Manual Battery Pre-Conditioning for Electric Vehicles: Get an Update from BMW
Manual battery pre-conditioning is a feature that allows electric vehicle owners to charge their car batteries faster and more efficiently. It has become available for cars with 11/22 build date or newer, but BMW have yet to confirm if they will offer it on earlier cars. This feature can be found in the charging app on the far right.
Manual battery pre-conditioning is not to be confused with cabin pre-conditioning which adjusts the temperature inside the car. It is different as manual battery pre-conditioning enables drivers to go to a fast charger without having to use the navigation system for routing.
This feature would be incredibly beneficial for many electric vehicle owners, however, some are feeling let down by BMW due to them not being able to activate this feature on older i4 cars. On top of this, BMW are also forking their Operating System into three parallel versions which adds further confusion.
According to BMW literature, manual battery preconditioning only operates when outside air temperature is below freezing. There is a programmable button set on the key for immediate preconditioning. However, this feature may not be available for vehicles produced before certain dates.
Recently, there was an announcement from Product Management regarding Manual Battery Preconditioning for DC Charging in BEVS. They clarified that the functionality for manual preconditioning before DC charging is available exfactory for the i20, G26 BEV, U11 & G70 from 22/11 production onwards. For vehicles produced before this date, the functionality is not available at present and it cannot be confirmed whether it will be added through a future software update either.
It remains uncertain whether BMW will provide manual battery pre-conditioning for all electric vehicle models or not. Hopefully, they will soon make an official statement about this issue so that customers can get clarity on what features they can expect from their electric vehicles.
Does the iX allow manual battery pre-conditioning without using the nav?
Yes, it is available exfactory for the iX40 from 11/22 production onwards. For vehicles produced before this, the functionality is not available. It is unclear if it will be added through a future software update.
Is manual battery preconditioning available for cars with a 03/2022 build date or newer?
Yes, it is available exfactory for the iX40 from 11/22 production onwards.
Is manual battery preconditioning only for cabin temperature?
No, it is so you can go to a fast charger without the nav having to do the routing.
Is there a programmable button on the key for immediate preconditioning?
Yes, it is set for immediate preconditioning. However, it only operates when outside air temperature is below freezing.
Will BMW offer manual battery preconditioning on earlier cars?
BMW have said they can’t confirm they will offer it on earlier cars. It is unclear if it will be added through a future software update.
Is BMW planning to fork their OS into 3 parallel versions?
Yes, this has been confirmed by BMW. It is unclear if 8 will get any more updates.
Is manual battery preconditioning available for all BMW models?
No, it is only available exfactory for the iX40 from 11/22 production onwards. It is unclear if it will be added to other models through a future software update.
Is there a way to manually pre-condition the battery without using the nav?
Yes, you can use the programmable button on the key for immediate preconditioning. However, it only operates when outside air temperature is below freezing.