Buy or lease a 2027 BMW i5, i7 or iX3 in the U.S., and BMW will pay for the first $500 of your public charging. The package went live on November 5 and also includes a complimentary one-year BMW Membership at IONNA, which takes 25% off charging at the automaker-owned network. The catch is the clock. Both the credits and the membership are valid for up to one year from the date of retail, so the countdown starts when you take the car, not when you get around to enrolling.
What’s Included In BMW’s 2027 Charging Package
- A $300 BMW ChargingNetwork credit, usable at participating charging providers
- A separate $200 credit that only works at IONNA locations
- A one-year BMW Membership at IONNA, worth 25% off charging
Once the credits run out, sessions are billed to the payment method on file. Owners who bought or leased a qualifying 2027 model before the launch may also receive the benefits. The i4 and iX aren’t part of the offer.
How Far Does $500 In BMW Charging Credit Go?
IONNA said in late August that its price never goes above 39 cents per kWh, plus taxes. At that ceiling, the $200 IONNA credit covers about 513 kWh, or about 684 kWh if the 25% membership discount also applies to sessions paid with credit. BMW’s announcement doesn’t say whether it does. Spend all $500 at IONNA at the discounted rate and you’d get roughly 1,700 kWh. That’s the best case, because the $300 credit buys less energy at pricier networks such as Electrify America and EVgo.
BMW is one of IONNA’s eight founding automakers, so it’s no surprise that $200 of the money and the entire discount go to a network it part-owns. Owners near one of IONNA’s 200-plus U.S. Rechargeries will get the most out of this package, while everyone else will lean on the $300 credit.
How The 2027 Offer Compares With BMW’s Earlier Deals
BMW’s public charging perks have been shrinking in stages. The iX and i4 launched in 2022 with two years of complimentary 30-minute sessions at Electrify America, a deal BMW extended to the i5 in 2023. For the 2026 model year, Electrify America’s terms gave i7 owners 2,000 kWh over 36 months, and the i4, i5 and iX got 1,000 kWh over two years. BMW’s release doesn’t say whether that Electrify America allowance carries over to 2027 models. If the $500 package replaces it, i5 buyers who charge mostly at IONNA get roughly the same amount of energy but half the time to use it. Buyers of the i7 lose the most, going from 2,000 kWh over three years to $500 that expires after 12 months.
The IONNA discount is also narrower than BMW’s last one. Earlier this year, every BMW and MINI EV driver got 20% off at IONNA through the end of September, with no enrollment required. The new discount is deeper, but it covers three models for one year.
How To Claim The Credits In The My BMW App
Enrollment happens in the My BMW app under Charging > Services > Charging Wallet > BMW ChargingNetwork, where owners set up an account and accept the package. The credits and membership then appear in the Digital Charging Wallet and apply automatically. Because the window starts at the date of retail, anyone who already took delivery should enroll now. BMW hasn’t said whether the iX5 and Neue Klasse i3, due in the first quarter of 2027, will get the same package, or what the IONNA membership costs after the free year.
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
