BMW is planning to unveil BMW i Home Charging Services at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, which will enable customers to charge their vehicles using solar power.
i Home Charging Services is a part of the BMW's 360° ELECTRIC portfolio and it is based on smart home-enabled BMW i Wallbox Pro system which was unveiled back in 2014.
The fully automated charging service will provide customers with simple-to-operate system which will be capable of integrating vehicle charging with the household electrical system along with online-based data systems.
If home-generated solar power is not available, then the vehicle can also be automatically charged at the cheaper off-peak rate, which is expected to help customers in the US save up to $800 a year, the company claimed.
The BMW i Home Charging Services was jointly developed by BMW and energy-management company Beegy.
The system uses real-time solar power data and home energy data supplied by Solarwatt and Kiwigrid.
The system will be able to charge the vehicle in less time and even when the intensity of sunlight is low.
BMW project manager Julian Lienich said: "With Home Charging Services, BMW is the first vehicle manufacturer to offer such a broad-based EV smart charging product.
"Our aim is to make mobility as cheap as possible for users and to allow them to maximise their use of green power - but without having to organize everything themselves."
According to BMW a solar carport with a roof area of 25 square will be capable of producing enough power for 32,000 kilometres of electric driving a year (global average).
Image: BMW i Solar Carport Concept. Photo: courtesy of BMW.
