autoevolution
 

BMW to Announce New, Faster DC Charging Technology

Launching cars like the i3 and i8 was only the first step in BMW’s new approach towards sustainable mobility. From now on, more and more cars using the electric eDrive modules from the i sub-brand will come out and offer cleaner alternatives to conventional cars.
BMW i3 Charging 1 photo
Photo: BMW
According to Weiland Bruch, the Corporate Communications Manager of BMW i Cars, we should expect the German giant to unveil a new kind of recharger in the following weeks that would turn the hours needed to refill a battery into minutes.

“We will be making an announcement soon, so watch this space," said Bruch in an interview with Headlineauto.co.uk.

What this next step could mean is quite a conundrum, as the i3 is already capable of charging via a DC rapid charging station, going up to 80 percent battery capacity in just 30 minutes. Faster charges are not quite possible right now therefore the announcement could revolve around making this technology standard as it’s an optional feature at the moment.

The official also addressed the elephant in the room, talking about the huge waiting lists for an i3 that are currently having people wait up to 6 months for an EV.

"Clearly we do not want people waiting five or six months for their cars and as we launch into more markets we need to think about increasing production,” he said.

At the moment, the Leipzig plant which is the only one where the i3 is being made, is rolling out 70 cars a day and it’s still not up to par with the demand. Solutions to this problem could include hiring more staff to have the lines work day and night or start making the car at a different plant.

However, the i3’s manufacturing process uses only renewable energy in Leipzig so extending the production to other facilities would defeat the purpose of truly making a revolutionary eco-friendly car to begin with.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories