Dealerships in the US have just started taking delivery of the 2022 BMW iX xDrive50, BMW's new all-electric mid-sized SUV. We were able to borrow one of the first dealership deliveries in the country from BMW of Bloomfield in Bloomfield New Jersey, to do some DC fast charging recordings as well as this charging deep dive instructional video.
We recognize that most BMW iX owners will be new to electric vehicles, as is the case with most EV purchases today. Therefore, we put together this "Everything You Need To Know About Charging The BMW iX xDrive50" video.
10.5 hrs (0% to 100%) on 48-amp, 240V Level 2
35 minutes (10% to 80%) on 200+kW DC Fast Charger
The video explains the differences in level 1, level 2, and DC fast charging, as well as home charging versus charging in public. We also explain how to charge the BMW iX on a Tesla charging station.
BMW includes a standard dual-voltage portable charging cord with the iX. It's a brand new unit that BMW hasn't used before. For the BMW i3, BMW only included a level 1, 120-volt charging cable and if customers wanted something better, they sold them a dual-voltage unit TurboCord made by Webasto.
The new dual voltage unit has a 40-amp adapter that plugs into a NEMA 14-50 outlet, and some iX xDrive owners will find that suits their daily charging needs. However, the iX has a 48-amp onboard charger, and we believe many iX owners will want faster home charging than the 40-amp supplied charging cord will provide. Those owners will need to purchase and hard-wire a 48-amp charging station like the ChargePoint Home Flex, or the Enel-X JuiceBox 48.
BMW does sell its own BMW-branded home charging station called the BMW Wallbox. It's a 40-amp wall-mounted charging station and is the 3rd generation of BMW branded charging stations. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but in the past, BMW's charging solutions have been a bit overpriced when compared to comparable home charging stations.
Plus, it's only a 40-amp unit and isn't capable of delivering the maximum power the BMW iX or the BMW i4 can accept, which is a little strange. Typically when an OEM sells their own proprietary charging station it is matched to the power the EVs they sell can accept, but that isn't the case with the BMW Wallbox. We'd suggest the iX owners looking for a wall-mounted charging station consider 3rd party options.
The iX xDrive50 can charge at speeds of up to 195 kW on a DC fast charger that can deliver that much power. We recently recorded a full 0% to 100% charging session with the iX xDrive50 and will post our results as well as our analysis next week.
When charging on a 200+ kW DC fast charger, BMW states the iX xDrive50 and charges from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes. Our session actually took a little longer, but we recorded the charging session when it was about 32° F (0° C) outside and the battery was most likely a little too cold to accept the full power it's capable of.
So check out the video and let us know if we answered all of your BMW ix xDrive50 charging questions. If we missed something, please leave it in the comment section below and we'll do our best to get you an answer.
Source: State Of Charge (YouTube)
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