A new partnership between electric vehicle charging operator Chargefox and BMW will see drivers of the German carmaker’s BMW i3 and i3S 120Ah benefit from a subscription that including a number of free charging sessions.
The new deal, which will give BMW i3 and i3s drivers access to the Chargefox charging network that stretches all the way from Adelaide to Cairns, involves a three-year subscription with a complimentary 250kWh year worth of charging – equivalent to about six free sessions if charging the 42.2kWh battery from empty to full.
By taking advantage of the subscription deal to access Chargefox’s ultra-rapid eelctric vehicle chargers, BMW i3 and i3s drivers would also be recharging their vehicles on 100% renewable power.
BMW Group Australia CEO Vikram Pawah said in a note by email that the new partnership was the ideal complement to BMW i3 and i3S 120Ah ownership.
“This new collaboration with Chargefox perfectly underlines our commitment to customer centricity,” Pawah said.
“Our partnership will make owning an i3 even more pleasurable. Customers can recharge their vehicle very quickly thanks to the new Ultra Rapid chargers, and the best is still yet to come with many more charging locations becoming available around Australia before the end of the year.”
The Chargefox network, which is currently being rolled out across the eastern seaboard (and some of the southern) will when finished include 22 sites including one in Tasmania and two in Perth and surrounds.
Supported by funding from ARENA, Australian Motoring Services (the umbrella body of motorists associations in Australia), Wilson Transformers and founder of CarSales, Greg Roebuck, there are so far 4 sites in operation.
The latest to be opened at Westfield Airport West in Melbourne is believed to be the largest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere and features four 350kW ultra-rapid chargers and two 50kW fast-chargers.
The BMW i3 which offers up to 260km driving range, 205Nm torque and outputs 105kW power, for a pretty decent price starting at $68,700 before on-roads, is joined recently by its slightly more expensive stablemate the BMW i3s.
The i3s, starting at just a pip more at $69,990 before on-roads, offers the same range with increased power output of 135kW and 270Nm torque.
Both are made from a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) which is lighter than conventional materials to increase efficiency, while the i3s comes with a sports suspension and trim.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.