BMW i3 Electric Car Owners To Get Free DC Fast Charging Through 2015

Buyers of the 2014 BMW i3 electric car will soon get more charging options. At least, they will if they live in California.

The German carmaker is partnering with the NRG eVgo charging network to offer free DC fast charging through 2015 at NRG's "Freedom Station" public charging sites in the Golden State.

READ: Tesla And Panasonic Reach Agreement On Gigafactory Project: Report

The perk applies to 30-minute charges, which should be enough to recharge the electric BMW's 22-kilowatt-hour battery pack to 80 percent capacity.

The arrangement effectively makes NRG eVgo the second charging network in BMW's ChargeNow program, which provides users access to charging stations and other supplementary electric-car services.

Until now, the ChargeNow card BMW issues to members of the program has only been usable at stations on the ChargePoint network. That company still administers the cards.

Giving California drivers access to two networks should lessen the need to carry multiple cards and fobs, something that's been part of electric-car ownership for the past three years.