portable charger / EVSE options

I’m in Montreal, where we are perhaps spoilt for charging possibilities, extending pretty much throughout eastern Canada and the northeast US.

Again, I’m not suggesting anybody is in the same situation as anybody else, nor that I believe what you’re saying is nonsense. I’m just adding in my 2¢ that in my situation, I couldn’t ever see the need to carry every possible electrical plug possible at all times. If I can’t plan a route with public CCS or destination J-1772, I’ll either go elsewhere, or take the other car. IMO, if I needed to cart an EVSE along with nine plug adapters taking up my entire boot (and adding 20 lbs of deadweight), I will have realized I’m driving the wrong car.

 

Hmmm, the lack of a 5-20 is a bit remiss of BMW.
I don't know how BMW adaptors work, but I do know how the Tesla ones work.
Level 1/level 2 EvSEs have two power wires and a ground wire. Same ones are used whether 110 or 230. The car deals with the different voltage.
The Tesla adaptors have some circuitry in the adaptor plug that tells the EVSE how much current it can take. The EVSE then relays that to the car. The adaptors don't care about voltage. So, you want a BMW 5-20? Make up a pigtail adaptor with a 5-20 plug and a 6-20 socket, then use a BMW 6-20 adaptor.
I believe that the Tesla adaptors also sense plug temperature.
This works on Tesla UMCs. I'd be very surprised if it didn't work on the BMWs.
I was charging at home from a 6-20 for a week. It is fine for overnight charging. IIRC, 100% charge is 9 1/2 hours.
When I pulled wall EVSE cable to my carport I also pulled a GFCI 230/110 20A circuit to a 5-20/6-20 double outlet. So, I could now charge 2 EVs from my carport!
A 230V 20A circuit running 16A EVSE only needs 12ga wire. At 9 1/2 hours for a full charge I'd call it an acceptable compromise for cash or panel strapped people.

 

One state over, Georgia has way more public chargers. Atlanta is packed switch them. Life looks easier for EVs there.

It's not my entire boot. It's about 2/3 of the bit under the main boot floor, that I never use.
Weight:
EVSE+ 1 adaptor: 6lb
Bag of 7 more EVSE adaptors and a Chinese 'teslatap': 5lb.
Yeah, I could take them out and save the weight but then I have to find them whenever I may need them. I'd do better weight wise to take the back seats out. They are far heavier and in 4 years of mini ownership, I have never had a back seat passenger. Do you use your back seats? If not, have you taken them out? My portable charging kit is 11lb in a storage spot I never use. No, I haven't used them since I had my wall EVSE set up. But if my wall EVSE has an issue, I like to have them hand and know that they haven't been eaten by mice, or had a cat pee on them.

 

I would rather have a spare tire. I can plan where I will fuel up the car, I cant plan when I will get a flat. But spares were deemed dead weight. Think about how much fuel is spent every day hauling dead weight like cigarette lighters, spare tires, jacks, rear seats, and options you just had to have that were never used. How about the paint your neighbor wasted on that dog ugly pinstripe he put on his car? Let's not talk about the crap err, i mean treasure my dad would toss in the back of his old Buick. Only to be when my mother said enough is enough, and he wasn't looking. Build lightness.

 

I, too, am an admirer of the late Colin Chapman. As I always say to point out the advantage of the SE's lightweight battery: Exchange the range for a ton of fun!

 

I dumped my Level 1 granny charger in favor of a 48A Tesla adapter.

 

Hi SameGuy

First of all happy thanksgiving . Sorry, may I ask did you get the "Flexible Fast Charger" (Level2 + Level1 charger) with your Mini EV 2023? My Motoring Advisor told me the Flexible Fast Charger that I will get with my Mini SE2023 is Level1/Level2. I am thinking to install a "Dryer" plug in the garage so I can use the "Flexible Fast Charger" at Level2 which should be able to fully charge from dead to full overnight...am I right? If not please let me know so I can buy a Level2 charger .... BC Hydro has a 50% rebate if I get one of those Level2 charger that listed at around $600. Sorry, I might not use the word as I never have EV before.

 

Hi @Nelly H ! I’m happy you’re here, too! Yes, I got both the original 120V-only charging cable, as well as the BMW Flexible Fast Charger EVSE. I’m not sure if you’ll get both, but you will get the dual-voltage “Flexible Charger” EVSE. If you’re going to call an electrician for an outlet in the garage, don’t ask for a dryer outlet, but rather a “NEMA 14-50 receptacle” in order to work with as-is, and to have a future-proof solution. It’ll need a 50 Amp breaker and 6-gauge wiring, which sounds like overkill for the current that our SEs can draw, but it’s to code and will work properly with any car and EVSE you might get in the future. It will charge your MINI from almost empty to 100% in about 4½ hours.

 

Thanks SameGuy

 

I ran across this J+ Booster 2 post in the Kona forum, and it looks really impressive and charges up to 9.6 kW. For those of us who don't have the MINI Flexible Fast Charger this might be a good choice.

 

Look for a 6-30 to 14-30 instead, or a 6-20.