Congratulations on your new i3.
Keep the 3-pin charger socket on Reduced so you don't blow the 3-pin fuse. This prevents the car pulling too much if set to Maximum.
Visit Charging Tips for more info.

 

Congratulations on your new i3.
Keep the 3-pin charger socket on Reduced so you don't blow the 3-pin fuse. This prevents the car pulling too much if set to Maximum.
Visit Charging Tips for more info.

Thanks, I have read the charging tips page, but just wanted to see if anyone had any particular issues or experience.
I guess I should set it to the middle setting, that being "reduced" and then just keep an eye and make sure nothing gets too hot.
I am running on an extension lead in the garage, but I got it fully and coiled as I didn't want it to overheat.

 

The BMW i3 only pulls a maximum of 10 Amps with the supplied EVSE so unless you have dodgy wiring or are using a poor quality extension lead it's OK to leave it at maximum, the Rapid charger will automatically set the rate for charging, it will start off very high and slowly ramp down, the last 20% will take ages to complete.

I only use the supplied EVSE that came with the car to charge at home, I use a proper external socket and the plug gets ever so slightly warm (hardly perceptible), does take an age to charge though (8 hours plus)

 

I have PV solar so I use the EVSE a lot when we can actually see the sun. It can be a bit temperamental; ie, it may not always give you a blue light the first time you switch it on. To avoid un-necessary wear on the socket, I tend to leave the EVSE plugged in when not in use. As others have said, there are no settings for Rapid Chargers: the car and the charger communicate and the charge post manages the rate. Above 80%' the rapid charge rate falls away quickly from its original 125 amps.

 

Do you get 125amps at the rapid? I've only ever seen 395v with 110a...

 

Rapid DC charging summary:

• Rapid DC chargers are typically rated at 50kW (125A)
• All units provide a tethered cable with a non-removable JEVS (CHAdeMO) or CCS (Combo) vehicle connector
• Charging an EV on a rapid DC charger usually takes approx. 30 minutes for an 80% charge (depending on battery capacity)

I agree though that if the charge is started with 15 to 20% in the battery then Ecotricity is closer to 110 amps. I was just trying to point out that the last 20% can be painfully slow.

 

Ah gotcha, I wondered if there was something up with my car! After many many RCs I've never seen more than 110a on the charging screen...
Thanks!

 

My i3 Rex was delivered by the dealer to me this morning.
I spent the first 2 hours putting a coat of paint/wax sealant on it, then the rest of the time playing with the settings and options.

As a matter of interest what paint/wax sealant did you apply to your new car? Why did you make this choice? Have you used previously? Thanks

 

BMW Hard Wax gets my vote as it is very easy to apply and wipe off. Excellent durability.

 

We had a first go with Autoglym... Shampoo, Super Resin Polish, HD wax (includes sponges and tasty red finishing cloth) and Aqua wax (includes two nice cloths in the pack)

This isn't normally our scene but we are intending to keep the car for a long time so are going to protect it.

1) car wash shampoo (not sure how good it is compared to washing up liquid). It needs more than the 1 cap/10L ratio advertised! Dried with a chamois and microfibre cloth.
2) super resin polish - gives a great shine. We just used a normal microfibre cloth to apply (don't need their fancy applicator sponge).
3) HD wax - used much less than 1/10th of the tub first time out so it's going to last for years.

The windows and rear glass portion were done with their fast Windows cleaner but any decent window cleaner would probably do.

The results were very nice visually but more importantly the habitual deposits that stick like glue to out old car just dust off the wax. The next test is full on winter conditions but aside for the washing shampoo being a bit ordinary I was pretty impressed.

The Aqua wax is just to top up the wax level after washing as it goes on the wet car - so washing and waxing should only take about 30 minutes.... With the odd top up with HD wax every 6 months or so?

I suspect the BMW version is similar - we went Autoglym as it seems to be UK made and has awesome reviews as well as very good flexibility.

V. Best wishes

SnC

 

BMW hard wax is a surface sealant. It is part of Protect and Seal kit offered by BMW for £00s. You can get it on EBay for £10.75 a bottle. I then added a layer of Autoglym HD wax. I have used just HD wax in the past with the occasional wash with conditioning shampoo. The problem that I find with the I3 is that the back gets dirty very easily and water/muck gets into the Frunk. A Frunk bag helps keep chargers, cables etc dry.

I can't recall if you went for Active Cruise Control. If you did, then there are various warnings about the use of glass polishes as light refraction/reflection can cause the system to de-activate. It's poor enough as it is in low sun, spray and fog but really great when it is working well.

 

My i3 Rex was delivered by the dealer to me this morning.
I spent the first 2 hours putting a coat of paint/wax sealant on it, then the rest of the time playing with the settings and options.

Gee. Takes me 2 hours just to wash my car.... 1 hour planning, 30 mins coffee break then 30 mins washing. Sometimes I miss the last part out.

Actually, most times I miss the last part out....

If I were routinely using the same plug/socket for many charges, until some permanent arrangement, I'd definitely be looking to use the minimum setting. This will help avoid stressing out a 3 pin socket which is not designed for heavy continuous current draw. Ampera can select down to 6A. A 12 hr charge at 6A should give you 70 EV miles. (Not in Ampera, of course, that'd be charged up in 7hrs at 6A.