Charging Connector - Locking Options

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i3atl

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
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437
Location
Atlanta, GA
Is there any way to have the i3 unlock the charging connector automatically after it is finished charging (while the doors remain locked/secured)? The Leaf has this option, via a 3-way switch, that makes it easier to share a charging cable at the office, as people can move the cable from car to car as each one is finished.
 
I haven't found it yet if it's there, but the paper documentation with the car is sparse..... I would expect not because of a fear the cable could be stolen.

Geoff
 
TheCyclist said:
I haven't found it yet if it's there, but the paper documentation with the car is sparse..... I would expect not because of a fear the cable could be stolen.

Geoff
Click to expand...

I looked through the PDFs I found online, and have not seen any reference to this either. It appears that the connector is locked/unlocked along with the doors. The switch on the Leaf allows the following:

Locked - Connector always locked until the switch is flipped to one of the other positions (used when I'm using my L1 charge cable, as it could otherwise be stolen)
Unlocked - Connector is not locked (I leave the switch in this position 95% of the time, since my L2 station is not outdoors and only the cable/connector is unsecured)
Auto - Connector unlocks once charging is complete (perfect for office/public charging where multiple vehicles are sharing a charging cable)

Locking/unlocking the interior of the car is separate from the switch operation. Having these options is very convenient, as I don't have to unlock the car prior to disconnecting the charge cable when the switch is in the unlocked position. It appears that with the i3, I'll need to either touch the door handle or use the fob to unlock prior to removing the cable each time.

Maybe BMW can add similar functionality via the iDrive menus.
 
Checked the car & it only unlocks when you have the car unlocked [although if you charge with the car unlocked it does lock again after a while].
One wonders whether the "firmware" could be updated in the future.

Geoff
 

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