triangletom
Active member
For those of y'all who are using the BMW CE-04 for longer (>70mi/120km) trips, I'd love to hear your tips!
While I haven't yet embarked on a multi-state journey in the CE04, I have done 3 cross-country trips in EV's, so here are my tips so far:
- https://abetterrouteplanner.com/ is an amazing tool for planning routes that require multiple charges. The BMW CE-04 isn't natively supported as a vehicle type yet, you can vote to get it added here: https://abrp.upvoty.com/b/add-a-vehicle/ - in the meantime, you can use the "Zero SDS ZF 7.2 + PT" model and set the reference consumption to 200 Wh/mi @ 65mph for a pretty close approximation to the CE 04.
- https://www.plugshare.com/ is useful for fact-checking individual chargers. It'll let you know how likely they are to be busted or busy. It also shows people who have listed their home chargers, though typically only for emergencies. Don't forget that most RV parks can also serve as chargers!
- Earplugs. The sound of the roaring wind is not worth losing your hearing over.
These last 3 tips are suited for American CE-04 owners, as high-power charging is complicated as hell here:
- I've been able to charge at every AirBNB or vacation rental I've stayed at. Most have outdoor plugs, and some even have 220V for RV's, which brings me to:
- Consider bringing along a TeslaTap MINI, which is a small J1772 adapter that allows you to charge the CE 04 at Tesla destination & home chargers (AC). It does not work at Supercharger stations as the CE-04 does not support DC fast charging. This unlocks another 10-15% more charging options - which you can find on https://www.tesla.com/findus or ABRP & Plugshare.
- If you are already traveling with a Tesla->J1772 adapter, consider packing a Tesla Mobile Connector ($230) instead of the BMW charging cord. It comes with adapters for 220V (14-50) and 110, and on 220V you can charge the CE-04 6X faster than the BMW USA cord at RV parks, people's houses, or unused food truck locations. It's also 4ft longer, which helps for trickier home charging situations. Having the ability to charge at 220V sockets will also unlock another 10-15% of charging options.
While I haven't yet embarked on a multi-state journey in the CE04, I have done 3 cross-country trips in EV's, so here are my tips so far:
- https://abetterrouteplanner.com/ is an amazing tool for planning routes that require multiple charges. The BMW CE-04 isn't natively supported as a vehicle type yet, you can vote to get it added here: https://abrp.upvoty.com/b/add-a-vehicle/ - in the meantime, you can use the "Zero SDS ZF 7.2 + PT" model and set the reference consumption to 200 Wh/mi @ 65mph for a pretty close approximation to the CE 04.
- https://www.plugshare.com/ is useful for fact-checking individual chargers. It'll let you know how likely they are to be busted or busy. It also shows people who have listed their home chargers, though typically only for emergencies. Don't forget that most RV parks can also serve as chargers!
- Earplugs. The sound of the roaring wind is not worth losing your hearing over.
These last 3 tips are suited for American CE-04 owners, as high-power charging is complicated as hell here:
- I've been able to charge at every AirBNB or vacation rental I've stayed at. Most have outdoor plugs, and some even have 220V for RV's, which brings me to:
- Consider bringing along a TeslaTap MINI, which is a small J1772 adapter that allows you to charge the CE 04 at Tesla destination & home chargers (AC). It does not work at Supercharger stations as the CE-04 does not support DC fast charging. This unlocks another 10-15% more charging options - which you can find on https://www.tesla.com/findus or ABRP & Plugshare.
- If you are already traveling with a Tesla->J1772 adapter, consider packing a Tesla Mobile Connector ($230) instead of the BMW charging cord. It comes with adapters for 220V (14-50) and 110, and on 220V you can charge the CE-04 6X faster than the BMW USA cord at RV parks, people's houses, or unused food truck locations. It's also 4ft longer, which helps for trickier home charging situations. Having the ability to charge at 220V sockets will also unlock another 10-15% of charging options.