Level 2 charger

JDsX3 · 10-15-2023, 05:53 PM

When we were at the BMW dealer working out the specs on the i4 35 for my wife, the salesperson informed me that the BMW Wallbox level 2 charger was back ordered and recommended against adding it (at $600) to our build.

Our local power company is offering a $500 incentive for purchasing one of their recommended chargers. In looking at their list, I think I am going to go with the ChargePoint CPH50-NEMA 6-50 L23 at about $600 shipped either from ChargePoint or Amazon. So with the power company incentive I would just be looking at the cost of installation by an electrician.

Any reason not to go this route?

tooshay · 10-16-2023, 02:27 AM

Charge Point Home Flex is one of the best chargers. I would go with the 14-50 plug as it's the most common outlet for level 2 chargers

JDsX3 · 10-16-2023, 09:46 AM

Thanks. Based on some additional research I will be going with the Charge Point CPH50-NEMA 6-50 L23 and have it hard wire installed. That one currently gets a nice rebate from my energy company as well.

mlanes01 · 10-16-2023, 10:22 AM

If the 500 covers the cost of the wall charger completely I would go this route. Otherwise I would go with a standard 50amp 14-50 and use the flexible fast charger. It's more than adequate for this purpose. As fast as brands etc I'm hearing good things about charge point setups.

Mgm 05 · 10-16-2023, 12:15 PM

Did the NEMA 14-50 plug with the ChargePoint HomeFlex box that's designed for that plug. Chargepoint seemed like best overall reviews/quality and went with the plug based box vs direct integration for long-term flexibility

note46 · 10-16-2023, 03:17 PM

If you want full power, you'll need to use the hardwired version. NEMA 14-50 are not rated for full 50amps at constant so you can only use 80% of the 50 which is 40amps. Unfortunately you can't limit the car to take 40amps, there is 32amps and 48amps but not 40.

If you get the hardwired version, then you can use the full 50amp capability of the EVSE and thus use the 48amp in the car.

Most likely you'll be installing it once so why not get the most out of the charger. The difference in installation cost should be minimal or even a bit cheaper for hardwire.

The difference in charging power is 7.6kwh vs 11.5kw.

Mgm 05 · 10-16-2023, 04:24 PM

well shit, that's not info i had or got from the installer but sounds worth listening to...

kbsilver · 10-16-2023, 05:43 PM

Another reason to go for hardwired is it eliminates the requirement for a GFE breaker (very expensive). Updated NEC requires that any outlet in the garage is supplied by a GFE, including the Nema 14-50.

SnowBob · 10-16-2023, 10:50 PM

If you can get it wired directly then the best move is to get the new Tesla wall charger being released at the end of the month. You can charge any car now with with it including Tesla and BMW and all your future EV when all cars here switch to the Tesla charger.

RedKloud · 10-16-2023, 11:12 PM

I would recommend the Charge Point as well, hardwired.

ibimmer954 · 10-17-2023, 12:25 PM

I have JuiceBox 40 plugged in via a 14-50 plug. I didn't have to set anything on the vehicle and charging is limited to 40amps. The car is set to "unlimited" and I get 9.3-9.6 kW from the wall. As long as you get a power delivery unit spec'ed for 40amps then you should be fine with a plug-in version if you'd like. Also, the portable cable that comes with the vehicle comes with an attachment for a 14-50 plug. So you'll have that as a backup if you want. I was able to pull 9.3kW from the BMW-supplied cable as well.

JDsX3 · 10-17-2023, 03:49 PM

An update: turns out our power company (Nevada Energy) has stopped providing the charger rebate without explanation. When I contacted them they said "it is gone as of the end of June 2023. But at least you are doing something good for the planet." Ah, I feel so much better knowing they acknowledge my efforts (we were early adopters of solar power roof generation and of their Time of Use program) well before even considering an EV.

However, even without the rebate incentive I will be having a Charge Point permanently installed in what will become the i4's home.

kbsilver · 10-17-2023, 05:26 PM

I actually use an older V2 tesla charger which was already installed for when my son visits with his Model 3. The Lectron NACs to J1772 adapter works perfectly. The Charger is connected to a NEMA 14-50 outlet which was installed before the change in code required GFI, thus it's grandfathered in.

JDsX3 · 10-20-2023, 04:10 PM

I ordered the ChargePoint hardwire J1772 level 2 50 amp unit. My electrician will be adding a dedicated 70 amp breaker and wiring, installing the unit in my garage.

JimmyW · 10-24-2023, 02:56 PM

I recently had a 14-50 plug wall box installed by a local electrician in Las Vegas for my '23 eDrive40. It was installed io my garage wall a few inches below the breaker box, and I had a spare 220 breaker available. I paid $650, which I thought was high, but I hadn't shopped around. Takes about 6 hours to go from 15% to 80% with 53 kWh.

DBinOH · 11-02-2023, 06:12 AM

I opted for the ChargePoint wall box with the 14-50 plug. I know that you lose a little bit of power by not hardwiring, but I really wanted the flexibility of the plug in the garage. I can’t get over the feeling that at some point this thing may not work and I like the idea of being able to unplug it and either buy a new one easily or use the flexible fast charger.

I don’t want to have to rely on my electrician coming over if this wall box breaks.

unfoundnemo · 11-02-2023, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBinOH

I opted for the ChargePoint wall box with the 14-50 plug. I know that you lose a little bit of power by not hardwiring, but I really wanted the flexibility of the plug in the garage. I can’t get over the feeling that at some point this thing may not work and I like the idea of being able to unplug it and either buy a new one easily or use the flexible fast charger.

I don’t want to have to rely on my electrician coming over if this wall box breaks.

I went with a 50A line with my hardwired solution as well. 60A would have bumped me up to a thicker/lower gauge line due to codes in my area, which the homeflex couldn't support diretly, so I would have had to put something else between to pair it down as well. The 20% gain wasn't worth it for me... 99% of the time I'm charging overnight and going from 20%-80%... Sure, it might save an hour... but that's not the end of the world for my use.

techwhiz1 · 11-02-2023, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBinOH

I opted for the ChargePoint wall box with the 14-50 plug. I know that you lose a little bit of power by not hardwiring, but I really wanted the flexibility of the plug in the garage. I can’t get over the feeling that at some point this thing may not work and I like the idea of being able to unplug it and either buy a new one easily or use the flexible fast charger.

I don’t want to have to rely on my electrician coming over if this wall box breaks.

Hard wired is not that big a deal over a plug if you use a junction box close to the chargers for the last leg. Less than a hours work for sure so pretty cheap for an electrician to come over.

As far as them breaking, I just pulled an 8byear old charger out that has been working perfectly. I put in a dual charger with load sharing.

The chargers don't have a lot of smarts. They really are more charging interfaces than chargers. The actual charger and voltage converter is physically in the car.

drexplode · 11-02-2023, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBinOH

I opted for the ChargePoint wall box with the 14-50 plug. I know that you lose a little bit of power by not hardwiring, but I really wanted the flexibility of the plug in the garage. I can’t get over the feeling that at some point this thing may not work and I like the idea of being able to unplug it and either buy a new one easily or use the flexible fast charger.

I don’t want to have to rely on my electrician coming over if this wall box breaks.

Same. Used mine for the first time this week on a Vulva C40 Recharge. Worked like a charm. Mine is hard wired - slight miscommunication between me and the electrician.

chefkahn · 11-03-2023, 06:37 PM

I had a i3 Rex and installed the Juicebox with the 14/50 NEMA plug at my driveway. I traded the i3 after doing donuts in a parking lot in the winter, pretty sure the advisor said it had great traction… Anyway I’ve been waiting a year for the x-drive to come out and finally picked it up on Wednesday. I sold my charger shortly after I traded the i3. So now bmw gives you the flex charger and the plug and it charges just as fast as the Juicebox did… I guess what I’m saying is if I had to do over, I would still run the outlet and skip the charger. I did get the rebate for it and installation @ 50% of cost and it was capped at $700. There are plenty of DC chargers around me to keep it charged and I can use the flex charger as needed.

MetricMan · 11-04-2023, 06:37 AM

I certainly would use a level 2 charger

philbake · 11-19-2023, 06:37 AM

Have an i4 eDrive 40. Had a NEMA 14-50 plug installed on a 60 amp breaker (the electrician chose it over a 50amp so we had a little future proofing), and use the Flexible Fast Charger that came with the vehicle. Set the amperage in the car to unlimited. Works great. I work for a dealer as a BMW Genius and often recommend this setup rather than a separate charger unless a client is frequently taking the Flex Charger with them. You don’t want to be connecting/disconnecting from the wall socket frequently.

10-15-2023, 05:53 PM	#1
JDsX3 Photojournalist, Tech & Product Analyst 510 Rep 472 Posts Drives: BMW X3, i4, Corvette Stingray Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Las Vegas iTrader: (0)	Level 2 charger When we were at the BMW dealer working out the specs on the i4 35 for my wife, the salesperson informed me that the BMW Wallbox level 2 charger was back ordered and recommended against adding it (at $600) to our build. Our local power company is offering a $500 incentive for purchasing one of their recommended chargers. In looking at their list, I think I am going to go with the ChargePoint CPH50-NEMA 6-50 L23 at about $600 shipped either from ChargePoint or Amazon. So with the power company incentive I would just be looking at the cost of installation by an electrician. Any reason not to go this route? __________________ Current:2024 i4 Mineral White Metallic with Blue Exterior Accents, Canberra Beige Perforated SensaTec, Premium Package, Driving Assistance Pro Package, Drive Recorder. 2019 X3 Mineral White Metallic, Caberra Beige interior with most options. Corvette Stingray Arctic White w red interior. Past:2002 Z3, Corvette Stingray and about 40 other cars
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10-16-2023, 02:27 AM	#2
tooshay Captain 313 Rep 757 Posts Drives: G20+M3 badge Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Temecula iTrader: (6)	Charge Point Home Flex is one of the best chargers. I would go with the 14-50 plug as it's the most common outlet for level 2 chargers __________________ G20 with some ///M3 stuff = G80
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10-16-2023, 09:46 AM	#3
JDsX3 Photojournalist, Tech & Product Analyst 510 Rep 472 Posts Drives: BMW X3, i4, Corvette Stingray Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Las Vegas iTrader: (0)	Thanks. Based on some additional research I will be going with the Charge Point CPH50-NEMA 6-50 L23 and have it hard wire installed. That one currently gets a nice rebate from my energy company as well. __________________ Current:2024 i4 Mineral White Metallic with Blue Exterior Accents, Canberra Beige Perforated SensaTec, Premium Package, Driving Assistance Pro Package, Drive Recorder. 2019 X3 Mineral White Metallic, Caberra Beige interior with most options. Corvette Stingray Arctic White w red interior. Past:2002 Z3, Corvette Stingray and about 40 other cars
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10-16-2023, 10:22 AM	#4
mlanes01 First Lieutenant 327 Rep 353 Posts Drives: 2022 G26 e40, 2021 G05 x40i Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	If the 500 covers the cost of the wall charger completely I would go this route. Otherwise I would go with a standard 50amp 14-50 and use the flexible fast charger. It's more than adequate for this purpose. As fast as brands etc I'm hearing good things about charge point setups.
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10-16-2023, 12:15 PM	#5
Mgm 05 Private 53 Rep 63 Posts Drives: ‘15 X5 35d; '24 i4 M50 Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Chicagoland iTrader: (0)	Did the NEMA 14-50 plug with the ChargePoint HomeFlex box that's designed for that plug. Chargepoint seemed like best overall reviews/quality and went with the plug based box vs direct integration for long-term flexibility
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10-16-2023, 03:17 PM	#6
note46 Lieutenant 260 Rep 439 Posts Drives: M Coupe, 328d SW, i4 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: East Bay iTrader: (1)	If you want full power, you'll need to use the hardwired version. NEMA 14-50 are not rated for full 50amps at constant so you can only use 80% of the 50 which is 40amps. Unfortunately you can't limit the car to take 40amps, there is 32amps and 48amps but not 40. If you get the hardwired version, then you can use the full 50amp capability of the EVSE and thus use the 48amp in the car. Most likely you'll be installing it once so why not get the most out of the charger. The difference in installation cost should be minimal or even a bit cheaper for hardwire. The difference in charging power is 7.6kwh vs 11.5kw.
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10-16-2023, 04:24 PM	#7
Mgm 05 Private 53 Rep 63 Posts Drives: ‘15 X5 35d; '24 i4 M50 Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Chicagoland iTrader: (0)	well shit, that's not info i had or got from the installer but sounds worth listening to...
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10-16-2023, 05:43 PM	#8
kbsilver Captain 143 Rep 634 Posts Drives: 340GT & '22 eDrive40 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: North Jersey iTrader: (0)	Another reason to go for hardwired is it eliminates the requirement for a GFE breaker (very expensive). Updated NEC requires that any outlet in the garage is supplied by a GFE, including the Nema 14-50.
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10-16-2023, 10:50 PM	#9
SnowBob Enlisted Member 15 Rep 40 Posts Drives: G20 330i M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Houston, TX iTrader: (2)	If you can get it wired directly then the best move is to get the new Tesla wall charger being released at the end of the month. You can charge any car now with with it including Tesla and BMW and all your future EV when all cars here switch to the Tesla charger.
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10-16-2023, 11:12 PM	#10
RedKloud Major 738 Rep 1,264 Posts Drives: BMW i4 M50 Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	I would recommend the Charge Point as well, hardwired.
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10-17-2023, 12:25 PM	#11
ibimmer954 Major 145 Rep 1,425 Posts Drives: '23 i4 M50, '15 M3, '18 911 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: San Diego, California, USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2015 BMW M3 [9.75] 2023 BMW i4 M50 [10.00] 2018 Porsche 911 C4S [0.00] 2019 BMW X4 M40i [0.00]	I have JuiceBox 40 plugged in via a 14-50 plug. I didn't have to set anything on the vehicle and charging is limited to 40amps. The car is set to "unlimited" and I get 9.3-9.6 kW from the wall. As long as you get a power delivery unit spec'ed for 40amps then you should be fine with a plug-in version if you'd like. Also, the portable cable that comes with the vehicle comes with an attachment for a 14-50 plug. So you'll have that as a backup if you want. I was able to pull 9.3kW from the BMW-supplied cable as well.
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10-17-2023, 03:49 PM	#12
JDsX3 Photojournalist, Tech & Product Analyst 510 Rep 472 Posts Drives: BMW X3, i4, Corvette Stingray Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Las Vegas iTrader: (0)	An update: turns out our power company (Nevada Energy) has stopped providing the charger rebate without explanation. When I contacted them they said "it is gone as of the end of June 2023. But at least you are doing something good for the planet." Ah, I feel so much better knowing they acknowledge my efforts (we were early adopters of solar power roof generation and of their Time of Use program) well before even considering an EV. However, even without the rebate incentive I will be having a Charge Point permanently installed in what will become the i4's home. __________________ Current:2024 i4 Mineral White Metallic with Blue Exterior Accents, Canberra Beige Perforated SensaTec, Premium Package, Driving Assistance Pro Package, Drive Recorder. 2019 X3 Mineral White Metallic, Caberra Beige interior with most options. Corvette Stingray Arctic White w red interior. Past:2002 Z3, Corvette Stingray and about 40 other cars
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10-17-2023, 05:26 PM	#13
kbsilver Captain 143 Rep 634 Posts Drives: 340GT & '22 eDrive40 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: North Jersey iTrader: (0)	I actually use an older V2 tesla charger which was already installed for when my son visits with his Model 3. The Lectron NACs to J1772 adapter works perfectly. The Charger is connected to a NEMA 14-50 outlet which was installed before the change in code required GFI, thus it's grandfathered in.
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10-20-2023, 04:10 PM	#14
JDsX3 Photojournalist, Tech & Product Analyst 510 Rep 472 Posts Drives: BMW X3, i4, Corvette Stingray Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Las Vegas iTrader: (0)	I ordered the ChargePoint hardwire J1772 level 2 50 amp unit. My electrician will be adding a dedicated 70 amp breaker and wiring, installing the unit in my garage. __________________ Current:2024 i4 Mineral White Metallic with Blue Exterior Accents, Canberra Beige Perforated SensaTec, Premium Package, Driving Assistance Pro Package, Drive Recorder. 2019 X3 Mineral White Metallic, Caberra Beige interior with most options. Corvette Stingray Arctic White w red interior. Past:2002 Z3, Corvette Stingray and about 40 other cars
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10-24-2023, 02:56 PM	#15
JimmyW Registered 0 Rep 4 Posts Drives: 2023 BMW eDrive40 Join Date: Oct 2023 Location: Las Vegas iTrader: (0)	I recently had a 14-50 plug wall box installed by a local electrician in Las Vegas for my '23 eDrive40. It was installed io my garage wall a few inches below the breaker box, and I had a spare 220 breaker available. I paid $650, which I thought was high, but I hadn't shopped around. Takes about 6 hours to go from 15% to 80% with 53 kWh.
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11-02-2023, 06:12 AM	#16
DBinOH Private 32 Rep 91 Posts Drives: 2020 X5; 2016 M235i Conv. 6MT Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Cleveland, OH iTrader: (0) Garage List 2024 BMW i4 xdr 40 [0.00] 2016 BMW M235i [0.00]	I opted for the ChargePoint wall box with the 14-50 plug. I know that you lose a little bit of power by not hardwiring, but I really wanted the flexibility of the plug in the garage. I can’t get over the feeling that at some point this thing may not work and I like the idea of being able to unplug it and either buy a new one easily or use the flexible fast charger. I don’t want to have to rely on my electrician coming over if this wall box breaks.
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11-03-2023, 06:37 PM	#20
chefkahn Registered 0 Rep 3 Posts Drives: BMW i4X 40, BMW X3, BMW 128i Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	I had a i3 Rex and installed the Juicebox with the 14/50 NEMA plug at my driveway. I traded the i3 after doing donuts in a parking lot in the winter, pretty sure the advisor said it had great traction… Anyway I’ve been waiting a year for the x-drive to come out and finally picked it up on Wednesday. I sold my charger shortly after I traded the i3. So now bmw gives you the flex charger and the plug and it charges just as fast as the Juicebox did… I guess what I’m saying is if I had to do over, I would still run the outlet and skip the charger. I did get the rebate for it and installation @ 50% of cost and it was capped at $700. There are plenty of DC chargers around me to keep it charged and I can use the flex charger as needed. Last edited by chefkahn; 11-03-2023 at 06:44 PM..
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11-04-2023, 06:37 AM	#21
MetricMan Customs 17 Rep 10 Posts Drives: M5 Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: New Mexico iTrader: (0)	I certainly would use a level 2 charger
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11-19-2023, 06:37 AM	#22
philbake Second Lieutenant 21 Rep 209 Posts Drives: 2018 640i GT/2017 X5 40e Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Castle Rock, CO iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 BMW i4 e40 [0.00]	Have an i4 eDrive 40. Had a NEMA 14-50 plug installed on a 60 amp breaker (the electrician chose it over a 50amp so we had a little future proofing), and use the Flexible Fast Charger that came with the vehicle. Set the amperage in the car to unlimited. Works great. I work for a dealer as a BMW Genius and often recommend this setup rather than a separate charger unless a client is frequently taking the Flex Charger with them. You don’t want to be connecting/disconnecting from the wall socket frequently.
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