Charging our new Mini.

This. A spirited drive before a DCFC speeds it up, useful where charging networks are required to (or choose to) charge by time instead of per kWh.

 

Stuff like this is where Tesla used their heads. If you set a charger in the navi it will start conditioning the battery for charging

 

Ouch!

 

My 2021 Owners Manual doesn't say anything about setting the Level 2 charging current. However, it does lead to the right menu:

 

So, my Cooper SE just arrived at the dealership yesterday, and for at least a little while I'm only going to have a GFCI 120V outlet in the garage for charging. (Which I'm thinking is probably fine, as I'm working from home at the moment.)

1) How many people in here use a 120V outlet for primary at-home charging?
2) Should I be concerned about GFCI nuisance trips, given the relatively high current demand for that kind of outlet?

 

On my experience with 120v is that 20-100% will be around 24hours on a standard outlet.

 

Whenever I check my L2 charging, it is at 7.2kW, except end of charge. Did the marketing department just multiply 32A x 230V?
My car does max out at 32A. But if voltage is over 225V, current is limited to give a max charging power of 7200W.

Fishbert:
My car turned up a little early, so I was 120 charging at first. The carport GFCI was trippy. The GFCI outlet by my heat pump did not trip once. Both are 16A circuits. I now have a fixed EVSE and also a dual 20A 120/230 outlet in my carport, for redundancy and it seemed a good idea while I was pulling wire anyway. A 230V 20A outlet will 100% charge my car in around 9 hours. A 120 circuit can often be converted to 230 with a new breaker and outlet.
Breakers and GFCIs can get grumpy and cantankerous in old age. If yours is an issue, a new one may help. Any doubts about exactly what to do, find an electrician.

 

I had my SE and charged 120 V with the included charger for the first couple of months, no problems tripping the GFCI. The Level 1 charger is limited to 10 A, not sure if the MINI Flexible Fast Charger is as well at 120 V.

 

It’s a bit ambiguous as written, but in the '23 manual, it says the setting can be changed while connected to a “Mode 3 cable” (a 208-240VAC 60 Hz single-phase EVSE, what we colloquially refer to as “Level 2” charging).

 

I used the 120V charger for about 6 months before getting my 240V charger installed, and for the most part it handled all of my needs. It was on an outdoor 15 amp circuit that had a GFCI and I can't say the charger ever tripped it.
My commute every day is around 40-50 miles using around 35% at most and I was able to basically top off overnight and then catch up on the weekends. I like having the 240V now so that if I use most of the battery doing longer drives on the weekend I can have it ready to go in the morning. But honestly that wasn't too big a deal usually as I had a fast charger near my work that I could use when needed during a lunch break.

 

The Flexible Fast Charger is also limited to 10A. I was under the impression it was supposed to be 12A, but in my test it was exactly 1200W. I recently upgraded to a 240V circuit, so it doesn't really matter to me any longer. It would be interesting to know if a different Level 1 charger would charge at more than 10A. A 16A Level 1 charger would be a big upgrade for some.

 

I use a 120 outlet in the garage as my only charging source. It tripped the breaker when there was a battery charger for my drill battery plugged into the same outlet. I haven’t had any issues since I unplugged that device.

I’m getting about 2-3% of range per 1-hour of charge using the level 1 charger I received with the car.

 

I find it amusing that granny charging is 1.9kW-2.4kW in the UK.

 

I'll be picking up my 2023 SE on Friday....very excited to say the least! Can anybody confirm the IP rating of the 220V home charger that's included with the car? I'm mainly trying to confirm whether it's suitable for outdoor installation.....because my single-car garage is already taken by the weekend toy so the SE will have to live (and be charged) outside. And I live in the Boston area....so, if there's any recommendation on an electrician, please let me know as well. Appreciate the feedback!

 

It is IP67, so you should be OK using it outdoors. However, it may be a better idea to get a dedicated charger that is truly meant to be mounted outside. The Grizzle-e comes to mind.

 

Typical post for new owners. I experienced the same - initially L2 charging at ~3.5 kW. Changed charge mode and it went to 7.2 kW as expected. I was never advised on the 2 charge rates either, FWIW.

 

Page 229 under "Charging the vehicle" section which clearly should/would be the section one would look to find such information and it's clearly stated there.