BMW has announced the launch of fast car recharging stations for its electric vehicle such as i3 model, reported The Wall Street Journal.
The company will enter into a deal with NRG Energy to allow BMW i3 electric car owners to recharge their batteries for free of charge at NRG eVgo charging stations in California through 2015.
NRG has chalked out a project with a goal of 50 fast recharging stations to be established in California by the end of this year, and 100 by the end of 2015, quoted the agency.
This free fast-recharging offer is in competition with the rival company Tesla Motors giving similar offer of free recharging for owners of their Model S at charging stations owned by Tesla.
In another initiative, BMW is partnering with Robert Bosch, a German engineering and automotive-technology company to offer a fast-charging station, adds the report.
For $6,548 or about a fifth the price of other charging units, this new compact charging station will be sold to BMW dealers and interested businesses in market from next month onwards, said, Cliff Fietzek, manager, connected e-mobility, North American operations, BMW.
This fast-charging station weighs about 100 pounds, is possible to mount on a wall and has the ability to recharge batteries within 30 minutes, explains the news agency.
The BMW-Bosch recharging stations will adopt the SAE Combo plug system, generally used by most of the leading car manufacturers like General Motors, Ford Motor, Nissan Motor, Daimler and Volkswagen. Tesla Company has so far not adopted this technology. Hence Tesla owners cannot recharge at BMW recharging stations, and BMW i3 owners cannot use Tesla’s stations.
BMW wants to fill the market with SAE Combo stations and want people to notice these charging stations on road, clarified company sources.
Discussions with other auto makers regarding collaboration for fast-charging network expansion are under progress. In Europe, BMW has cooperated with rival auto firms Volkswagen and Nissan for development of recharging-network.
BMW and other EV auto makers who are in an effort to boost up their car sales are facing problem from prosperous buyers. Most of them are worried about battery run out leaving them stranded away from a recharging station. This range anxiety is a main reason why all-electric vehicles account for less than 1 percent of U.S. vehicle sales only, reports the news agency.