BMW iX Charging Cable

Two pack sizes, one charging answer

xDrive40 runs 71 kWh usable for up to 264 miles WLTP. xDrive50 and the M60 share a 105.2 kWh pack, quoted at up to 380 to 391 miles and 352 miles respectively. Every one of them accepts 11 kW on AC, so the badge changes how long a charge takes and nothing else about the cable.

Unless three phases reach the wall box, and at a house they rarely do, the number that matters is 7.4 kW. So the practical question on an iX is length, not amps: buy the 32A single phase lead and spend the thinking time on the run from the wall box to the car.

How long a full charge takes

Hours are worked from battery size against power drawn, plus a 13 per cent allowance for what is lost as heat, rounded to fifteen minutes. Miles per hour is worked at 3.5 miles per kWh, a figure that survives a cold morning. The two columns are the xDrive40 pack and the pack shared by the xDrive50 and M60.

A seven hour off peak window at 7.4 kW is worth roughly 180 miles on either car, which is why the smaller pack is not the limitation owners expect it to be.

Which length for an iX

The inlet is on the rear offside quarter, the right hand side of the body looking forwards, and it stays there on a right hand drive car. The iX is just under 5 metres long and wide with it.

Back onto a drive with the charge point on the right and 5 metres reaches without drama. Any other combination, and nose-in parking in particular, means routing round the better part of 5 metres of car, which is 10 metre territory. Measure from the charge point to the inlet as the car actually parks, then add two metres of slack.

How these cables are built

The lead is an IEC 62196-2 design, CE marked, IP55 sealed against a British winter and rated from -30C to +50C.

Three pin construction follows IEC 62752, CE marked, IP67 rated, usable from -30C to +60C. Two year manufacturer's warranty, free next working day UK delivery and 30 days to send it back.

Looking at another BMW? Start with the BMW 330e EV Charging Cable, or browse every model in BMW charging cables. For a wall box or public post the lead is the Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable.

BMW iX charging cable questions

What cable does a BMW iX use?

A Type 2 to Type 2 cable, 32A single phase. The 11 kW rating on the spec sheet is a three phase figure, and a UK home supply turns it into 7.4 kW.

How long does an iX take to charge at home?

From empty at 7.4 kW, around eleven hours for the 71 kWh xDrive40 and about sixteen for the 105.2 kWh xDrive50 and M60. An overnight window adds roughly 180 miles to either.

Where does an iX plug in?

The rear offside quarter, on the right of the body. That is the driver's side on a UK car, and the same side as on the i4, i5, i7 and iX3.

Would a three phase cable charge it faster?

Only somewhere with three phases, such as a workplace. At 11 kW a 105.2 kWh iX takes about eleven hours rather than sixteen, but at a house the three phase cable gives the same 7.4 kW as the single phase one.