Charging An Electric Car.

Electric cars are driven by power from a battery, which must be plugged in and charged up regularly. There are three main ways to charge an electric car – at home, at work or at a public charging point – each of which provide varying speeds and costs.

Person holding BMW Charging card with white BMW electric car parked on city street in background, doors open and another person loading items.

PUBLIC CHARGING.

With BMW Charging, you have access to a growing network of over 26,259 charging points. Your car will come with a BMW Charging Card – which you can use to pay for your public charging session – plus a cable that’s compatible with public chargers across the network.

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Interior car view of person using tablet at EV charging station beside wooden wall.

HOME CHARGING.

Every electric BMW comes with a flexible charging cable, which you can simply plug in to any domestic or industrial socket. For even more efficient charging at home, a smart Pod 7kW home charger can charge your battery up to 3x faster than a regular three-pin socket.

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Person in brown coat holding smartphone in front of white BMW electric car at charging station.

CHARGE FOR LESS.

Some energy providers provide cheaper tariffs at specific ‘off-peak’ times – usually during the night, which is the perfect time to charge your electric car ready for morning. Contact your provider to see if this is something they offer.

Person walking past white BMW electric car charging at city street station with modern buildings in background.

WORKPLACE CHARGING.

Many employers are now installing charging stations, offering complimentary access as part of their company benefits package. So you can plug in when you start work and come out to a fully charged car for your commute home.

Person holding smartphone showing 75% battery status of electric BMW car charging in background.

CHARGE UP WITH THE MY BMW APP.

The My BMW App is on hand to enhance your electric experience. When it comes to charging, you can view your battery level from anywhere, access your charging history and locate your closest charging stations, even seeing whether they’re available and how much they cost.

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FAQs

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

The time it takes to charge an all-electric BMW depends on the model, its battery and how you choose to charge it. For example:

Charging a BMW i4 eDrive35 at a High-Power Charging Station (DC) from 10-80% will take approximately 32 minutes*. Charging the same car to full battery at home using a Home Charger (AC) will take approximately 8 hours*.

To find the charging times of each electrified BMW within the range, please visit the BMW configurator.
Where can I charge my electric car?
- Home charging: For convenient charging at home, every electric BMW comes with a flexible charger cable that fits any domestic or industrial socket. You can also choose to purchase a Pod smart home charger, providing 3x faster charging than your standard three-pin plug. The price includes free standard installation* by an expert electrician (typically available to 90% of customers, depending on the complexity of the installation required). It also comes with a 3-year warranty and access to the handy Pod App – where you can view your activity, costs and remotely schedule your charging.
- Workplace charging: Some employers offer workplace charging points, offering free access as a company benefit.
- Public charging: For easy charging on the move, BMW Charging offers access to a constantly growing network of over 520,000 charging points public chargers across Europe.
- Motorway service stations: Many motorway service stations feature rapid charging points that can quickly charge your electric car while you take a break on your journey.
- Destination charging: Some hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and shopping centres now offer electric vehicle charging for their customers.
What is the optimum charging level for an electric car battery?

To optimise the life of your battery, the ideal charging level is between 20 and 80%, so that it’s never completely depleted or fully charged. You can conveniently set your car’s charging target to 80% through the on-screen menu – so it will automatically stop charging once it reaches this optimum level.

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BMW ELECTRIC MODELS.

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Close-up of a BMW XM vehicle charging, showing front left wheel with gold and black accents and connected charging cable.

BMW PLUG-IN HYBRID MODELS.

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