BMW iX3 Charging Guide: Charge times, speed and cost

BMW iX3 Charging Station, Port and Plug Type

The BMW iX3 charging port uses the CCS standard, which features a combined AC and DC inlet port. The top portion of the inlet is for the Type 2 connector, which is used for AC charging at home, work or at public chargers (e.g. shopping centre car parks).

For public fast/rapid DC charging, both the upper and lower sections on the inlet are used to support the high power output required. The iX3 CCS charging inlet is located on rear right of the vehicle in the same location the fuel flap is the for petrol powered X3.

The iX3 can be slow, fast and rapid charged from public charging stations. In most cases:

• Slow charging requires a three-pin to Type 2 cable, usually supplied with the car.
• Public AC charging will feature a tethered Type 2 connector or may require a Type 2 to Type 2 cable.
• Rapid DC charging uses a tethered CCS connector which is part of the charging unit.

1. Find a public charging station for fast and rapid chargers

Plugshare is the easiest way to find any public AC and DC electric vehicle charging station in your area. It displays a map and overall rating of each charger from check-ins and comments.

Additionally, use the charging provider’s app like Chargefox or Evie Networks to view the live availability of stations and check whether a stall may be out-of-action.

2. Connect charging cable to car

Driving up to the charger, ensure that your vehicle’s charging port, located on the front right, is nearest to the stall. This may require you to drive in or reverse into the charging spot.

Once parked, grab the appropriate charging connector type from the stall’s holster, open the iX3’s charging flap and any other caps, and firmly plug it into the vehicle.

3. Confirm charging has started

Use the charging provider’s mobile app or tap the RFID card on the stall to activate the charging session. You may need to press a start button on some charging stalls, too.

After a few seconds of communicating with the iX3, you can see the charging status via the station’s screen, the vehicle’s driver instrument display, or the "My BMW App".

Level 1 and 2 Charging (slow)

Level 1 and 2 Charging refers to charging from a power socket or a mounted charger. This is typically done at home, work or shopping centre car parks.

The BMW iX3's onboard charger supports three-phase at 16 amps (or single-phase at 32 amps), enabling a maximum power intake of 11 kW AC.

Charging an iX3 using a portable charger and a standard 10A power will add 15km of range per hour. A full charge would take 34 hours. Upgrading the power source to 32A, will increase range added per hour to 68km and reduce the charge time to less than 8 hours.

Level 3 DC Charging (fast, rapid)

The BMW iX3 can support maximum DC charging of 155 kW, chargers with higher output than this will be throttled to this limit. Charging the iX3 from 10% to 80% at a fast/rapid DC charging station can be done in as little as 33 minutes, providing 368km of range.

The following tables show the estimated time to charge the iX3 using different speed fast/rapid DC charging stations.

It is recommended to limit the charging at rapid chargers to 80% to preserve battery health.

Note that the times shown are only a guide only. Other factors that might vary the actual charging time of your car. For personalised estimates of the iX3, use the zecar ev charging calculator.

The below tables show the estimated cost of charging the iX3's 74 kWh battery at home using a standard flat tariff or a public fast DC charger.

Based on these figures, the iX3's fuel costs are $4.5-$10.7 per 100 km, depending on the type of charging. In general, home charging provides the cheapest per kilometre cost and public rapid charging tends to be around double the cost (per charge and per kilometre). This compares favourably to an equivalent petrol car which would cost $15 per 100km, assuming $2/litre for petrol.

Use the zecar EV charging calculator to find the cost and times to charge any EV using any charge method. The results can be personalised for different electricity costs and the level of charge required.

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The BMW iX3 is compatible with almost all portable and wall-mounted chargers. BMW sells the BMW Wallbox Plus which is pictured above.

The iX3 comes with a portable charging cable, which can be used on any Australian domestic power point.

See my Charging Options 🔌

For faster charging speeds, you may want to consider a wall-mounted charger to reach the maximum 11kW charge rate the iX3 is capable of.

Home charging while taking longer will likely result in less degradation.

Electric Car Home Charging Guide

The BMW iX3 can be charged using all the major charging networks including some Tesla Superchargers and some select Tesla destination chargers.

Refer to this guide for all the key public charging providers including links to app downloads.

Excessive use of fast charging may accelerate the degradation of the battery due to the heat caused by fast charging.

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Yes, BMW iX3's can charge at some Tesla Supercharger sites. As of the latest update to this article, Tesla has opened up 30 of its 63 Supercharger sites in Australia to non-Tesla EVs.

Non-Tesla vehicles will be charged $0.79 per kWh for drivers of non-Tesla cars However, non-Tesla drivers can sign up to a $9.99/month subscription to reduce the cost to $0.66 per kWh.

➡️TRY: EV Charging Calculator

Tesla supercharger sites can be accessed by non-Tesla EVs via the Tesla apps.

• Download the Tesla app (version 4.18.0 or higher) for iOS or Android and create a Tesla Account.
• Select ‘Charge Your Non-Tesla’ and find your Supercharger site.
• Add your payment method, select a stall, unlock the adapter, plug in your car, and tap ‘Start Charging.’
• Select ‘Stop Charging’ to complete your session.