AUTO Connected Car News recently published a list of all the cars that have wireless smartphone charging. For the 2017 and 2018 model years many models of the BMW vehicles come with wireless Qi charging. Some 2016 BMW 7 Series were equipped wireless charging option. BMW has grown the wireless iPhone Android phone charging option for 2017 models throughout its 4, 5, 6, M, X3, X5 and X6 models (see chart for exact details). BMW is only automaker that also features wireless charging for BMW display key. Soon it will offer wireless charging for electric/hybrid vehicle batteries.
When the BMW 530e iPerformance was announced details were given about how the BMW iBattery wireless charging will work as well as features that pre-air-condition and heat the car so that drivers can be comfortable when they depart.
BMW Wireless Charging for the high-voltage battery will be made available as an option for the BMW 530e iPerformance from 2018. This technology allows energy transfer to take place without the use of cables. Presented by BMW in prototype form, the system consists of a base pad with integrated primary coil – which can be installed in a garage, for example, but also in the open – and a secondary coil integrated in the underside of the vehicle. An alternating magnetic field is generated between the two coils, through which electricity is transmitted without cables or contacts at a charge rate of up to 3.2 kW. This form of power supply to the high-voltage battery is extremely convenient for customers and involves a charging time of around three-and-a-half hours.The high-voltage battery pack consisting of lithium-ion cells with a total capacity of 9.2 kWh has been placed in a space-saving location underneath the rear seat and includes efficient refrigerant cooling with a highly integrated low-temperature circuit. Thanks to the battery’s neat installation, the BMW 530e iPerformance offers 410 litres of boot capacity and a flat load compartment floor. The high-voltage battery of the BMW 530e iPerformance can be fully charged in under five hours from a standard domestic power socket and in under three hours if it is hooked up to a BMW i Wallbox (3.7 kW charging capacity).
With its BMW Digital Charging Service, BMW is the world’s first car maker to offer a service providing forward-thinking, comfortable and cost-efficient charging that is optimized for the use of green energy. On each occasion, the charging process is managed so that the vehicle always has access to full battery capacity at the required departure time – and, if desired, allows the cabin temperature to be pre-conditioned.
The BMW Digital Charging Service is based on two core functions: optimizing battery charging in terms of both tariffs and the use of solar power. With tariff-optimized charging, the service adjusts the vehicle charging plan to the customer’s electricity tariff, so the process incurs the lowest possible electricity cost. If the customer has a BMW Wallbox Connect, solar-optimised charging allows electricity generated by their home solar power system to be prioritized for charging. Here, the system’s output data and the latest weather forecast are used to predict the amount of locally generated solar power available. If the necessary measuring equipment is installed, this information can also be used to determine what proportion of the solar power is not being used in the house at the time of generation and can therefore be diverted to provide virtually emission-free mobility. This enables vehicles with all-electric or part-electric power units to be integrated as effectively as possible into the home environment and the customer’s personal energy set-up.