BMW PHEV FAQs Gear Up for Client Questions

BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) consist of a powerful and an efficient combustion that work in tandem for ultimate performance.

BMW 330e (sDrive and xDrive) BMW 530e (sDrive and xDrive) BMW 745e xDrive

BMW X5 xDrive45e BMW X3 30e

General

Q: Where is my tachometer? A: A simple tachometer could not do the job as we have to take into account the gas engine and the electric motor that run at different speeds. So instead of a tachometer, you’ll see a power meter that shows you how much power you are using at the moment, and how much power you have left. This power meter shows you the combined possible output of the gasoline engine and the electric motor in one gauge.

Q: How do the different drive modes work? A: You can determine combinations between “drive modes” (e.g. Sport, Hybrid, Electric) and Battery Control — on the 330e, 530e, 745e and X5 45e to tailor the vehicle’s behavior to your needs. For the X3 30e, the eDrive button switches between Auto e, Max eDrive and SAVE Battery. • Hybrid (default setting): This is the most efficient setting, with both the engine and electric motor working efficiently in tandem. The intelligent operating strategy determines the most efficient drive combination at all times and switches to it automatically. On the X3 30e, a similar mode is called “Auto e” • Electric (all-electric driving mode): The vehicle is powered solely by the electric motor. This mode is designed for comfortable driving with zero local emissions without the engine being started. This can also be set as the default driving mode under the Individual settings with a sufficient SOC (state of charge). On the X3 30e, a similar mode is called “Max eDrive” • Battery Control (BMW 330e, 530e, 745e, and X5 45e – replaces SAVE Battery): Driver can save or build up the battery’s energy reserves (and to a specifically selected target charge level) for use at a later point in time. In this way, the stored electrical energy can be selectively deployed exactly when required. Example: Save battery power for future pre-conditioning. On the X3 30e, a similar mode is called “SAVE Battery”.

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Q: When would I use Save Battery and Battery Control mode? A: If you know there will be no chargers where you plan to park, you might want to recharge to ensure the vehicle can be preconditioned before you return to it. Or you might want to recharge to enable all-electric driving on a low- mileage city street trip.

Q: Why won’t my fuel door open, even when the vehicle is unlocked? A: The PHEV vehicles require you to press the fuel door release button prior to fill-up. This puts the electrical system into a “safe” state and depressurizes the fuel tank in preparation for refueling. The depressurization of the fuel tank may take a few seconds to a minute depending on the situation. Battery and Range

Q: What happens when my battery runs out? Will I still have full horsepower? A: Yes, the system always maintains a reserve amount of power to provide full throttle eBoost and deliver max horsepower. Only under extreme driving conditions will this reserve be depleted example: constant full throttle driving like on a racetrack.

Q: Is it possible to continue to drive electrically, even if the fuel tank is empty? A: Provided that enough energy is present in the battery and the system conditions continue to permit driving, the driver should get to the nearest fueling station. A warning appears letting the driver know they may have reduced power due to the lack of the gasoline engine providing assistance. Additionally, If the total range with electric motor and gasoline engine is about 50 miles or less, the driver will see a warning message in the instrument cluster that they need to refuel. Charging

Q: Do I need a home charging station for my PHEV vehicle? A: While a Level 2 home charging station provides convenient, more affordable home charging, the TurboCord Portable Charger—flexible for Level 1 or Level 2 (when installed) charging—suits most driver needs. For the BMW X5 45e, a Level 2 home charging station, such as the BMW Charging Station, is recommended for a premium ownership experience—wake up to a fully charged vehicle. This is especially important due to the larger capacity battery in the X5 45e resulting in longer charging times.

Q: What is the Turbo Cord? A: The Turbo Cord comes with a 120 volt plug and a 240 volt adapter, it provides the fastest charging rate the PHEV models can accept when used in the 240v mode and will charge an PHEV vehicle as fast as an L2 Wall box Charger. PLEASE NOTE: The Turbo Cord does not turn a 120 outlet into a Level 2 Charger, to charge in 240 volt mode the Turbo Cord must be plugged into a 240 volt outlet

Q: How can I get a Turbo Cord? A: You can order it as a port-installed accessory or through the parts counter at your local BMW Center. It is the BMW TurboCord Charging Cable, part number 61442448670. Please note: When plugged into a 110V (standard household) outlet, the TurboCord provides Level 1 charging, similar to the Occasional Use Cable. For Level 2 charging with the TurboCord, installation of a 240 volt outlet by an electrician is required.

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Q: Is there a recommended sequence to plug in my Level 1 Charger or Turbo Cord (i.e., plug the cable into the vehicle first or wall first)? A: Plug it into the wall first to confirm that the charger does not have an error, then plug it into the vehicle.

Q: How often can I, or must I, recharge my vehicle? A: If possible, you should charge your BMW plug-in whenever the opportunity arises. This allows you to take advantage of the maximum possible electric range and thus minimize fuel consumption for a lower total cost of ownership and less time visiting the gas station. Technically, an PHEV vehicle does not have to be charged to operate. Either way (charged or not) it is able to achieve greater fuel economy than its conventional counterparts.

Q: What if I forget to charge my hybrid vehicle? A: Whether you charge it or not, you typically get up to 20% better mileage than comparable gasoline-powered models.

Q: Is there any way to speed up the charging rate? A: Check your vehicle settings to see if it’s set to the fastest. In iDrive, Go to Settings> Charging> and select the appropriate charging level. Note, this adjustment in iDrive is only for Level 1 charging. Level 2 charging will always take advantage of the most amps available.

Q: Can I set a specific time for my vehicle to charge? A: Yes, many clients find that their electricity rates are less expensive at night, particularly with utilities that offer Time of Use (“TOU”) rates. This can make vehicle charging even more affordable, thus reducing total cost of vehicle ownership. Use iDrive to set the charging time. Connectivity

Q: What additional information do I have easy access to regarding my hybrid vehicle? A: With the My BMW App, you have access to the following information on your compatible smartphone (and you can also see the same information from the BMW ConnectedDrive portal): • Charge status display and charging timer setting • Remote operation of the climate control (heating/cooling) and timer setting • Search and display of charging stations • Statistics on your own driving conduct, tutorials on efficient driving and comparisons in the community • Display of the mileage, vehicle condition and service requirement Preconditioning

Q. When Preconditioning via the My BMW App is activated, only the cabin is preconditioned, not the battery, correct? A. Correct. When triggering Preconditioning from the My BMW App menu, the answer is Yes, only the cabin.

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Q. If you want to precondition the battery from the app, you need to set the departure time and then enable “preconditioning for departure”, correct? A. Yes, provided the departure time selected is at least 3 hours from the time when it is selected.

Q. Can you precondition the battery without the vehicle being plugged in? A. The HV battery, no. The cabin, yes.

Q. Can you precondition the battery while the vehicle is plugged into a 120v source or does it need to be connected to a 240v source? A. 120V (Level 1/OUC) or 240V (Level 2) have the same effect in terms of Preconditioning. However, if charging on Level 1, the preconditioning consumption is higher than the charge rate, therefore potentially the vehicle will not be fully charged at the departure time. Q. How early before the departure time will the vehicle begin to precondition? A. When using the vehicle preconditioning menu, it will depend on temperature, but generally 30-40 minutes prior to the set departure time the cabin preconditioning will start, and the battery preconditioning will start 150 minutes prior to that.

Q. Will the car ever turn a battery warming on by itself if the battery temperature gets critically low. For example, the car is parked outside and plugged in and the battery temperature drops below 30 degrees, will the preconditioning turn on and warm the battery up without owner intervention? A. No. User intervention is required for battery preconditioning. If the battery temperature is very low, it will be outside its normal operating temperature. As a result, the power output and usable energy of the battery will be reduced.

Q. How about if it gets critically hot—over 105 degrees? A. If the battery temperature is higher than the optimal operating range and preconditioning is activated, the battery can be cooled. This is not very common due to the fact that the battery is such a high thermal mass, is located close to the ground, and is not exposed to direct sunlight.

Q. Why is it that sometimes after preconditioning (plugged in) the car is left at 97% or 98% SOC? Why doesn’t it fully recharge the car to 100%? A. When preconditioning using a Level 1 charger, the car will always be below 100%. It could be about 80% or lower. When using a Level 2 charger, the SOC could be slightly under 100% as the vehicle electrical load stays somewhat constant while the charger will switch off and on.

Q. Will battery cooling occur automatically while you are driving when the battery temp exceeds a certain set point? A. Yes.

Q. When battery preconditioning is being performed, what is the battery temperature that the vehicle is attempting to achieve? 68F? A. The battery is warmed or cooled to bring it close to or within the optimal operating range of 25-40C (77-104F).

Q. When cabin preconditioning is set, what temperature will it use as a target temperature. A. Cabin preconditioning is set at 72º F with the blowers set towards the windshield. This setting is not configurable.

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