Home Charger - Get it from BMW or ?

[bimmerc]

Anyone have any tips/recommendations regarding purchasing a home charger for the i3?
[Sorry if this was previously discussed. I did a search on this forum and nothing came up.]
The BMW home charger is about $1100.

Is there any advantage to having the BMW charger over one of the Bosch chargers or another charger? The quoter mentioned that there was more communication between the car and the BMW branded charger than the Bosch branded one.

Also, for those interested, Bosch came to my house regarding their installation services. My quote for installing the BMW charger is $2550 which includes pulling the permit (Los Angeles), putting a sub panel in my garage, adding a breaker at the main panel, putting 40' of conduit, all wiring/cabling from the main panel to sub panel, stucco repair (if needed), and installation of the charger. Plus, I have to have a trench dug from my house to my detached garage (the quoter said it'd be cheaper for me to have the trench dug than for him to do it). Cost of charger is not included.

Thanks! This site has been a wealth of information for me.

 

[Jeffj]

Any EVSE can charge your car, there is nothing special in the BMW-branded charger. That being said, there are feature differences across the various chargers (which are all add-on's to the basic job of charging). You can get fancy displays, wi-fi connectivity, delayed charging features, etc.

Most people seem to thing that the features included in the BMW-branded EVSE can be had from a competitor for ~$300-$400 less.

I can't comment on the installation price, as those are completely dependent on the area, but for comparison, I had one installed for $780 that included running 130 ft. of wiring, new circuit, breaker, and shut-off switch. No trenching and no permit, just some conduit. I'm in CO.

 

[easports82]

The options depend on what you're willing and able to do. I wound up getting a JuiceBox Classic 30 from eMotorWerks, which has served me well in the short time I've had it. My criteria for finding an EVSE were:

• 1) No rewiring, as I'm renting a condo

• 2) Had an available dryer outlet, so it needed to have an adapter

• 3) Didn't want to break the bank

Others in the forum can give you more detailed answers; was a great resource for me as I was trying to figure out my options. Search for EVSE and you'll get a bunch of hits.

 

[dirtboy]

While this may not be for everyone, I built a kit from http://store.openevse.com/. I just had a 50A circuit added to my existing panel and it has worked well from day one.

 

[bimmerc]

Thanks, jeffj, easport82, and dirtboy!
Just the info I needed. I'll most likely go with a non-BMW charger since it doesn't look like I get much more with the BMW one over chargers that cost less. Plus, the BMW charger is much larger with all the extra plastic.

Now I just have to research and make sure I get a good charger! I'm checking out the JuiceBox that easports82 mentioned and the openevse that dirtboy mentioned.

Any and all recommendations welcome!
I hope to pass along useful information soon as a lessee (still negotiating) to other newbies and/or members!

Thanks.

 

[Schnort]

For me, anyways, I was limited to UL rated devices to claim local incentives. The two devices you mentioned aren't UL listed.

 

[bbmertz]

Based on recommendations from others in this forum as well as the i3 Facebook group, I quickly narrowed my EVSE purchase decision to the Bosch PowerMax EL-51254 and the Clipper Creek HCS-40P. I like the Clipper Creek unit since it is about $100 less expensive, more compact and has the option to purchase with an attached NEMA 14-50 plug (which I could easily install using the 240v outlet I use to charge my Tesla). Ultimately, I decided to buy the Bosch unit along with a separate NEMA 14-50 plug (General Electric WX9X35), since the Clipper Creek plug pigtail is only 12" which is too short to reach the outlet. If I was doing a hardwired installation, then I would have bought the Clipper Creek unit.

 

[Blue20]

Should HCS-40P come with a NEMA 14-50 as well? I thought that is what the P stand for.

Also, you may want to double check the vampire power drain. Some fancy EVSEs use quite a bit of power, just to look pretty.

 

[bimmerc]

Excellent point, Schnort, I do need to look out for the UL listing to qualify for local utility rebates.

Thanks, bbmertz, for your info.

Blue20 - I'll be sure to check power usage of the chargers.

All great info. Thanks.

 

[i3atl]

Based on recommendations from others in this forum as well as the i3 Facebook group, I quickly narrowed my EVSE purchase decision to the Bosch PowerMax EL-51254 and the Clipper Creek HCS-40P. I like the Clipper Creek unit since it is about $100 less expensive, more compact and has the option to purchase with an attached NEMA 14-50 plug (which I could easily install using the 240v outlet I use to charge my Tesla). Ultimately, I decided to buy the Bosch unit along with a separate NEMA 14-50 plug (General Electric WX9X35), since the Clipper Creek plug pigtail is only 12" which is too short to reach the outlet. If I was doing a hardwired installation, then I would have bought the Clipper Creek unit.

The "pigtail" on the hardwired HCS-40 is 3' - so if I'm understanding your concern correctly, you could've just put a plug on that model. I'm not sure why they keep it so short on the plug-in model.

 

[bbmertz]

The "pigtail" on the hardwired HCS-40 is 3' - so if I'm understanding your concern correctly, you could've just put a plug on that model. I'm not sure why they keep it so short on the plug-in model.

True, Clipper Creek model HCS-40 has a longer pigtail and HCS-40P has the 12" 14-50 plug pre-installed which they state is short for UL compliance reasons. I thought it would be easier to attach a standalone 14-50 plug onto the easily accessible terminals within the Bosch unit than to try to splice the wires together on the Clipper Creek HCS-40.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Our JESLA sells well with the BMW i3 folks. This 40 amp (9.6kW) J1772 / Type 1 portable charging cable works at up to full power on every known J1772 equipped vehicle in the world.

It is ultra flexible, light weight (only 8 pounds total!), and portable, PLUS it adjusts from 100 to 250 volts and 12 to 40 amps, automatically. You don't have to know anything about electricity and no installation required;

Just Plug-N-Chargetm!!!

http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JESLA-is-THE-40-amp-J1772-portable-charging-solution-JESLA.htm

JELSA ships with NEMA 14-50 and NEMA 5-15 plugs, a padlock, plus a carrying bag. Additionally, you may want to buy the correct plug for your dryer (handy for visiting friends or relatives at their house) or for motel air conditioners:

......................................................VOLTS / AMPS.......kW
*NEMA 5-15 .......Standard Outlet.. 120 V / 12 A...... 1.4 kW
NEMA 5-20 ...... Motel air conditioner 120/16A....... 1.9 kW
NEMA 10-30......Older Dryers...... 240 V / 24 A...... 5.8 kW
NEMA 14-30......Newer Dryers..... 240 V / 24 A...... 5.8 kW
*NEMA 14-50......RV Parks ........... 240 V / 40 A...... 9.6 kW (BMW i3 limited to 30 amps)

*included plugs

Be sure to get a 50 amp circuit installed at your charging location with a NEMA 14-50R receptacle. We sell the receptacle here for just $5.99 (cheaper than Home Depot or Lowes):

http://shop.quickchargepower.com/14-50R-Outlet-14-50R.htm

******


The JAMP JR Model 40-50 (40 amp charge / 50 amp circuit @ 9.6kW), like JESLA, works at up to full power on every known J1772 equipped vehicle in the world.

That means maximum power and speed with the 40 amp Tesla onboard charger that is in a Mercedes B-Class ED, Toyota RAV4 EV, and of course all Tesla cars, but it works equally fantastic with the BMW i3, Kia Soul EV or Nissan LEAF. It is ultra flexible, light weight, and can be portable, like JESLA. Also like JESLA, you don't have to know anything about electricity;

Just Plug-N-Chargetm !!!

JAMP JR Model 40-50 will ship with a NEMA 14-50 plug, just like JESLA. It is covered by our limited warranty, simple to use, the lightest weight of any equivalent power unit, and the lowest cost. It comes with a 25 foot long cable PLUS a three feet wall cable to the NEMA14-50 plug. Yes, about 28 feet total !!!

This is not a hobbyist product. There is no "nerdy" programming required, no wifi, no Bluetooth, no "version 136z.2a" software update, and no technical jargon required. JAMP JR does have a simple light that indicates it is working.

$499 - Model 40-50 (NEMA 14-50)
$449 - Model 32-40 (NEMA 14-50 - perfect for BMW i3)
$399 - Model 24-30 (L6-30)
$349 - Model 16-20 (L6-20)
$299 - Model 12-15 (NEMA 5-15)

Available April 2015

 

[roofless]

I checked the reviews on Amazon.com and ordered the Siemens VersiCharge VC30GRYU. I considered a similar Bosch unit, but the Siemens had a longer cord (20' vs 18') so I went with that. I paid $549 for the unit and $275 to have an electrician install it. The unit can be hard-wired or plugged into a 240V outlet, I had the electrician install the outlet. I've had it for about 2 weeks now, works as expected. You can order the same ESVE from Home Depot for the same price.

 

[Schnort]

That's the one I got as well, though I paid the electrician a bit more. (They know the electric company is rebating half the cost, so they charge more for the installation)

 

[Wastedspacer]

I'm considering a $499 Blink charger - http://shop.blinkhq.com/Blink-Electric-Charger-Includes-Charging/dp/B00IOT4RSA
Since it comes with a $100 blink charger credit and there's a Blink DC fast Charge just over a mile from my house, that's certainly tempting.

Anyone out there have Blink experience?

 

[TonyWilliams]

I'm considering a $499 Blink charger - http://shop.blinkhq.com/Blink-Electric-Charger-Includes-Charging/dp/B00IOT4RSA
Since it comes with a $100 blink charger credit and there's a Blink DC fast Charge just over a mile from my house, that's certainly tempting.

Anyone out there have Blink experience?

Unless you have a Japanese specification i3 with CHAdeMO, you won't be able to use the Blink DC charger.

 

[lex]

Tony,

Sorry, but your point regarding Japanese specification i3 with CHAdeMO for the Blink HQ charger is factually incorrect. I can say this because I actually own and have been using the Blink charger cited by the user for a month now and it has been awesome. My i3 charges in 3.5 hours flawlessly. I am surprised how infrequently the Blink home charger has been brought up on this forum, but after doing my own research I thought the Blink was the most cost effective solution because of the $100 credit and it is half the price of the BMW charger. I also got a $500 rebate from Puget Sound Energy.

So I do recommend the Blink Home charger that can be purchased on Amazon or Blink directly. And YES, it does work with the US BMW i3.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Tony,

Sorry, but your point regarding Japanese specification i3 with CHAdeMO for the Blink HQ charger is factually incorrect.

That's not a Blink DC charger... this is:


http://www.blinknetwork.com/chargers-commercial-dc-fast.html

 

[bbmertz]

The 30amp Blink charger (http://shop.blinkhq.com/Blink-Electric-Charger-Includes-Charging/dp/B00IOT4RSA) looks like a great lower-cost option for a hard-wired installation.

I recently installed this Bosch charger (http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-EL-51254-Electric-Vehicle-Charging/dp/B00FA44WX2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427228877&sr=8-2&keywords=Bosch+electric+vehicle+charger), since I wanted a 25' cable and knew that it would be easy to install a 14-50 NEMA plug (http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-4-ft-4-Prong-Range-Cord-for-Freestanding-Electric-Ranges-WX9X35GDS/202214667?keyword=Ge+wx9x35) following the instructions from the attached link (http://www.bmwblog.com/2014/09/24/installing-level-2-charger-electric-car/).

My only addition to these instructions would be to use a 3/4" hole saw drillbit and to buy a Torx 30 screwdriver as well as the necessary screws/bolts to attach the mounting plate to the garage wall, since they are not included with the charger. In addition, electrical tape can be used to cover the colored wires if the outer black insulation conduit is cut too far back on the NEMA plug pigtail.

 

[MFNATIK]

Tony,

Sorry, but your point regarding Japanese specification i3 with CHAdeMO for the Blink HQ charger is factually incorrect. I can say this because I actually own and have been using the Blink charger cited by the user for a month now and it has been awesome. My i3 charges in 3.5 hours flawlessly. I am surprised how infrequently the Blink home charger has been brought up on this forum, but after doing my own research I thought the Blink was the most cost effective solution because of the $100 credit and it is half the price of the BMW charger. I also got a $500 rebate from Puget Sound Energy.

So I do recommend the Blink Home charger that can be purchased on Amazon or Blink directly. And YES, it does work with the US BMW i3.

Thanks for sharing. I was going to go a different route but I do like the sleek look and clean installation option of this unit.