[Yapper]

Hi.. I'm a newbie here (first post) after buying a BMW 225XE (PHEV). Question is I'm looking to get a EVSE installed and have been chasing quotes for Pod Point, Growatt and Rolec. It's not going to provide a must faster charger than than the granny charger (max 3.6kwh) but I want to a) monitor usage, b) schedule charge times; all behind a robust EVSE than a granny charger plugged into a 3-pin.

Any thoughts on the above EV chargers? I read the literature, and Pod Point don't seem to be able to schedule charging times (the manual points to car functionality to do that).

 

[Lexden]

Do smart meters still need mobile signal? As I live in a rural area with no signal. Octopus told me recently that they could install in six weeks but I’m sceptical

I am not familiar with the 225XE iDrive but if it is anything like the i3, it is possible to set off peak charging and departure times. The supplied OUC is limited to 10amps/2.4kWs. Why are you thinking about a 3.6kW charging point rather than one that supplies 7.2kWs?

 

[dk6780]

I am not familiar with the 225XE iDrive but if it is anything like the i3, it is possible to set off peak charging and departure times. The supplied OUC is limited to 10amps/2.4kWs. Why are you thinking about a 3.6kW charging point rather than one that supplies 7.2kWs?

The point being that whilst your current car is limited to 3.6 kW you may as well future proof for a full BEV and purchase the 7.2 kW version as the extra cost is minimal now but an upgrade later is very expensive.
A lot of charge points use your home internet connection, via WiFi in the case of Pod Point but others by cable for greater security and reliability.
If you want a time of use tariff such as Octopus Go or agile there are alternatives such as the Ohme or the Indra designed smart charger.

 

[A_Camera]

Hi.. I'm a newbie here (first post) after buying a BMW 225XE (PHEV). Question is I'm looking to get a EVSE installed and have been chasing quotes for Pod Point, Growatt and Rolec. It's not going to provide a must faster charger than than the granny charger (max 3.6kwh) but I want to a) monitor usage, b) schedule charge times; all behind a robust EVSE than a granny charger plugged into a 3-pin.

Any thoughts on the above EV chargers? I read the literature, and Pod Point don't seem to be able to schedule charging times (the manual points to car functionality to do that).

I don't know about the 225XE, I have a 330e, but the brick charger which came with my car is a 10A charger, so it is only 2.3kWh, not 3.6kWh as you write it. My wall box is a 11kWh (3 phases 16A) and when I charge using the wall box it charges my car with 16A which is 3.7kWh and of course, it charges also that much faster, i.e. about 1.6 x faster. If that is significant or not is up to you... Also, if you use the departure time climatisation, you need more than the 10A. In my opinion, 1.6 times faster charging makes a difference, but if it does not matter for you or your normal electrical installation is good enough than you can use the brick charger. However, be aware that it is pretty risky and dangerous to charge a car out of an ordinary wall socket, unless it has been inspected and approved for continuous regular charging.

 

[A_Camera]

The point being that whilst your current car is limited to 3.6 kW you may as well future proof for a full BEV and purchase the 7.2 kW version as the extra cost is minimal now but an upgrade later is very expensive.

You can't connect a 7.2kW wall box unless your electrical installation is made for that, or you upgrade it. Remember that 7.2kW is 32A and that's a lot for being a single phase. Otherwise I agree, in my opinion, it is best to install the most powerful you can. The car has a built in limiter so even if not all the power is used, it is future proofing the installation.

 

[Weebull]

I don't know about the 225XE, I have a 330e, but the brick charger which came with my car is a 10A charger, so it is only 2.3kWh, not 3.6kWh as you write it.

That's true of all 3-pin plug type chargers. 10A max. It avoids putting as much stress on circuits that could be very old / dodgy in some houses. A 13A 12+ hour charging session would expose any weak points quite quickly.

 

[HandyAndy]

That's true of all 3-pin plug type chargers. 10A max...

Not quite all. The 13A EVSE supplied by Evconnectors.com is settable, to 6/8/10/13/16A. Can come with a Commando plug if you want. It remembers the last power setting you used, so when next charge starts, it will use that, subject to a max of 10A. But, once it's started the charge, you can step the current up to 13A if you want, or even try the 16A setting if you're feeling brave! I happen to know my Ampy maxes out at 14A charging, so I have tried that on my own wiring, under close supervision, and in my case it works fine! But that's what my Rolec's for, of course!

I have to say, it's an excellent EVSE imho!