What a car! And HELP!

[EHM Bellevue]

On the first point, we wanted a "city car" and we bought the best, BMW certified. A LOVELY 2021 example. And we are globsmacked. It is fantastic, a decade before its time, tragically misunderstood.

On the "HELP" front, we recharge with both L1 and L2 chargers, but have never been able to get either EA or ChargePoint to charge at L3. The dealer has a L3 charger and it works fine. Any ideas?

With 150+ miles of range, we are eager to "tour". Although we also have a Tesla Model 3 (DM/LR). So it is an "for extra points" feature, not critical to our ownership experience in the greater Seattle area.

 

[alohart]

The heavy DC fast charging plug and cable can flex the charge port enough to prevent good electrical contact between the pins and ports over which negotiation between the charger and car occur. This can prevent charging from initiating. This problem can frequently be overcome by lifting the plug while negotiation is occurring until charging begins. Once it begins, charging seems to continue normally.

 

[robthebold]

I guess by L3 you really mean DC fast charging? It can be a pain. Some charging equipment just doesn't work as reliably as AC ones. Also, the DC cables can be pretty heavy for the higher current units. The weight on the charge port can make the connection a little iffy and prevent the car and charger from negotiating. My dealer's unit does work fine for me, too, but it's a lower ampacity one than the public chargers I've tried and the cable is a lot lighter per unit-length as the commercial network ones.

Ed. Ya, what Art said about lifting the cable -- try that. Also, I've had DC charge stations get deactivated without notice and I've tried for several minutes before finding a weather-beaten hand-written note taped to the unit . . .

 

[Mondomensch]

On the first point, we wanted a "city car" and we bought the best, BMW certified. A LOVELY 2021 example. And we are globsmacked. It is fantastic, a decade before its time, tragically misunderstood.

On the "HELP" front, we recharge with both L1 and L2 chargers, but have never been able to get either EA or ChargePoint to charge at L3. The dealer has a L3 charger and it works fine. Any ideas?

With 150+ miles of range, we are eager to "tour". Although we also have a Tesla Model 3 (DM/LR). So it is an "for extra points" feature, not critical to our ownership experience in the greater Seattle area.

Have you tried an EVGo fast charger like the ones at Fred Meyer on 148th Ave NE? Down here in the Bay Area, fast chargers are usually EVGo, and I use the evgo app, but the Chargepoint app is supposed to work with them too.

I found out the hard way that my 20 i3 can’t signal the charging machine from the car if I want to stop charging before completion. Since the Chargepoint charger I was using had its touchscreen broken I had to eventually call Chargepoint cs to have them remotely stop the charging. This isn’t a problem if you have the app matching the brand of the charger.

 

[EHM Bellevue]

Have you tried an EVGo fast charger like the ones at Fred Meyer on 148th Ave NE? Down here in the Bay Area, fast chargers are usually EVGo, and I use the evgo app, but the Chargepoint app is supposed to work with them too.

I found out the hard way that my 20 i3 can’t signal the charging machine from the car if I want to stop charging before completion. Since the Chargepoint charger I was using had its touchscreen broken I had to eventually call Chargepoint cs to have them remotely stop the charging. This isn’t a problem if you have the app matching the brand of the charger.

Thank you ... will try as you suggested ... thanks for taking the time

 

[EHM Bellevue]

The heavy DC fast charging plug and cable can flex the charge port enough to prevent good electrical contact between the pins and ports over which negotiation between the charger and car occur. This can prevent charging from initiating. This problem can frequently be overcome by lifting the plug while negotiation is occurring until charging begins. Once it begins, charging seems to continue normally.

Thank you so much for taking the time ... will try to stabilize the connection as you suggest.

 

[EHM Bellevue]

I guess by L3 you really mean DC fast charging? It can be a pain. Some charging equipment just doesn't work as reliably as AC ones. Also, the DC cables can be pretty heavy for the higher current units. The weight on the charge port can make the connection a little iffy and prevent the car and charger from negotiating. My dealer's unit does work fine for me, too, but it's a lower ampacity one than the public chargers I've tried and the cable is a lot lighter per unit-length as the commercial network ones.

Ed. Ya, what Art said about lifting the cable -- try that. Also, I've had DC charge stations get deactivated without notice and I've tried for several minutes before finding a weather-beaten hand-written note taped to the unit . . .

Thanks for taking the time. Yes, Art (and you) have a helpful hint. Love the car.