, although I'm not sure how much inter-operability it has. A quick Google search said 'SAE Combo' -- which I think is CCS. AC chargers have J1772 plugs which can suit just about everybody.

 

[McRat]

Since EVs are still very rare outside of California, you probably won't see a lot of issues at parks.

I think BMW should be commended for the effort. How many EV chargers did the World's Largest Automaker, Toyota Mega, put in? Goose Egg. They used Taxpayer Money to put in Hydrogen. How thoughtful. At least they didn't poop on the lawn like the dogs they are.

Even Chevrolet has put some in. My daughter took these up near UCSB while charging/shopping: