You'll never have to open your charging flap again
Funny how things change. We've accepted and probably never thought much of opening the tank flap to fill up the tanks of our cars for decades. It was just a necessary step in the fueling process. And that step transferred to the EV as well. At least, for the most part. Somehow 'pumping' electricity has changed how we view the flap that now covers the charging port.
The flap has become the pariah of the car world. We don't want to touch or feel the flimsyness of the thing and even worse: get greasy paw prints on the just polished paint. We've seen multiple brands like Porsche try to solve this 'problem' by having the flap disappear when it opens, or going to wireless charging all together. BMW has tried wireless charging too, figured that wasn't the solution and went the AI route.
Yes, dear reader, AI is not only taking our jobs, it also makes the charging flap better. That is what I was told at the launch of the iX3 Neue Klasse in Munich yesterday. The 'AI Charging Flap' was a focus point in the presentation I got. Apparently the 'AI' is figuring out, based on your movements around the car, if it should open the flap or not. It also figures out when to close it, but that part probably doesn't need the help of AI at all.
I'm predicting that this feature will become one of those things that you think you can live without forever, until you've had it on a car before and it's not on your next car. Only then you'll miss it. Think of it like the automatic wipers. It's easy to poke a finger at the stick behind the wheel, but it's better if I don't have to. And I think cars that don't have the feature are lesser cars than mine.
The AI Charging Flap is equally annoying as the automatic wipers when they decide that 60 percent of the time they work every time. In that case it feels like I have to climb Mount Everest to just move my finger. When the AI of the Charging Flap doesn't agree with my charging habits, and I'm stood there with cable in hand and a flap that is not opening, it'll make me detest the fact that the machine is actively disobeying orders and should be reprimanded for that fact.
The bigger question is: why did it take so god damned long to figure this functionality out? And at the same time, BMW still hasn't figured out that I'd also like a similar option for the frunk, which the iX3 does have. It's where the charging cable will life. But to get to the frunk, you'll still need to pull the latch in de driver footwell. Not even a electrical button in the car, or even better, on the keyfob (I've asked this, and it has been confirmed to me.)
It's not like it's impossible, because - and I hate to bring them up again - Porsche has made it possible. Even without touching the paint, you can hover your hand over the frunk, which will then magically pop open. Closing it will however require putting greasy hands on bonnets. Which isn't ideal, but it's better than pulling latches that are practically unreachable.
Frunks are of course a relatively new thing. Given the fact that it took decades to figure out an AI Charging Flap, I'm not holding my breath for the invention of an automated frunk (if your reading along, dear BMW-engineer, you're welcome to steal this idea).
In other news:
No other news today. It's weekend. Go and have a beer.
