[X5 45e]

We arrived at our holiday location in France yesterday.

They have a Tesla destination charger with type 2 plug free of charge.

These chargers can be installed accessible to all cars (white sticker on the plug) or Tesla only (red). The owner of the chargers decides if it is open for all or not. So maybe I should say thank you Château les Carrasses.

They also have a Porsche charger which is also accessible for all cars. But I wanted to try if the Tesla worked because those are widely spread.

Both were not shown in the BMW charging and Shell recharge app.

So if you arrive at a location with a Tesla destination charger with a white sticker you can use it. Usually free of charge.

I think in the US an extra plug is needed because the 45e doesn't come with a type 2 plug like in Europe.

Super chargers require a different plug and are Tesla only. But I wouldn't be of any use because max charging is 16A 3,7 KwH. Charging only makes sense if you are at a location for more than 2-3 hours.

And don't forget the charging etiquette. Once your are done, remove your car.

Tesla owners rely on these chargers for their mobility. So they are stuck if a PHEV blocks their charging spot. Which is the reason why I have an X5 45e and not a Etron or Ipace. The Taycan wasn't available. But as soon as the Ionity super charger network is covering Europe like the Tesla network and they introduce the sport turismo I might be tempted.

[Pateeke81]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

We arrived at our holiday location in France yesterday.

They have a Tesla destination charger with type 2 plug free of charge.

These chargers can be installed accessible to all cars (white sticker on the plug) or Tesla only (red). The owner of the chargers decides if it is open for all or not. So maybe I should say thank you Château les Carrasses.

They also have a Porsche charger which is also accessible for all cars. But I wanted to try if the Tesla worked because those are widely spread.

Both were not shown in the BMW charging and Shell recharge app.

So if you arrive at a location with a Tesla destination charger with a white sticker you can use it. Usually free of charge.

I think in the US an extra plug is needed because the 45e doesn't come with a type 2 plug like in Europe.

Super chargers require a different plug and are Tesla only. But I wouldn't be of any use because max charging is 16A 3,7 KwH. Charging only makes sense if you are at a location for more than 2-3 hours.

And don't forget the charging etiquette. Once your are done, remove your car.

Tesla owners rely on these chargers for their mobility. So they are stuck if a PHEV blocks their charging spot. Which is the reason why I have an X5 45e and not a Etron or Ipace. The Taycan wasn't available. But as soon as the Ionity super charger network is covering Europe like the Tesla network and they introduce the sport turismo I might be tempted.

Good to know.


Yesterday there was a Tesla parked next to mine, cable plugged in but not charging, not even a card was scanned (you can see that on the screen of the charger). He was just using his cable as an excuse to take a reserved e-car spot.
According to Belgian law this is allowed but it doesn't make him less of an asshole.

I try to unplug my car asap after full charge.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Pateeke81

Good to know.


Yesterday there was a Tesla parked next to mine, cable plugged in but not charging, not even a card was scanned (you can see that on the screen of the charger). He was just using his cable as an excuse to take a reserved e-car spot.
According to Belgian law this is allowed but it doesn't make him less of an asshole.

I try to unplug my car asap after full charge.

Yes that's a complete a##.

At least plug it in if you occupy the spot. I always do anyway not to offend others.

I think there are two different signs. One means that you can park an electric car. The other one is only for charging your car. I would have to look at the different signs.

I have been tempted once by blocking a non electric car on a spot by putting my car behind and conducting my charging cable over his car in the charger. I think the owner of the other car might not be so kind with my car or cable when he founds our so I didn't.

When I was reading about charging spots on other fora it is really annoying for a Leaf or Zoë driver if a PHEV occupies a spot for an entire night and they can't charge. Because they really need it to drive the next morning.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

We arrived at our holiday location in France yesterday.

That was a nice size drive...how long did it take, 10-12hrs? and how did the car perform in terms of mileage, comfort and reliability? When we lived in the UK, we would take the tunnel and drive through France on our way to other countries, France had the best and most expensive roads but we could set the cruise at 90mph and just go. We stopped for fuel at their highway stations and would get an espresso out of the vending machine and was always amazed at how good it was.

[Caramel]

Wow! For an American, you have surely seen a lot of countries!

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

That was a nice size drive...how long did it take, 10-12hrs? and how did the car perform in terms of mileage, comfort and reliability? When we lived in the UK, we would take the tunnel and drive through France on our way to other countries, France had the best and most expensive roads but we could set the cruise at 90mph and just go. We stopped for fuel at their highway stations and would get an espresso out of the vending machine and was always amazed at how good it was.

Yes 12h with the traffic jams. But we did it in two times. I stopped doing these long trips on one day and arriving exhausted.

We did a stop over in Limoges but without charging possibility.

The payed French highways (peages) are great. The non paid can be terrible. The Idrive also shows the length of the peage.

Great to do a 30-140 after the toll boot. 30 because a have the automatic paying thing.

The X5 is great for traveling. And the 45e is a great engine for me. I had a mean of 10 l/100 km over 1000 km drive without charging but leaving with a fully charged battery. I did everything 700 km highway with acc at 135 Km/h. Traffic jams. Small French twisty B roads. Long 80 km/h roads on acc. I charged the battery with battery control from 5 tot 35% the first day to have some battery the next day to pre cool (you don't need that much at all btw). So that is not too bad. I had a full tank of E10 95 when leaving and on the road took E5 98 because it was cheaper in France an I wanted to try. With all the things I have during the trip done 10l is not so bad but maybe it was also the 98 oct fuel. I didn't feel any difference in performance.

The picture is from the second day. I had 45 km electric drive although I only had 30 km range left. I did a lot of highways whit steep hills. So a lot of electric drive going down hill. It didn't charge 15 Km range. But drive 15 km down hill with the ice of and charged a bit.


For the settings:

On the highway I prefer adaptive.

For small roads sport individual is better for me (engine and gear comfort, steering and suspension sport)

For charging the battery: battery hold to the level I want and afterward sport individual to keep the charge. I don't like driving in battery control mode and switching to adaptive makes it use the battery again. As mentioned elsewhere with battery hold each 2-3 km driven gives 1 km extra range.

In the mountains : sport: better reactions going up, more stable in tight corners (IAS is great !) and more electric engine braking going down.

[X5 45e]

75% charge in a bit more than 5h. We are not going to do long trips here anyway so everything on electric. I will charge again end of the week and return with a fully charged battery.

Strange thing is that the apps both indicate that a full charge is 1h longer that the actual charging time. At 13h14 it was 99% charged but still needed an hour for 100% but according to the charge record it actually stopped charging at 13h38.

Maybe it takes preconditions in account? I didn't program it for this charge although it says I did in the app. The car was not preconditioned when I got there.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

I had a mean of 10 l/100 km over 1000 km drive without charging but leaving with a fully charged battery. I did everything 700 km highway with acc at 135 Km/h. Traffic jams. Small French twisty B roads. Long 80 km/h roads on acc.

That works out to 23.5mpg US which for a car that size and weight and all the diff types of driving you did, is pretty good. Did you measure your mileage on the 700 km highway drive only? You drove through some very beautiful country!

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by Caramel

Wow! For an American, you have surely seen a lot of countries!

I know, the typical American never leaves their state their whole life, right? ha ha Well, we do have a pretty big country. I was fortunate enough to have a job that took me round the world and since I liked it (most of it anyway), my wife and I would go on vaca as well. I made a lot of friends which gave us the opportunity to stay with them on our visits. A year ago, we went to Europe/UK for three months, England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal, all staying with friends and had a great time. We lived in the UK for a couple of years.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

That works out to 23.5mpg US which for a car that size and weight and all the diff types of driving you did, is pretty good. Did you measure your mileage on the 700 km highway drive only? You drove through some very beautiful country!

No I didn't. But it is around 10 l/ 100 km.

With acc and 130 km/h 30 degr outside in adaptive in the picture it was 9.4 l/ 100 km. In earlier drives it was usually above 10 even without luggage. I think it is because of the 98 octane fuel. First time I used it.

I also put higher pressure on the tires as recommended because fully loaded. Could make a little difference to. 2.9 vs 2.2 front and 3.2 vs 2.4 rear. Quite a big difference. Didn't affect comfort for me but I am on 20 inch tires.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

No I didn't. But it is around 10 l/ 100 km.

With acc and 130 km/h 30 degr outside in adaptive in the picture it was 9.4 l/ 100 km. In earlier drives it was usually above 10 even without luggage. I think it is because of the 98 octane fuel. First time I used it.

I also put higher pressure on the tires as recommended because fully loaded. Could make a little difference to. 2.9 vs 2.2 front and 3.2 vs 2.4 rear. Quite a big difference. Didn't affect comfort for me but I am on 20 inch tires.

Ok, 9.4 is good for 130 kph and all things considered but, and there's always a but, I would have expected a little better highway economy given its a hybrid, maybe something like 7-8 since BMW rates it at 4.7L/100 km. All the BMW's I have owned over the years have obtained slightly better fuel economy than their rating. I know the rating is not at 130 kph and the car is not fully loaded like when going on a trip. What do you think?

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

Ok, 9.4 is good for 130 kph and all things considered but, and there's always a but, I would have expected a little better highway economy given its a hybrid, maybe something like 7-8 since BMW rates it at 4.7L/100 km. All the BMW's I have owned over the years have obtained slightly better fuel economy than their rating. I know the rating is not at 130 kph and the car is not fully loaded like when going on a trip. What do you think?

The battery was depleted at that moment. And it all depends on the length of the trip and the charging habits.

In general the ICE is 10 l/ 100 km. A bit more or less depending of what you do. So if you have a 100 km trip on the highway and a fully charged battery you can make the mean consumption go down to 5 l/ 100 km. 50 km all electric on the highway with 120 km/h is doable.

With a 200 km trip economy will be 7,5 l / 100 km and with a 1000 km trip it will be 9.5 l/ 100 km. There is just 50 km electric in the equation. So the shorter the trip, the bigger the difference.

The electric engine doesn't make highway drives more economic per se. So it isnt 50% electric 50 and % ICE power when you drive 130 km/h. At higher speeds the e engine is only active to help accelerating. Or you have to put it in electric only mode but that only makes sense if the battery can cover the rest of the trip and charging at your destination I available.

Driving in hybrid eco pro doesn't change the number that dramatically and it is really boring to drive. So I stopped doing that.

The thing that really mattered was the new speed limit in the Netherlands. It is now 100 km/h everywhere on the highway. It went down to 8 l/km on the highway on acc.

And cold temperatures clearly make economy worse.

I am at a mean of 6.3 l/ 100 km after more than 7000 km drive. I don't think that is to bad.

At the end economy will be best if you charge every moment you can and trips are below 70 km between charging possibilities.

In Europe we never get the predicted economy. Even if I drive carefully in all the diesels I had before I never get there. Always 1 liter above. The 45e in Europe is below 2 l/ 100 km. Completely unrealistic but caused by the lengte of the test and the size of the battery. The US testing is much more acurate I presume.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

The battery was depleted at that moment. And it all depends on the length of the trip and the charging habits.

In general the ICE is 10 l/ 100 km. A bit more or less depending of what you do. So if you have a 100 km trip on the highway and a fully charged battery you can make the mean consumption go down to 5 l/ 100 km. 50 km all electric on the highway with 120 km/h is doable.

With a 200 km trip economy will be 7,5 l / 100 km and with a 1000 km trip it will be 9.5 l/ 100 km. There is just 50 km electric in the equation. So the shorter the trip, the bigger the difference.

The electric engine doesn't make highway drives more economic per se. So it isnt 50% electric 50 and % ICE power when you drive 130 km/h. At higher speeds the e engine is only active to help accelerating. Or you have to put it in electric only mode but that only makes sense if the battery can cover the rest of the trip and charging at your destination I available.

Driving in hybrid eco pro doesn't change the number that dramatically and it is really boring to drive. So I stopped doing that.

The thing that really mattered was the new speed limit in the Netherlands. It is now 100 km/h everywhere on the highway. It went down to 8 l/km on the highway on acc.

And cold temperatures clearly make economy worse.

I am at a mean of 6.3 l/ 100 km after more than 7000 km drive. I don't think that is to bad.

At the end economy will be best if you charge every moment you can and trips are below 70 km between charging possibilities.

In Europe we never get the predicted economy. Even if I drive carefully in all the diesels I had before I never get there. Always 1 liter above. The 45e in Europe is below 2 l/ 100 km. Completely unrealistic but caused by the lengte of the test and the size of the battery. The US testing is much more acurate I presume.

Very nice explanation, thanks X5 45e! Makes sense and it helped put things into reality after reading what BMW publishes. A potential owner really needs to understand how the car works before knowing if the hybrid is the car for them. Its not as straight forward as just jumping in, filling up the tank and battery and off you go, if you want to get the most out of owning a hybrid.

[Bancroft]

Originally Posted by X5 45e

75% charge in a bit more than 5h. We are not going to do long trips here anyway so everything on electric. I will charge again end of the week and return with a fully charged battery.

Strange thing is that the apps both indicate that a full charge is 1h longer that the actual charging time. At 13h14 it was 99% charged but still needed an hour for 100% but according to the charge record it actually stopped charging at 13h38.

Maybe it takes preconditions in account? I didn't program it for this charge although it says I did in the app. The car was not preconditioned when I got there.

What app is that? By the way. Here are my stats after 10 000 km driven. Owning 45e since January 2020. The number of kilometers driven on batteries is inaccurate because my dealer reset my software which deleted this counter unfortunately. So this is the number of kilometers driven on batteries since May 1, 2020

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Bancroft

What app is that? By the way. Here are my stats after 10 000 km driven. Owning 45e since January 2020. The number of kilometers driven on batteries is inaccurate because my dealer reset my software which deleted this counter unfortunately. So this is the number of kilometers driven on batteries since May 1, 2020

Thanks for sharing.

Same happend to me after a software update. Lost the first 1000 electric km on the counter.

The app is the new "My BMW" app. It is not available in all countries you would have to check for yours.

[Bancroft]

Thanks. Is it for Android or iOS? I can't find it in Google Play Store.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by Bancroft

Thanks. Is it for Android or iOS? I can't find it in Google Play Store.

I have it on IPhone. I think it is first available in Germany The Netherlands and Belgium. US and Canada don't have it yet. I don't know about other EU countries but they will follow because finally this one will replace the CD app.

Maybe you can look in the German or Dutch Playstore? But it will be the wrong language for you.