Quote:
Originally Posted by HansRobert
Does anyone know if a charger larger than 10 amps is available without installing a level 2 charger?
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No. It has to do with the max load that particular set of wiring can handle. That the breaker panel is a 20amp circuit for that particular outlet doesn't matter. The wiring from panel to outlet is not designed for the higher amperage.
watts (aka power) = volts x amps
So going from 120v to 240v doubles the power at the same amperage. That's why, in continental Europe where it's 240v, on a 10amp outlet an electric vehicle will charge faster than in the US.
A rough guide is you can only take 80% continuous amperage of a circuit breaker's rating. For example, a 20 amp circuit can only charge using 16 amps. Your X5's computer will tell the charger the correct amperage to pull from a specific type of receptacle. That's why in the iDrive charging settings you can tell the X5 if you're using L1 or L2.
A few rough numbers:
120v, 12 amp yields :3 miles per hour of charge
120v, 16 amp yields :4 miles per hour of charge
240v, 40 amp yields :31 miles per hour of charge