On a 17kw battery PHEV (Cadi ELR) our average usage went up by about 55kwh/wk on a L2 charger, not too bad.
He can just use the provided BMW charger. You add the L2 on a phev for convenience. With the current $250 rebate the cost can be quite small depending on the electric panel locationā¦assuming you donāt already have 240v in your garage.
Calculating how much your electric bill will increase should be easy as long as you know your current usage, the tier limits and miles to be driven. He needs to make sure he doesnāt go into tier 3ā¦if thatās the case then a TOU may be the better way to go. The idea is you have alot of optionsā¦in order to pay more on ev in CA you have to want to pay more.
Thanks for info on the battery recharge - by the way does the 530e handle like an overweight Panzer compared to the 530i?
530e = 4266 lb
530i = 3746 lb
Iām curious about this one tooā¦if anyone tested both and can tell the difference.
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I test drove the 323e at launch - it was not impressive and the BMW lease rate on offer was a lot more than a Mercedes Also the real life range of the 530e with full tank and fully charged - is less than the 530i with full tank?
Yes, you need room for the battery so it got a smaller gas tankā¦370 miles is plenty anyway when you have the flexibility of using 2 types of fuel.
I agree of course that āactual mileage (and volts) may varyā
I can tell you after 4 mos of monitoring my daily usage on SCE.com and looking at my monthly charges, my estimate of $1 per day charging on my TOU plan is about right. Assuming the cost of gas @37mpg with $3.75 per gallon at Costco is correct, my numbers above seem overall pretty close.
And I agree that for a PHEV, consumption is not the best, but 2500 of my 3500 miles so far have cost me about $75 in electricity because I can charge free at work, as well as at some random places. (I took a 500 mile trip and a 250 mile trip with no charging, plus some local trips >15 miles away that have cost me about $100 in gas). At this pace, Iāll save an average of about $50-60 a month by charging 50% at home and 50% at work. This works well with an āinefficientā PHEV because of the free charging at work and because my commute is <15 miles one-way.
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Sure, any work charging makes this a no brainer. A bit confused here as to why are you mentioning the 37mpg when the 530e is at 29mpg. Also Costco has a membership fee so add that in the cost of gas.
On a side note, i was just checking my SCE account to see how much of a negative balance i have left (they need to pay me for my pv surplus) and noticed they changed the tired rates and the ev plan. The ev plan is so good that they added a disclaimer that they check if you have an ev, storage or heat pumpā¦otherwise you can be on the plan. Summer off peak is 13cā¦winter 12c.
I mention 37 because thatās what I get on trips without any juice left at the start of the trip. 29 seems very low
My evidence is anecdotal, but my electric bill went up less than $20, and I charged the 530e almost daily, sometimes twice a day with an L2 Charger. So Iām guessing SCE is billing me about $1 (maybe less?) per charge. I get 16-18 miles per charge depending on whether I turn on AC. To me, it seems like itās more cost effective than $4/gallon fill ups. And I donāt have to go out of my way to get to the pump.
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LADWP also has TOU (time of use) plans which is better suited for EV charging. High Peak > Low Peak > Base rate based on the time of day vs the standard tiered usage plan. An additional $0.025 is applied if you have a separate EV meter installed. I opted to forego the discount and make the whole house TOU.
Side note, I found the TOU plan to have additional benefits when using high draw appliances such as washers and dryers during base rate hours. It nearly cut my power bill in half month over month after switching to TOU, this is inclusive of charging an EV.
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With current CA L2 installation rebates. This has been almost $0 post rebate.
How much did you pay for the charge and installation?
I installed my own NEMA 14-50 plug for around $50 for parts.
Itās been well documented that the same installation from a licensed electrician (in So Cal) that pulls city permits is between $300-$400. SCE is offering a $500 rebate reimbursement for installation with valid invoice.
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I have Dept of Water and Power.
$500 is for low incomeā¦the $250 i mentioned above is the regular.
Sorry newbie question that I am sure I can figure out after googling but you probably know. All I need to is make an L2 charger plug in my garage and then use the charger that came with the car? Or I also need to buy a new charger along with the plug?
Newbie questions help many 
AFAIK the only manufacturer that supplies a dual voltage charger with the car is Tesla. Check your chargerā¦does it plug in a regular 110v grounded outlet? If thatās the case all you need is the regular outlet. If you need faster charging then you install the 220v and buy the L2.