A BMW iX charging cable has to move more energy than any other car we supply. The xDrive50 and the M60 carry 105.2 kWh usable, which is more than three Nissan Leafs, and every iX accepts 11 kW on AC as standard. That size changes the character of home charging. On a British single-phase supply, which gives 7.4 kW, a 105.2 kWh iX takes about 16 hours from empty. There is no cheap-rate window that long. It is the one car in our range where a three-phase supply stops being a nice extra and starts changing how you live with the vehicle, because it takes the same charge down to about 10 hours 45 minutes. In practice most iX owners never see an empty battery, and that is the sensible approach. Plugging in nightly from 40 or 50 percent turns a 16 hour problem into a 7 hour one that fits comfortably inside off-peak hours. The car is easier to own if you stop thinking about full charges. Every BMW iX charges through a Type 2 to Type 2 Charging Cable, ours sealed to IP55, on the xDrive40, the xDrive50 and the M60 alike. Our 1-Phase, 32A cable is the right buy for a driveway, carrying the whole 7.4 kW a house can produce. Our 22 kW three-phase cable cannot take an iX past its own 11 kW, but on a genuine three-phase supply that 11 kW is worth having on a battery this large. No BMW iX of this generation was offered with a 22 kW onboard charger, so 11 kW is the ceiling either way. The 16A cable is simply not viable here. At 3.7 kW an xDrive50 needs 32 hours 15 minutes from empty, which is a day and a third, and returns about 13 miles of range an hour. Even the smaller xDrive40 takes 21 hours 45 minutes. This is the clearest case in our whole range for not economising on the cable. Our Type 2 to 3-Pin Charging Cable is IP67 sealed and draws 2.3 kW, which on an iX is strictly an emergency measure at roughly 8 miles of range an hour. It has its place for a night at a hotel with nothing else available, and no more than that. Our note on charging from a household socket sets out why. Elsewhere in the range the BMW iX3 and the BMW i7 have their own numbers, and the BMW charging cable range covers the rest. Our IP ratings guide explains what the sealing figures protect against. Two year manufacturer's warranty, free next working day UK delivery, IEC 62196 Type 2 construction, CE certified, rated from -30C to +50C, or +60C for the 3-pin. BMW iX Charging Times by Model xDrive50, 105.2 kWh usable, up to 380 miles WLTP Maximum onboard AC charging speed: 11 kW, three phase, standard Cable Type Max Charge Rate Empty to Full Range Added Per Hour Verdict Type 2 - 1-Phase, 16A (5m / 10m) 3.7 kW 32 hours 15 mins approx. 13 miles Not viable on this battery Type 2 - 1-Phase, 32A (5m / 10m) 7.4 kW 16 hours approx. 27 miles Best Fit at home Type 2 - 3-Phase, 32A (5m / 10m) 11 kW (car limited) 10 hours 45 mins approx. 40 miles Worth it on a three-phase supply Type 2 to 3-Pin (5m / 10m) 2.3 kW 51 hours 45 mins approx. 8 miles Emergency use only xDrive40, 71.0 kWh usable, up to 264 miles WLTP Maximum onboard AC charging speed: 11 kW, three phase, standard Cable Type Max Charge Rate Empty to Full Range Added Per Hour Verdict Type 2 - 1-Phase, 16A (5m / 10m) 3.7 kW 21 hours 45 mins approx. 14 miles Too slow for this battery Type 2 - 1-Phase, 32A (5m / 10m) 7.4 kW 10 hours 45 mins approx. 28 miles Best Fit at home Type 2 - 3-Phase, 32A (5m / 10m) 11 kW (car limited) 7 hours 15 mins approx. 41 miles For 22kW posts and workplaces Type 2 to 3-Pin (5m / 10m) 2.3 kW 35 hours approx. 9 miles Emergency use only The M60 shares the 105.2 kWh battery with the xDrive50, so its charging times are identical, with roughly 24 miles of range recovered per hour on the 32A cable rather than 27. BMW requoted iX range figures during the model's life, so treat them as a band. Cold weather and motorway speeds each reduce them further. BMW iX Charging Cable FAQs Which cable does a BMW iX need? For a BMW iX the answer is a Type 2 to Type 2 cable at 32A single phase, on every version from the xDrive40 to the M60. It carries the full 7.4 kW a house can supply, and on a battery this large getting every watt matters more than on any other car we cover. How long does a BMW iX take to charge at home? About 16 hours from empty for a 105.2 kWh BMW iX xDrive50 or M60, and about 10 hours 45 minutes for the 71 kWh xDrive40, both on a 7.4 kW wallbox. No off-peak window covers the larger figure, which is why most owners charge nightly from part full rather than running the battery down. Is a three-phase cable worth it on a BMW iX? More so than on almost any car, provided you can reach a genuine three-phase supply. It takes a 105.2 kWh BMW iX from about 16 hours to 10 hours 45 minutes, which is the difference between an overnight charge and one that is still running at lunchtime. At a normal house it delivers 7.4 kW, exactly as the 32A single-phase cable does. Can a BMW iX use a 22kW onboard charger? Not on this generation. Every BMW iX xDrive40, xDrive50 and M60 has an 11 kW onboard charger as standard and there was no 22 kW option on UK cars, so the car caps at 11 kW even on a three-phase supply. Is a 16A cable ever sensible on a BMW iX? No. A 16A cable holds a BMW iX at 3.7 kW, which means 32 hours 15 minutes from empty on the big battery and about 13 miles of range recovered per hour. On a car of this size the saving against a 32A cable is repaid within weeks of charging at off-peak rates. What cable length works for a BMW iX? 10m, and it is not a close call. The iX is nearly five metres long and over two metres wide including mirrors, so it dominates a driveway and the charging flap ends up a long way from most wall units. 5m only makes sense inside a garage where the car parks against the same wall as the charger every time.
