Need to charge my i3 faster, but it only has a level 1 socket in it.

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Need to charge my i3 faster, but it only has a level 1 socket in it.

NZi3Owner

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#311742 11-Feb-2024 01:06

Hi, i have been everywhere trying to to find an answers to the questions below, hopefully someone out there can help.

I have a 2017 I3 that was imported to NZ from Japan. I need to charge it at home, but it only has a level 1 socket, so how do I charge faster?

Will any of the following help me?

1. Get a dedicated 20A or 30A 240v socket installed in my garage?

2. Get a level 2 charger and use a level 2 to 1 adaptor?

3. Sell it and buy something else?

I don't want to use option 3, but that may be my only choice.

Any ideas out there? What will be my maximum charge rate and how do I get it?

Any and all help would really be appreciated by this desperate i3 owner.

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3193787 11-Feb-2024 07:35

If you charge with a regular wall plug, how long does it take to charge at the moment?

Plenty of people with Teslas etc in NZ just use a regular 230v 10A wall plug (Model 3/Y get about 15km charge per hour - so 150km from 9pm to 7am for example).

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

wongtop

563 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3193788 11-Feb-2024 07:43

The fastest way to charge will be via a wall mounted charger. You can get these with a type 1 cable, untethered (then buy a type 2 to type 1 cable) or get a type 2 cable and use a type 2 to type 1 adapter like you suggested.

To figure out your maximum charging speed probably the easiest way would be to find a mall or carpark with a type 1 ac charger and check for yourself.

Spyware

3761 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3193789 11-Feb-2024 07:43

Socket is referred to as Type 1, SAEJ1772. Maximum charging level of type 1 is level 2, 19.2 kW. 230 VAC 32A circuit will provide 7.2 kW.

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RunningMan

8954 posts

Uber Geek

#3193799 11-Feb-2024 09:06

Suspect you are confusing level 1 and type 1. Most Jap i3s have a type 1 connector under the bonnet and a Chademo at the back right.

They should be able to charge at 32amp single phase, approx 7kW, which would charge a 2017 (94Ah model) in 5 hours from totally flat.

Any single phase wallbox with either a tethered type 1 cable, or an unthered wallbox using a type 2-1 cable would work. The untethered would provide more flexibility as there are more type 2 than 1 cars if you change cars later.

Photos of the charge ports would confirm if you can.

RunningMan

8954 posts

Uber Geek

#3193825 11-Feb-2024 12:48

To add, the absolute cheapest way of getting faster would be a 16 amp caravan socket and one of these. However for not much more a dedicated wallbox will provide 32 amps, be safer, and more versatile if you get an untethered one so you can charge type 2 cars as well. The type 1 connector is almost exclusively used on Japanese import vehicles only.

Scott3

3964 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3194294 12-Feb-2024 12:30

NZi3Owner:

Hi, i have been everywhere trying to to find an answers to the questions below, hopefully someone out there can help.

I have a 2017 I3 that was imported to NZ from Japan. I need to charge it at home, but it only has a level 1 socket, so how do I charge faster?

Will any of the following help me?

1. Get a dedicated 20A or 30A 240v socket installed in my garage?

2. Get a level 2 charger and use a level 2 to 1 adaptor?

3. Sell it and buy something else?

I don't want to use option 3, but that may be my only choice.

Any ideas out there? What will be my maximum charge rate and how do I get it?

Any and all help would really be appreciated by this desperate i3 owner.

Avoid using charging level's they don't really make sense in NZ.

But for reference, levels are used in the USA:

Level 1: 110V charging from a wall socket

Level 2: 208 - 240V charging typically from a dedicated wall box.

Level 3: DC fast charging.

My understanding is that all ex japan i3's have a J1772 port (sometimes called type 1) under the bonnet, and a CHaDeMO port on the side, towards the rear.

The J1772 (type 1) port is the AC charging port. This plug type supports single phase charging only. The charger itself is onboard the car, and will either support 3.6kW (16A) or 7.2kW (32A max).

As a 2017, your car likely has 94Ah (33kWh battery), so assuming you feed the car with enough AC power to max out it's charger, charge time from 0 to 100% would be either 10 hours or 5 hours.

If you are charging from a home wall socket, the cord you are using (with a brick in it) will limit the charge rate down, typically to about 1.8kW to avoid melting the plug, this would give about an 18hour charge time.

To get the 10 hour or 5 hour charge time at home you would need a wall mounted charger box wired in by an electrician. something like this:

Your car also has the CHaDeMO port on the side. This is DC fast charging, where the car is charged by an offboard charger. with a 50kW plus public charger, your car should charge in around 40mins.

It is possible to do DC charging at home, but it is generally cost prohibitive. One of these 25kW chargers (~80min charge time) cost $25k + install (and requires 3 phase power):

https://www.ecogeek.co.nz/shop/deltadcrapidcharger?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA_aGuBhACEiwAly57MRoyTCrY7AXy4IttzALG422kW4dmKFctoUhq_yg7xYVIdqMG5tt53xoCHhgQAvD_BwE

Key question is how fast do you need your car to charge. (note that 0 - 100% is a very rare use case, very unusual to come home with the car screaming low battery alerts at you...) For most EV owners an overnight charge is all they aim for at home (and something you car is capiable of if you install a wallbox EVSE.

I had a 2014? i3 for a while. Mine was the REX version. It was EX UK, so had the type 2 charge port. Mine supported 7.2kW AC charging (but I think this was an option at the time), it did not have a DC charge port. Mine was only the 60Ah battery version, and the REX wouldn't let me return home with less than about 15% battery, so for me charging from a wall port worked just fine.

Best way to check your charge speed might be to test it at an AC public charger. The likes of chargenet public chargers report your charge speed back to you via the app. Note most of their AC chargers are BYO cord type, so you would need a type 2 to type 1 ev charging cord to use these chargers.

Scott3

3964 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3194295 12-Feb-2024 12:32

Note that sometimes with BMW's you can put your VIN through an online VIN decoder, and see every option the car has. Might be a good way to find out if your onboard charger is the 3.6kW or 7.2kW one.

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Thunderbird5

12 posts

Geek

#3194783 13-Feb-2024 17:17

RunningMan:

To add, the absolute cheapest way of getting faster would be a 16 amp caravan socket and one of these. However for not much more a dedicated wallbox will provide 32 amps, be safer, and more versatile if you get an untethered one so you can charge type 2 cars as well. The type 1 connector is almost exclusively used on Japanese import vehicles only.

I have the same model from Japan, one of those above should be fine, car takes up to 3.6Kw so you can either install a home 16A caravan outlet or a 20A AS/NZS3112 outlet for this

So roughly it will take around 8hrs to fully charge, or a bit longer for a 10A plugged unit, which typically are limited to 8A unless they have temperature monitoring on the plug pins.

RunningMan

8954 posts

Uber Geek

#3194818 13-Feb-2024 19:19

Any updates @NZi3Owner ?

Can you confirm the charging options on the car as expected - i.e. type 1 under the bonnet and CHAdeMO at the back right?

NZi3Owner

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3202904 3-Mar-2024 21:27

Thanks for all of the replies, I have only just found my way back here due to a computer mishap!

I discovered, as was pointed out on this thread, that I was confessed by "Type 1/2" & "Level 1/2"

Some of the information I was reading was misusing the terms so I was completely bewildered.

Since originally starting this post I have had a 32Amp CEE socket installed and have brought a Feyree Type1 Portable EV Charger 7KW 32A 1Phase J1772 Socket & CEE plug.

Alas I wish I could have got back to this forum sooner as it would have saved me some money, as my car appears to only be able to charge at 16Amps not 32! This is a disappointment to me as I was really aiming for a 5 or less hour charge but at 16Amp it is around 8.

Now I have my computer back, I will start researching to see if there is anyway to charge my car at 32Amp, but I don't see a happy ending to this.

NZi3Owner

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3202905 3-Mar-2024 21:29

RunningMan:

Any updates @NZi3Owner ?

Can you confirm the charging options on the car as expected - i.e. type 1 under the bonnet and CHAdeMO at the back right?

That is correct, I have the Japan import with type 1 under the bonnet and CHAdeMO at the back

RunningMan

8954 posts

Uber Geek

#3202934 4-Mar-2024 07:14

The 16 amp limit is a limitation of the charger(s) fitted to the car. BMW charger modules are 16 amp single phase and most of the early Japanese models had just 1 charger. With a type 2 socket fitted, they would usually fit 3 x 16 amp chargers to charge at either 11kW 3 phase or 7kW single phase by using a combination of charger modules connected to each phase.

It would be more trouble than it's worth to try and upgrade - better off just to keep this in mind for your next vehicle purchase.