New BMW i DC Fast Charger is Smaller and Stronger
The BMW i3 will be able to utilize the new BMW i DC Fast Charger. Photo: BMW
Leave it to BMW to continue improving on groundbreaking technology long before competitors catch up.
A the Plug-In 2014 convention, the company launched the BMW i DC Fast Charger, designed to charge the BMW i3’s electric battery to nearly 80% capacity in a half hour. Notably, because the i DC Fast Charger will feature SAE Combo 1 connectors, it will be compatible with plug-in hybrids manufactured by GM, Ford, Chrysler, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche.
Specs on the BMW i DC Fast Charger
If you’re familiar with the traditional DC fast charger, you know why BMW targeted it as an opportunity for innovation. The hefty contraption not only resembles the bulk of an average refrigerator, it utilizes vast amounts of electricity while carrying an upfront a price tag of tens of thousands of dollars.
Luckily, the new i DC Fast Charger is, in comparison, the size of a mini-fridge and can be mounted on a wall. Also more appealing, the new model will cost a fraction of the standard DC charger, retailing at $6,548. The 24 kW device plugs directly into a vehicle’s battery, reducing energy loss and boosting transfer efficiency. Being that the console is designed for outdoor use, its aluminum body and internal mechanisms have been approved for extreme weather conditions between -40°F and 185°F (sounds perfect for our Ohio weather).
This breakthrough is the result of BMW’s powerhouse partnership with Bosch Technology, who both intend to “change the face of public charging.”
ChargeNow stations will feature BMW i DC Fast Chargers. Photo: BMW
ChargeNOW Benefits for BMW i3 Drivers
As an additional bonus for buyers who shoveled out buckets of money on an i3, NRG eVgo, on behalf of BMW, is offering charging to BMW i3 drivers for no cost. This special promotion is available at Freedom Station sites in California through 2015. To support this program, eVgo will deploy a reported minimum of the new i DC Fast Chargers to grow dependable charging networks and increase public attentiveness to growing green technology. BMW i3 drivers will simply need to present their ChargeNOW cards.
With the recent attention on BMW’s new sporty i8, BMW is quickly becoming the face of electric automotive innovation. And, thanks to Apple for teaching us that the letter “i” can give any product a noteworthy reputation.
Source: BMW Press Group
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