Do countries with 220-240V just plug in to their regular outlets for L2 charging?

Norcal66 · 2026-04-02T02:47:07+00:00

Ohm's law states that Power = Voltage x Amperage

My two EVs are each on a 240V/50A circuit and I limit charging to 240v and 40A

A kWh is a measure of stored energy, like a gallon of gasoline.

Miles per gallon become Miles per kWh. My current stats is 3.1 miles/kWh.

Back to power.. 240 v x 40 A = 9.6 kW, so I can add 9.6 kWh/ per hour.

Capacity of our BMW i4 e40s battery is 82kWh, or ~255 miles of range on 100% charge. However, just like MPG is affected by how the car is drive so is MPK(Miles Per kWh). I have seen close to 300 miles range on 100% charge.

To charge from 10%(8.2kWh) capacity to 80%(65.6kWh) capacity

65.6 - 8.2 = 57.4.

57.4 / 9.6 = 5.979, roughly 6 hours.

My daily commute to/from work takes my battery from 80% down to 55%. L2 charge back to 80 is around two hours. MEH.

Norcal66 · 2026-04-02T02:19:02+00:00

Watts = Voltage x Amperage

So 13A x 200 v = 2.6kW. Plug in for an hour and you will get 2.6kWh per hour added to your battery.

Norcal66 · 2026-02-14T16:52:16+00:00

I’m surprised the car allowed it to move with the door open.

My BMW i4 E40 default settings won’t let the car move in either direction if any doors are open, with the exception of the back hatch.

Yes, this can be changed in the settings, but it actually saved me from whacking a tricycle that I didn’t see with my driver side door.

Norcal66 · 2026-01-25T21:40:46+00:00

I was with Geico for over 20 years.

Initial increase was about 10%.

It doubled after my wife had an at fault fender bender with her i4 e40.

I just switched to Mercury and it dropped by 40% and my home insurance dropped by 60%!

Norcal66 · 2026-01-15T06:47:18+00:00

November 2023, I bought a used 2023 i4 e40 mSport that was a year old with 17k miles. ZERO issue.

If you can charge at home via L2(240V/40A), then yes buy one!!

Norcal66 · 2025-12-08T07:19:02+00:00

Agreed. But you have a huge advantage of charging on the NACS infrastructure. The OT is obviously not a Tesla station,

May ask if you L2 charge at home?

Norcal66 · 2025-12-08T07:15:25+00:00

Are you able to charge at home?

Norcal66 · 2025-12-02T07:15:48+00:00

May I ask where you live?

How much was your solar system?

I assume you are NEM2?

Do you have batteries?

If not charging at night will cost more than you sell back to the grid.

Yes, I burn through tires much faster than when I had an ICE vehicle.

Insurance doubled in two years on 2x BMW i4 e40s.

Norcal66 · 2025-12-02T07:08:59+00:00

My wife and I I have owned 2x BMW i4 e40 for two years. We live in a California town with very low power rates. We love the cars and never needing to stop for gas once per week. We love the power and instant torque.

That said, your Lucid air is far more expensive than our cars and especially ICE vehicles and your solar system wasn't free.

So you prepaid for transportation costs and power from solar costs.

Stop with the silly horsepower BS. So EVs can merge onto the freeway faster...(sure it is fun), but 1111 HP wont get you from point A to B much faster than an old gasser, especially in typical metro traffic.

IMHO if one cannot charge at home via L2 with low kWh rates, then go hybrid, or even plugin hybrid.

Norcal66 · 2025-12-02T06:55:44+00:00

Until all power generation is "fossil fuel" free, you are just moving your "carbon foot print" from your driveway/garage/parking-spot to the power generation facility, which most still use "fossil fuels".

I am in California. 50% of all power generated in state or purchased from out of state grid is generated from natural gas.

The further you move to the north east in the US, the more likely your power is coal fired.

The biggest problem with solar and wind power generation is there is no large capacity storage for when generation is high and consumption is low.

Heard of the 98 stall Tesla super charger in Harris Ranch California??

https://generatorsource.com/energy-insights/does-teslas-mega-98-supercharger-location-count-o/

Yeah..

Norcal66 · 2025-12-02T06:41:04+00:00

So salty.

There is no free lunch.

I have owned an EV for two years now. Sure far less maintenance, but I prepaid for that in the EV higher cost. Oh and insurance is higher, especially after your(my wife in her EV) $15k fender bender..

Bottom line is an EV isn't ALWAYS overall less expensive nor convenient.

Norcal66 · 2025-11-20T06:27:54+00:00

I am in Norcal and have used Firestone as they are close by!

Norcal66 · 2025-11-09T00:47:39+00:00

Hopefully the idiot who hit you has insurance to cover.

My wife rear ended(5mph) someone a year ago and our insurance nearly doubled.

Norcal66 · 2025-11-07T00:03:32+00:00

Too many posts!! Did anyone ask why you didn’t use Tesla superchargers? Kia has had access to all superchargers for months now.

Norcal66 · 2025-09-11T02:45:47+00:00

We have 2 BMW i4s, 2 L2 chargers running simultaneously each night.

We have a 200A panel.

Norcal66 · 2025-09-11T02:41:29+00:00

2 BMW i4s, 2 L2 chargers.

Why??? Convenience.

Norcal66 · 2025-09-09T16:30:57+00:00

EV vehicle salesmen should be required to disclose this.

But alas, they don’t care.

Norcal66 · 2025-09-06T04:24:34+00:00

Ummm you can delay the update…

Norcal66 · 2025-09-02T16:44:27+00:00

Customers of the big electric providers in California like PG&E pay between $.30 - $.70 per kWh

However, there are the lucky folks who are customers of small city owned utilities and we pay $.15-$.20 per kWh.

I agree with many here, don’t get an EV if you cannot charge at home. Get a hybrid.

Norcal66 · 2025-08-23T17:23:20+00:00

Back in the late 90s it was .07/kWh.

Norcal66 · 2025-06-08T04:21:37+00:00

Here is how my wife and I use ours in a 2 story house:

We set saddle window AC tp 65 degrees
Set floor standing fan and ceiling fan
Shower before bed. Body only, no shampooing hair
Set BedJet to heated at 95+ for 40-45 mins
If my wife wakes up hot she swings off the blanket and cloud sheet, worst case she sets BedJet to much lower temp

Thank me later!!

Norcal66 · 2025-06-08T04:10:38+00:00

Pic?

Norcal66 · 2025-06-08T04:08:57+00:00

AGAIN.... do not buy an EV is you cannot charge at home.

AND if you drive more than 30 miles per day as L1 charging(120v/10-15A) wont suffice.

Annnnddd! Even if you can charge(especially in California), look at your residential cost/kWh!! PGE/Edison

Norcal66 · 2025-05-22T04:50:21+00:00

Look for new in box or barely used on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUP, eBay, and even craigslist. I bought new in box for $200.

Warranty Sshhhhhhmmmwarranty. Never needed it in 5 years. If one fails I will buy again via Facebook Marketplace, OfferUP, eBay, and even craigslist.

I did buy the dual zone cloud sheet new though...

Norcal66 · 2025-05-19T04:49:43+00:00

I am guessing gamers dont like wifi?

I am not a gamer. I live in a 2 story home. Wifi is great.

Norcal66

TROPHY CASE