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Bike charging socket

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lenny

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Anyone know if the quick charger bike has a different socket to the bike without the option? Does the quick charger socket have more than 2 metal electrical connection pins?
 
lenny said:
Anyone know if the quick charger bike has a different socket to the bike without the option? Does the quick charger socket have more than 2 metal electrical connection pins?
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They're both standard type 2 charging sockets. The quick charger is rated at 7kw onboard AC and has to fitted at the factory, cannot be retrofitted. The CE-04 isn't compatible with DC charging. Hope that helps fella.
 
Thank you, it also seems a bike fitted with the quick charger option does not come with a type 2 cable, it's another optional extra. :rolleyes:
 
When public charging and that's the benefit of the quick charger as it can recharge quickly, you won't need the cable mostly as they will likely be tethered chargers. Worth thinking about your use and whether you need a extra cable? Granny charger is fine for home use.
 
Good point, being new to public charging I didn't realise most would be tethered cables. The only ones I've seen close up are in my local Aldi which are only sockets on the posts.
 
I use the ZapMap app to locate chargers here in the UK and filter usually to 11 and 22kw. A lot of the 7kw chargers out there only seem to give around 3, which is a bit slow.

To get the benefit from these higher wattage chargers (and assuming you have the quick charger onboard), make sure you buy a 3 phase, 32amp, 22kw cable. 3 phase is higher voltage at 400V and the CE 04 can handle this.

I have one of these. A bit more expensive, but cheapest isn’t necessarily going to be top quality? Mine is 3.5m long and seems fine, length-wise.

IMG_4935.webp

Here’s me charging at IKEA Exeter yesterday on a Gridserve charger. The CCS and CHAdeMO tethered units are front and foremost, with the type 2 unit tucked away behind. You often have to look a bit harder for type 2 as the unit is quite small and less obvious. I have never seen a type 2 with tethered cable in the UK, other than home setups.

25 miles of juice cost me the princely sum of 90p. I’d did buy a coffee and a hot-dog though :)
 
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Korinthias, thanks for a detailed reply. I hope this is not a stupid question, does the charger recognise a 3 phase cable is connected to allow a higher charge rate?
 
Yes. The three phase cable has two extra live wires in the lead and two extra live connections in the plug providing higher power capacity and better efficiency.

The cable is a bit thicker/heavier (not by much, really), but worth it for a faster charge when out and about.
 
Thanks, but that goes back to my original posting, the bike I'm looking to purchase, with a quick charger installed, only has 2 pins (connections), on the charging socket. I'm confused :rolleyes:
 
Here’s what BMW Motorrad UK say on their CE 04 pages:
  • Cables with up to 7.4 kW charging power: 1-phase, 32 amps, 2.35 kg in weight. Recommended in countries with mainly single-phase charging posts. 
  • Cables with up to 22 kW charging power: 3-phase, 32 amps, 3.3 kg in weight. This makes it possible to max out the CE 04’s charging power in any situation. As a result, the cable is a little bigger and heavier than the other two variants.
  • Cables with up to 11 kW charging power: 3-phase, 20 amps, 2.15 kg in weight. This is our smallest and lightest charging cable. However, at single-phase charging posts, you will not be using the full potential of the CE 04’s charging speed. Yet, in countries with mainly 3-phase charging posts, it is a good and practical solution.
Based on this and other information available, I believe that when out and about a 3 phase, 32amp, 22kw cable is the one to have.

:)
 
Truthfully speaking mode 3 charging does not exist. It's advertising BS used by in this case BMW. There is AC type 1 now outmoded, AC type 2 current, and then there is DC fast charging. I have a three-phase charger at work which runs at 16amps, the limiting factor is always the onboard charger which in the CE-04's case is 6.9kw for the quick charger equipped bikes. That's the limiting factor not the cable. In my case my bike came with a 32amp cable, it makes no difference as again the limiting factor is the onboard charger. It can go from a low SoC to fully recharged in around an hour while being charged at 16amps AC, that much is true and worth having. I feel QC bikes will hold their value better than non QC bikes and that's why you should seek one out, especially when buying used as it's near enough makes no difference a thousand pound cost option new.
 
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Type/mode 2. Power output; Normally 1,4-22kW (6A-32A), 1-phase/3-Phase for Mode 2 EVSE.

[What they call Mode 3]. Power output; Normally 3-phase 16A-32A (11-22kW).

The same EVSE 3-phase supply can charge an Tesla M3 at 11kw @ 16amps, using the same cable, again because that's the limit of the onboard charger stupidly, but Tesla would prefer you use their DC superchargers £££.
 
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