Photo: Catalin Garmacea
There seems to be a problem with some of the chargers installed on the i3 cars sold so far in the US (and probably the rest of the world too). As it turns out, they used to malfunction after a while when used on level 2 charging stations, according to InsideEVs.com
We’re getting ahead of ourselves here, let’s take things one step at a time. The i3 can be charged from a variety of power outlets. Level 1 charging stations are those that feed the car 110V and using them translates into a slower charging pace.
Basically, the 3 and a half our charge BMW bragged with is only available if you use a stage 2 charger that has 220-240 Volts running through it. That, in turn, translates into around 7-7.4 kW being pumped into your battery every hour.
However, there was a problem with the so-called KLE or onboard charger that fed that power to the car’s battery cells. It would seem like it would eventually blow and leave owners stranded for periods of time.
A software update rolled out by BMW partially solved the problem but not as one might expect. What it actually did was limit the charge rate to around 4kW which basically meant that all cars were charged slower to protect the components.
Some owners actually learned about what the software update did and postponed doing it for as long as they could, risking to damage their KLE.
Now, BMW wants to replace the faulty parts completely so that customers can recharge their cars as fast as possible. The US branch even issued service action B61 31 14 that figures as a ‘KLE Update’. Of course, the change will be free of charge and if you are one of the owners that have been suffering from this issue, it should restore your faith in the brand’s electric vehicle.
If you haven’t been contacted by your local dealer yet, you can call them yourself and ask about the service number provided here to make sure you aren’t overlooked.
Basically, the 3 and a half our charge BMW bragged with is only available if you use a stage 2 charger that has 220-240 Volts running through it. That, in turn, translates into around 7-7.4 kW being pumped into your battery every hour.
However, there was a problem with the so-called KLE or onboard charger that fed that power to the car’s battery cells. It would seem like it would eventually blow and leave owners stranded for periods of time.
A software update rolled out by BMW partially solved the problem but not as one might expect. What it actually did was limit the charge rate to around 4kW which basically meant that all cars were charged slower to protect the components.
Some owners actually learned about what the software update did and postponed doing it for as long as they could, risking to damage their KLE.
Now, BMW wants to replace the faulty parts completely so that customers can recharge their cars as fast as possible. The US branch even issued service action B61 31 14 that figures as a ‘KLE Update’. Of course, the change will be free of charge and if you are one of the owners that have been suffering from this issue, it should restore your faith in the brand’s electric vehicle.
If you haven’t been contacted by your local dealer yet, you can call them yourself and ask about the service number provided here to make sure you aren’t overlooked.
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