BMW 330e ordered...
Discussion
Giz1972 said:
Just had a phone call to say my car has arrived at the dealership. Tusker are asking me if I want to terminate my exsisting contracted car with a £310 fee or wait till my current contract runs out on May 8th. Means I would be paying double in my April pay.
Does this car + your current = more than the £310 fee?Questions about charging:
1. What happens when the battery is fully charged? Does it triple charge like Mobile phones or does it cut off the power supply sonno more energy is used?
2. When your battery is near to 0%, I believe it takes 2 to 3 1/2 hours to charge fully depending on what lead you use. So when you have for example 50% battery left, does it take half the time to charge back up to 100%?
3. Chargers based around the UK, Is it right that it's not really worth charging at motorway or street payable charge points because it costs around £6 for a charge and the BMW doesn't have the capability for fast charging like some of the full EV's.
4. Are all charge points using the same cable system and is universal to all cars because I know a few of the supermarkets are free to use. Also that I understand that the BMW cable is a normal household socket plug.
5. Is there any sites to free charging points at supermarkets and retail parks in the U.K.
6. Lastly, I'm getting a chargepoint fitted any time in the next month free with Chargedev I think, been advised to have the one with the cable already fitted.
Thanks for any feedback.
1. What happens when the battery is fully charged? Does it triple charge like Mobile phones or does it cut off the power supply sonno more energy is used?
2. When your battery is near to 0%, I believe it takes 2 to 3 1/2 hours to charge fully depending on what lead you use. So when you have for example 50% battery left, does it take half the time to charge back up to 100%?
3. Chargers based around the UK, Is it right that it's not really worth charging at motorway or street payable charge points because it costs around £6 for a charge and the BMW doesn't have the capability for fast charging like some of the full EV's.
4. Are all charge points using the same cable system and is universal to all cars because I know a few of the supermarkets are free to use. Also that I understand that the BMW cable is a normal household socket plug.
5. Is there any sites to free charging points at supermarkets and retail parks in the U.K.
6. Lastly, I'm getting a chargepoint fitted any time in the next month free with Chargedev I think, been advised to have the one with the cable already fitted.
Thanks for any feedback.
Just for info, I completed a 600 mile round trip this week.
1. Left home fully charged, 225 motorway miles then 50 mile across country (hills), then some local running around. 300 miles in total 41.43MPG
2. Home journey, filled up, NOT charged, 50 miles across country then 250 miles of motorway home. 300 miles in total = 42.85MPG
Calculated using actual fill amounts and journey miles. No opportunity to charge anywhere at destination, and I can't see the point of charging for 30 minutes on the motorway.
The journey home was a slightly different route due to my start point that meant a longer trip back to the motorway that ended up with the exact same mileage driven, without the local destination running in the total.
I did some running in Eco Pro and some in Comfort, and I left the climate system switched on mostly with the air con off (mostly).
1. Left home fully charged, 225 motorway miles then 50 mile across country (hills), then some local running around. 300 miles in total 41.43MPG
2. Home journey, filled up, NOT charged, 50 miles across country then 250 miles of motorway home. 300 miles in total = 42.85MPG
Calculated using actual fill amounts and journey miles. No opportunity to charge anywhere at destination, and I can't see the point of charging for 30 minutes on the motorway.
The journey home was a slightly different route due to my start point that meant a longer trip back to the motorway that ended up with the exact same mileage driven, without the local destination running in the total.
I did some running in Eco Pro and some in Comfort, and I left the climate system switched on mostly with the air con off (mostly).
Giz1972 said:
Questions about charging:
1. What happens when the battery is fully charged? Does it triple charge like Mobile phones or does it cut off the power supply sonno more energy is used?
2. When your battery is near to 0%, I believe it takes 2 to 3 1/2 hours to charge fully depending on what lead you use. So when you have for example 50% battery left, does it take half the time to charge back up to 100%?
3. Chargers based around the UK, Is it right that it's not really worth charging at motorway or street payable charge points because it costs around £6 for a charge and the BMW doesn't have the capability for fast charging like some of the full EV's.
4. Are all charge points using the same cable system and is universal to all cars because I know a few of the supermarkets are free to use. Also that I understand that the BMW cable is a normal household socket plug.
5. Is there any sites to free charging points at supermarkets and retail parks in the U.K.
6. Lastly, I'm getting a chargepoint fitted any time in the next month free with Chargedev I think, been advised to have the one with the cable already fitted.
Thanks for any feedback.
1. When it's charged the "Charging" light on the supplied brick charger goes out. So I assume current flow stops.1. What happens when the battery is fully charged? Does it triple charge like Mobile phones or does it cut off the power supply sonno more energy is used?
2. When your battery is near to 0%, I believe it takes 2 to 3 1/2 hours to charge fully depending on what lead you use. So when you have for example 50% battery left, does it take half the time to charge back up to 100%?
3. Chargers based around the UK, Is it right that it's not really worth charging at motorway or street payable charge points because it costs around £6 for a charge and the BMW doesn't have the capability for fast charging like some of the full EV's.
4. Are all charge points using the same cable system and is universal to all cars because I know a few of the supermarkets are free to use. Also that I understand that the BMW cable is a normal household socket plug.
5. Is there any sites to free charging points at supermarkets and retail parks in the U.K.
6. Lastly, I'm getting a chargepoint fitted any time in the next month free with Chargedev I think, been advised to have the one with the cable already fitted.
Thanks for any feedback.
2. Not quite, I believe the last part of charging (10%?) takes longer to prevent overheating the batteries and hence damage to the batteries. So from 50% the charging time will be reduced, but not half.
3. Not tried, others will comment, but the 330e will not rapid charge. I don't believe charging for 30 minutes on the motorway is worth the bother.
4. No chance, there are multiple connectors and chargers. The 330e is supplied with a Mode 2 charger and 3 pin plug. You can buy a Type 2 to Type 2 cable that you can use at charging stations, but I don't have one, so have never tried.
5. Yes - I have charged at Westfield's on the A40 near Shepherds Bush. This are free normal mains sockets, but last time I was there a couple of weeks ago, none of them were working. There was a solitary, sad looking Nissan Leaf there in one of the 8 bays!
6. Personal Choice. For me I will be having a tethered, fixed lead fitted. This is the ultimate in convenience, but if you change the car and need a different type of connector, apparently you will need a new box fitted. Why you can't just get the cable changed I don't know and I would try this first obviously! I'm locked into a company car for the next three years. The box and cable will probably be knackered by then anyway.
Orion917 said:
Just for info, I completed a 600 mile round trip this week.
1. Left home fully charged, 225 motorway miles then 50 mile across country (hills), then some local running around. 300 miles in total 41.43MPG
2. Home journey, filled up, NOT charged, 50 miles across country then 250 miles of motorway home. 300 miles in total = 42.85MPG
Calculated using actual fill amounts and journey miles. No opportunity to charge anywhere at destination, and I can't see the point of charging for 30 minutes on the motorway.
The journey home was a slightly different route due to my start point that meant a longer trip back to the motorway that ended up with the exact same mileage driven, without the local destination running in the total.
I did some running in Eco Pro and some in Comfort, and I left the climate system switched on mostly with the air con off (mostly).
Interesting... so based on this, admittedly one example, there is no point in constantly charging the battery everyday then?1. Left home fully charged, 225 motorway miles then 50 mile across country (hills), then some local running around. 300 miles in total 41.43MPG
2. Home journey, filled up, NOT charged, 50 miles across country then 250 miles of motorway home. 300 miles in total = 42.85MPG
Calculated using actual fill amounts and journey miles. No opportunity to charge anywhere at destination, and I can't see the point of charging for 30 minutes on the motorway.
The journey home was a slightly different route due to my start point that meant a longer trip back to the motorway that ended up with the exact same mileage driven, without the local destination running in the total.
I did some running in Eco Pro and some in Comfort, and I left the climate system switched on mostly with the air con off (mostly).
RobbieWetta said:
Interesting... so based on this, admittedly one example, there is no point in constantly charging the battery everyday then?
Not for medium to long journeys it would seem. Short journeys definitely need regular charging. For example, if you live 10-12 miles from work (or less) and can charge there, you would use no petrol at all.I'm not so sure, last week I did a 240 mile return trip mostly motorway (With a huge amount of 50 mph limits!) Left fully charged and arrived at my destination with 54.5 mpg. The battery was discharged upon arrival. When I left it was using petrol to drive around the car park, mpg on the trip back home was 39.8. That is with a 225xe rather than a 330e but it would tie in with what I would expect.
One question? Was the even mpg trip using the pro satellite navigation with way points selected? In that case I would expect the car to even out the battery usage across all legs of the trip. For us poor minions with the basic sat nav it will use all the battery on the outbound trip , ignoring the minor detail of getting home....
Orion917 said:
Not for medium to long journeys it would seem. Short journeys definitely need regular charging. For example, if you live 10-12 miles from work (or less) and can charge there, you would use no petrol at all.
Yeah I am about 19 miles door to door each way so just outside the range and have no charging at work sadly. Also I will get a fuel card via work so not sure charging on top constantly makes sense financially if it doesn't help the MPG all that much over all. RobbieWetta said:
Interesting... so based on this, admittedly one example, there is no point in constantly charging the battery everyday then?
Not done a journey that long yet but looking at the length of trip it would have been going in an out of regeneration using petrol to charge the battery once down to the 20% and below range. For such a journey would have thought travelling in save mode on journey 1 and also most of journey 2 apart from home stretch would have been better to stop petrol charging. RobbieWetta said:
Yeah I am about 19 miles door to door each way so just outside the range and have no charging at work sadly. Also I will get a fuel card via work so not sure charging on top constantly makes sense financially if it doesn't help the MPG all that much over all.
I'm just over 20 miles one way and no charging at work. I do get a big mpg benefit from charging and fill up remarkably few times. However I pay my own fuel so charging is a no brainer and makes the car a real pleasure for my commute. If you get a fuel card then maybe don't charge and also maybe worth driving in save mode more depending on journey profile i.e. Use company petrol to charge battery to make stop start and town driving more pleasurable. Stop start in ICE automatic isn't great, though you can put in manual to stop thisNot charging does mean you'll lose pre-condition unless you use save mode to be sufficiently
charged at home
[quote=Giz1972]Questions about charging:
1. What happens when the battery is fully charged? Does it triple charge like Mobile phones or does it cut off the power supply sonno more energy is used?
2. When your battery is near to 0%, I believe it takes 2 to 3 1/2 hours to charge fully depending on what lead you use. So when you have for example 50% battery left, does it take half the time to charge back up to 100%?
3. Chargers based around the UK, Is it right that it's not really worth charging at motorway or street payable charge points because it costs around £6 for a charge and the BMW doesn't have the capability for fast charging like some of the full EV's.
4. Are all charge points using the same cable system and is universal to all cars because I know a few of the supermarkets are free to use. Also that I understand that the BMW cable is a normal household socket plug.
5. Is there any sites to free charging points at supermarkets and retail parks in the U.K.
6. Lastly, I'm getting a chargepoint fitted any time in the next month free with Chargedev I think, been advised to have the one with the cable already fitted
Having had the car since the beginning of March my experience is:
1/ Reviewing the SMART meter at home it appears charging stops once full
2/ With the supplied charger using a 3 pin plug I was finding 0% was taking closer to 5 hours to charge and not that practical. Home charger installed now takes 2 hours.
3/ My view is depends on charging cost, for example £6 for less the 25 miles electric in my opinion is too expensive.
4/ European cars seem to use type 2, BMW, VW etc. Japanese use a slightly differing fit into the actual car. Most charging points I believe are the same fit so buying a cable for the car should fit most if not all chargers providing you get a type 2 for the car, so i think it's type 2 to type 2.
5/ Seem to be quite a few, however you will need a RFID card or as it appears cards to activate.
6/ I opted for the tethered charger as I felt this was easier each morning or night and purchased a separate cable to charge at work etc.
1. What happens when the battery is fully charged? Does it triple charge like Mobile phones or does it cut off the power supply sonno more energy is used?
2. When your battery is near to 0%, I believe it takes 2 to 3 1/2 hours to charge fully depending on what lead you use. So when you have for example 50% battery left, does it take half the time to charge back up to 100%?
3. Chargers based around the UK, Is it right that it's not really worth charging at motorway or street payable charge points because it costs around £6 for a charge and the BMW doesn't have the capability for fast charging like some of the full EV's.
4. Are all charge points using the same cable system and is universal to all cars because I know a few of the supermarkets are free to use. Also that I understand that the BMW cable is a normal household socket plug.
5. Is there any sites to free charging points at supermarkets and retail parks in the U.K.
6. Lastly, I'm getting a chargepoint fitted any time in the next month free with Chargedev I think, been advised to have the one with the cable already fitted
Having had the car since the beginning of March my experience is:
1/ Reviewing the SMART meter at home it appears charging stops once full
2/ With the supplied charger using a 3 pin plug I was finding 0% was taking closer to 5 hours to charge and not that practical. Home charger installed now takes 2 hours.
3/ My view is depends on charging cost, for example £6 for less the 25 miles electric in my opinion is too expensive.
4/ European cars seem to use type 2, BMW, VW etc. Japanese use a slightly differing fit into the actual car. Most charging points I believe are the same fit so buying a cable for the car should fit most if not all chargers providing you get a type 2 for the car, so i think it's type 2 to type 2.
5/ Seem to be quite a few, however you will need a RFID card or as it appears cards to activate.
6/ I opted for the tethered charger as I felt this was easier each morning or night and purchased a separate cable to charge at work etc.
Does this car + your current = more than the £310 fee?
[ I get paid on the 23rd of the month. I currently pay around £240 a month for a Renault captur, I've just paid my 34th payment for March with my official last one (36) due May 23rd.
Because I'm always a month behind, Tusker the supplier have already asked for the 35th payment which would go out in my April 23rd pay. So if I cancel now and the 8th April for collection within these dates, I would pay the £240 (35th payment) + the £310 cancel fee. I could even end up paying my first payment on the BMW at the same time April pay for a triple whammy but I'm guessing it would most likely be May's pay.
If I wait until my end date, I will pay my last £240 (36th payment) with my new payment for the BMW in June's pay]
[ I get paid on the 23rd of the month. I currently pay around £240 a month for a Renault captur, I've just paid my 34th payment for March with my official last one (36) due May 23rd.
Because I'm always a month behind, Tusker the supplier have already asked for the 35th payment which would go out in my April 23rd pay. So if I cancel now and the 8th April for collection within these dates, I would pay the £240 (35th payment) + the £310 cancel fee. I could even end up paying my first payment on the BMW at the same time April pay for a triple whammy but I'm guessing it would most likely be May's pay.
If I wait until my end date, I will pay my last £240 (36th payment) with my new payment for the BMW in June's pay]
Edited by Giz1972 on Thursday 23 March 21:52
Orion917 said:
Just for info, I completed a 600 mile round trip this week.
1. Left home fully charged, 225 motorway miles then 50 mile across country (hills), then some local running around. 300 miles in total 41.43MPG
2. Home journey, filled up, NOT charged, 50 miles across country then 250 miles of motorway home. 300 miles in total = 42.85MPG
Calculated using actual fill amounts and journey miles. No opportunity to charge anywhere at destination, and I can't see the point of charging for 30 minutes on the motorway.
The journey home was a slightly different route due to my start point that meant a longer trip back to the motorway that ended up with the exact same mileage driven, without the local destination running in the total.
I did some running in Eco Pro and some in Comfort, and I left the climate system switched on mostly with the air con off (mostly).
I get similar on a 265 mile (each way) trip I have to do frequently, along with anything up to 100 miles while there with no options to charge. Get about 43mpg going up and whole trip ends up about 40mpg. That's all in comfort mode aircon left in auto and mostly at motorway speeds with only 1 or 2 hold up to lower speeds, not including slow lorries (fuel economy takes a hit when they move out of the way though 1. Left home fully charged, 225 motorway miles then 50 mile across country (hills), then some local running around. 300 miles in total 41.43MPG
2. Home journey, filled up, NOT charged, 50 miles across country then 250 miles of motorway home. 300 miles in total = 42.85MPG
Calculated using actual fill amounts and journey miles. No opportunity to charge anywhere at destination, and I can't see the point of charging for 30 minutes on the motorway.
The journey home was a slightly different route due to my start point that meant a longer trip back to the motorway that ended up with the exact same mileage driven, without the local destination running in the total.
I did some running in Eco Pro and some in Comfort, and I left the climate system switched on mostly with the air con off (mostly).
When at my destination there are a number of roundabouts on dual carriageways resulting in fun but poor fuel economy and I sometimes use the engine to charge the batteries when going to the hotel in the evenings so I can precondition for the morning...albeit the weather getting better that I do not need to worry about that.
At home my normal daily journey to the office is 11 miles each way and ability to charge at home and the office. I installed a tethered 32A (future proof) charge point which takes about 2 hours to fully charge and means I have no hassle of getting cables out of the boot...at home at least - I have a 10m cable on order for connecting to the point at work!
I had a 2.2 diesel Mazda CX5 before the 330e and that only managed 42mpg for the same long journey so I'm happy!
Paul_Jones said:
Does anyone know the rough lead times at the moment?
Pot luck at the minute mate. I was originally told 4-6 months - which at the time I thought was over-cautious.I ordered 15th Feb and have been told 2nd week of July for delivery (to me from the dealer). Apparently due to Samsung battery shortages. So that's a lead time of 5 months in my case.
However, for a retail purchase (if that's what you;re looking at), preference is given to retail customers so you could easily half this lead time I suspect.
MaxOverdrive said:
Pot luck at the minute mate. I was originally told 4-6 months - which at the time I thought was over-cautious.
I ordered 15th Feb and have been told 2nd week of July for delivery (to me from the dealer). Apparently due to Samsung battery shortages. So that's a lead time of 5 months in my case.
However, for a retail purchase (if that's what you;re looking at), preference is given to retail customers so you could easily half this lead time I suspect.
Hiya - it is a company order through lease plan. I may find myself in trouble for even saying this on here but lease company just offered me a C350e Sport for £80 less a month than the 330e M Sport I have just submitted. I need to get back to them on Monday. Only cheaper as it is a reallocation 6 months old. Thoughts?I ordered 15th Feb and have been told 2nd week of July for delivery (to me from the dealer). Apparently due to Samsung battery shortages. So that's a lead time of 5 months in my case.
However, for a retail purchase (if that's what you;re looking at), preference is given to retail customers so you could easily half this lead time I suspect.
Paul_Jones said:
Hiya - it is a company order through lease plan. I may find myself in trouble for even saying this on here but lease company just offered me a C350e Sport for £80 less a month than the 330e M Sport I have just submitted. I need to get back to them on Monday. Only cheaper as it is a reallocation 6 months old. Thoughts?
Just thought I best add : I meant in trouble for suggesting a merc on a BMW listing and not with leaseplan. 
Sounds very hit and miss with lead times. Mine was ordered early February and I am picking it up today! http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/10.gif
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