Quote:
Originally Posted by jadnashuanh
The i3 can always be recharged with the 120vac cable it comes with, or with the 240vac at a level 2 charger (IF it is the right plug and protocol - needs to be J1772). It will only be able to be recharged with a DC fast charger IF you bought that option. Now, whether a fast charger will also have the lower-powered connectors, I do not know...there aren't very many of them out there right now. There are lots more 240vac chargers out there, but some have CHAdeMO connectors (won't work on the i3). The connector used on the i3 is recently approved, and agreed to by many manufacturers, but not all. So, the existing chargers are a somewhat mixed bag.
The charger 'talks' to the car to agree on the proper charge rate and level, so it needs not only the right plug, but the right protocol. In the future, this may not be as big a deal, but right now, the largest electric fleet is of the Nissan Leaf, and it does not use the same plug...the Japanese haven't gone to the J1772 connector and protocol...time will tell.
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Can I ask please what would be your advice to someone who buys an i3 in San Francisco on whether or not to pay the $700 extra to get the DC (SAE) fast charging capability. Even here in California will there be enough i3 compatible DC charging stations available during the next three years to make this worth it?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts you have on this.