BMW C Evolution - I finally got my scooter back and it is working just fine :)

Last Friday, 10 days ago, I went to the BMW shop in Boulogne and returned my loaner C Evolution to get my original scooter back, after they told me the breakdown I experienced 3 months ago was caused by firmware bug, fixed by the latest release end of November.



BMW took a long time to solve this, probably gathering CAN error messages from several C Evolution scooters across Europe which had the same warning signs on their dashboard.



I was told by the head of BMW scooters in France that it was caused, or could be reproduced by turning ON, OFF, and ON again the ignition key ... Still I am the only one who got the big breakdown forcing me to stop on the side of the road and be towed back to the dealer. For this reason he also asked to shop to replace my throttle, to make sure no error was coming from this also.



I am now commuting again with it, unless the temperature is too close to 0°C, icy road being to risky with a 2-wheel. The power is like before, awesome and I am having a blast with my machine now :)
Thanks to BMW I was able to enjoy Electric rides during these last 3 months, with an identical C Evolution loaner.






I am now almost at 6 months of daily rides with a BMW C Evolution and I can assure you it is one great machine ... I am actually going for a ride today since it is sunny, taking my daughter with me, yesterday it was my son's turn, under the cold rain, but we enjoyed it also :)

If you have not test driven it yet, I recommend you do so to experience and understand why I chose this amazing scooter !

A Cool EVSE is coming ... the BMWi Wallbox Pro

BMW i Wallbox Pure (left) and BMW i Wallbox Pro (right)


BMW expanded its Wallbox portfolio from just the base Pure model to the new Pro model, which is available in Europe and soon will be available worldwide as an Original BMW i Accessory.

Both units look similar, but Pro has higher power output (7.4 kW) than Pure. There is a lot of new features because Pro is smart, with optimization of the home-generated electricity usage and general integration.

BMW i3 and wallbox

The striking difference is the 7-inch color touchscreen display, which enables one to see all the data, including charging history, charging power, etc.

Here is the full description of the BMW i Wallbox Pro:

"The BMW i Wallbox Pro is operated using a 7-inch colour touchscreen display, which offers optimised control and monitoring of the charging process and allows users to choose their own individual settings. The screen can show how much charge has been delivered to the vehicle so far, along with details of previous charging cycles. LED fibre-optic strips at the sides of the wallbox indicate the current charge status and are visible from a considerable distance. Information about the charging status can also be remotely accessed from a smartphone or tablet by using the BMW i Wallbox Remote app.

The BMW i Wallbox Pro provides an administrator function that can keep a charging history for different users. Up to three user profiles can be set up, e.g. for accounting or billing purposes. For example, private and business-related electricity use can be recorded separately. Details of electricity consumption for a particular user account can also be forwarded by email if desired.

A proximity sensor activates the BMW i Wallbox Pro when motion is detected. The charging plug can be picked up and connected to the vehicle socket using just one hand. Further user-friendly features include the 3.5-metre charging cable. The cable's entry point towards the top of the wallbox protects it from contamination and makes it unnecessary to coil the cable.

The BMW i Wallbox Pro's integrated load management system delivers the maximum available current when charging. At the same time, overloading is prevented by reducing the charging rate as necessary during peaks in household power consumption. A clear readout on the touchscreen shows how much power is being drawn from the household electrical system at any given time.

Assisted by its intelligent charging functions and the optional energy meter, the BMW i Wallbox Pro is unique among home charging stations in the extent to which home-generated electricity can be integrated in the charging process – for example electricity from a home solar system. This option is used whenever possible. The intelligently integrated wallbox detects the availability of solar power and immediately uses it for charging. If no home-generated energy is available, power from the grid is used instead.

If the BMW i Wallbox Pro is integrated with a smart home system, the efficient charging functionality can be extended even further to reduce peak loads on the household electrical system and optimise the use of home-generated electricity. Via the touchscreen it is possible, for example, to connect the wallbox to the smart home system myGEKKO. Up to eight smart home functions can then be controlled from the wallbox display, including activation of outdoor lighting. It is also possible to display a weather report on the touchscreen, showing current temperatures, daily maximum and minimum temperatures, frost warnings and forecasts for the coming days."


Source: Inside EVs

My 2014 Paris Motor Show - EVs only !

Yesterday we went to the 2014 Paris Motor Show with my son and a friend of his ....



... with the LEAF, parked nearby at an Autolib station and were kindly invited by Nissan France social media team (Thanks Orianne & Chantal)

So we started by Nissan of course and its new LEAF and e-NV200 in its Evalia family version





Right next to Nissan was Tesla, for the first time in Paris BTW, and it got a lot of attention, and was over crowded, which is a good thing (people seem to like EVs all of a sudden)



After that we split and I went on alone because there were many places to go to see all EVs, spread across the big exhibition halls

A little stop at the EV test facility



An engineer school showing a cool race car



VolksWagen and its low consumption concept (1L for 100km)



Their e-up




The e-Golf




KIA's EV Soul




A cool looking Mini Moke from the 60's revisited with Electric Drive




A little break with a beer and some fresh air, it is so hot inside with thousands of high power halogen lights ! you could charge thousands of EVs ... Time to switch to LED, no ?



and back the crowd with Lamborghini and the most powerful hybrid just released few days ago



at the BMWi section of BMW


I know this scooter ... ;)



Smart and its ED version, here convertible with cool paint



and Mercedes with its Electric Class B




Renault ... nothing there ...


Oh yes, now you can charge a ZOE from a regular outlet (lol, it was about time)




Back at Nissan where we got to chat with Orianne and Chantal who kindly invited us at the Show and also upstairs for a drink in the VIP lounge :) 


After like 4 hours there, we finally got back to the LEAF, which had finished charging few hours before, and I received this Autolib text confirmation after unplugging and no even 5 EUR charge :)





=> To see the full album : https://plus.google.com/115308063280705756240/posts/6DzxkQh7zNf