BMW launches solar powered EV charging system

BMW has launched a renewable energy powered wallbox for customers to plug in its BMW i model at home, that it says will save them money.

The German carmaker says it is the first car manufacturer to offer customers a system that incorporates charging into everyday life and helps to reduce charging costs.

The way the BMW Digital Charging Service (DCS) works is after the customer has registered with the BMW charging portal, they will be provided with a display of detailed information.

After activation, the service carries out the charging process fully independently. Intelligent charging logics analyse the customer’s electricity rate during the charging period, finds the best time frames and energy sources, synchronises charging process time, while ensuring that the vehicle is fully charged and already air conditioned at the desired departure time.

As a result, BMW believes the cost of energy required to charge a vehicle can be reduced substantially.

The charging service is initially available for BMW i and BMW iPerformance vehicles. In a later phase, it will be extended to the electric vehicles of all brands.

The BMW DCS is free for the first year. After that, DCS can be extended at the ConnectedDrive Store. The offer will be initially available in Germany and the Netherlands from 2017.

France, Italy, the UK and the US will follow shortly after. The BMW DCS is expected to be available in China and Japan from 2018.