Through trial and error, as well as many Email exchanges with the Technical Services Manager, BMW North America, I have figured out definitively how this system works. At least this is the definitive way it works with my 2025 lX!
This example is setting the time slot to charge between 10 AM and noon, with a Target of 80%.
1. If Charge Forward is active, and it may be by default, it overrides anything you do and picks the best time slot based on usage at your electric utility company, supposedly using real time data and “prioritizing times when renewable energy is more available and grid emissions are lower.” With charge forward active, you have no control of any kind as to when charging takes place.
2. If Charge Forward is turned off, if your Charge Limit is not reached by the end of your time slot, the car will continue to charge until it does. Example: I set my charge target at 80%. I plug in the car to charge at 7am . Since it is not yet in the time slot, it starts charging at 10am. Or if I plug in 11, it will start charging immediately as it is in the timeslot. But if at noon, it has not reached 80%, it will override and keep charging until it does.
The only way to have the car charge only within the time slot, and never outside of it, is to set the mode to charge immediately and use the Time Slot software in your third-party charge unit, like Chargepoint.
This example is setting the time slot to charge between 10 AM and noon, with a Target of 80%.
1. If Charge Forward is active, and it may be by default, it overrides anything you do and picks the best time slot based on usage at your electric utility company, supposedly using real time data and “prioritizing times when renewable energy is more available and grid emissions are lower.” With charge forward active, you have no control of any kind as to when charging takes place.
2. If Charge Forward is turned off, if your Charge Limit is not reached by the end of your time slot, the car will continue to charge until it does. Example: I set my charge target at 80%. I plug in the car to charge at 7am . Since it is not yet in the time slot, it starts charging at 10am. Or if I plug in 11, it will start charging immediately as it is in the timeslot. But if at noon, it has not reached 80%, it will override and keep charging until it does.
The only way to have the car charge only within the time slot, and never outside of it, is to set the mode to charge immediately and use the Time Slot software in your third-party charge unit, like Chargepoint.
