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BMW Active E

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#221
tommolog said:
Since he cannot plug in at work, the car sits outside all day in a mall parking lot and he can't precondition. He said he's preconditioning in the morning before he leaves though.
Click to expand...
I think that might be a big factor. Cold soaking the battery can make the apparent capacity (and by extension, the range) plummet. It should recover after heating up again, but I don't think the early Leafs had a battery heater (even that heater is not that helpful since it only turns on with temperatures under 14F and before the car is started), so it may take a while for the natural resistive heat of the batteries to bring the temperature up again. The issue is made worse depending on how low the temperature is. This is ignoring the additional losses from the need to heat the passenger cabin.
 
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#222
I was driving around North-Western NJ today by the Pennsylvania boarder with my ActiveE and I came across this old abandoned gas station and had to take some pics. Hopefully we'll see more and more of them close up and rot!

gasstation1.jpg
 
#227
WhiteKnight said:
Good NY Times Article today:

Taking a Spin in an Electric BMW - NYTimes.com
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Yes, informative read.

E.V.’s like the Tesla Roadster have used the single pedal approach, but BMW’s one-pedal E.V. driving will become, I believe, the model for electric car engineering. I’m a convert to the single pedal, and wish the Nissan Leaf — my usual car for daily commutes — drove the same way.
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So is the author stating that the regenerative braking is more aggressive on the BMW than either the Roadster or the Leaf?

Larry
 
#228
Larry Chanin said:
Yes, informative read.



So is the author stating that the regenerative braking is more aggressive on the BMW than either the Roadster or the Leaf?

Larry
Click to expand...

From the article:
The most remarkable feature carried over from the Mini E to the ActiveE is the very assertive regenerative braking, which applies strong deceleration as soon as you lift your foot off the accelerator.
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I take that to be the BMW is definitely more aggressive than the Leaf. No personal experience driving the Roadster so probably no comparison to make with regards to the Roadster..
 
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#229
Tommy said:
No reference to the Roadster so probably no comparison to make with reguards to the Roadster.
Click to expand...

From the article:

E.V.’s like the Tesla Roadster have used the single pedal approach, but BMW’s one-pedal E.V. driving will become, I believe, the model for electric car engineering.
Click to expand...

It seems that he prefers the BMW's regenerative braking over the Roadster's.

Larry
 
#232
I'm not; the Roadsters pedal is predictable all the time, the BMW system seems to have variable regen based on something I've not yet worked out in 1,000 miles behind the wheel. Give me instant response and totally predictable regen and I'll stop rolling up a car's length short of the line or having to resort to the brakes to stop me overshooting.
 
#233
vfx said:
BMW has said they would be including adjustable Regen.
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I've never heard them say that. In fact, I've been trying to get them to warm up to offering adjustable regen but they haven't embraced the idea. I've spoken with quite a few of their top EV people and nobody there has ever given me any indication they are considering it. What I do know is it will be on the a-pedal and it will be strong.

That's what Brad liked about it when he wrote the article. He wad contacted me a few times while he was writing it because he knew I was driving one and had questions. I even contacted BMW for him to help make sure he could get one for a week so he could do this story. He has driven just about every EV out there including the roadster(someone before was wondering) and he recently leased a LEAF. He the editor of plugincars.com and last year I gave him my MINI-E for a day so he could do a story on it.
 
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#235
tommolog said:
I've never heard them say that. In fact, I've been trying to get them to warm up to offering adjustable regen but they haven't embraced the idea. ....
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http://www.plugincars.com/secret-great-electric-car-how-it-brakes-108898.html

BMW: The Ultimate Braking Machine

BMW is taking a much different approach—trying to create a new category of driving and braking experience that is unique to electric vehicles. Aaron Singer, BMW product planning and strategy manager for electric vehicles, graciously answered my questions by email. It’s so different than the competition and such as departure from the current path of other EVs coming to market that I wanted to share his answers in detail.
PluginCars.com: What's your overall strategy for regenerative braking in your electric cars?
Aaron Singer: Feedback from the MINI E field trial clearly indicated our driver’s preference for aggressive regenerative braking coupled with the ability for “one pedal driving.” This provides immediate feedback that they are driving something special, and is a unique feature of eMobility. The BMW strategy, as demonstrated in the upcoming ActiveE (all electric 1-Series coupe), is to maintain this aggressive regenerative brake feel as a unique eMobility selling point.
bmw-active-e-620y.jpg
The driving feel of the upcoming BMW ActiveE will reveal the company's progress on its EV-specific approach to braking.

How do you strike the balance between maximizing regenerative energy, and providing a braking "feel" that mainstream drivers are accustomed to?
For pure electric drive, emphasis will be placed on the regenerative aspects of the braking system. However, for increased driver acceptance, a “sailing mode” has been implemented, allowing the driver to coast at highway speeds – similar to a gasoline vehicle.
Will you provide the ability for drivers to control how much regen is happening via buttons/modes? Why or why not? Other driver-selected controls?
Yes. The ActiveE will be equipped with an “Eco Pro” mode. Once selected, this mode will slightly reduce HVAC and throttle response, and provide additional regenerative braking response. This mode allows the user to place a higher priority on range, extending the driving distance of the car by slightly reducing the creature comforts.
What's your strategy for balancing the benefits of coasting (periods when no regen occurs) versus strong regen (for example, when traveling downhill)?
Allow customer to choose. Due to the one pedal driving, the user can select whether the car is sailing or generating power.
How do you plan on displaying regen, state-of-charge, and range on the dashboard?
The dashboard will have a small display, allowing the customer to quickly assess their remaining battery state of charge. Additionally, a digital display shows the battery percentage, remaining range, and histogram of past performance. There is an analog gauge displaying the motor performance; communicating whether the motor is using or generating power.
Click to expand...
 
#236
I guess it's "adjustable" in that it depends how far you release the accelerator pedal. From "nothing" (coasting with pedal pressed to neither accelerate nor decelerate) to "full" (foot completely off the pedal, maximum available deceleration due to regen). That's not what I expected from the concept of "adjustable regen", which to me would be the ability to change how strong "maximum" is, from nothing to full decel.

BTW, picked up my ActiveE today, so I'm finally driving electric. Whee!
 
#237
vfx said:
http://www.plugincars.com/secret-great-electric-car-how-it-brakes-108898.html
Click to expand...

What I was referring to was a setting that would allow the driver to set the regen level of the car, and BMW hasn't embraced that idea. You can't adjust the level of regen on the ActiveE except to put the car in Eco Pro mode, and honestly you cannot tell the difference in the regen at all from standard mode. I have 5,000 miles on my ActiveE now other than less power and the heated seats not working, Eco Pro mode feels the same as normal mode, I cannot really feel much stronger regen. It does extend the range though by about 10 -12%.

The "sailing" mode that Aaron was referring to really doesn't have anything to do with regen. It's simply a position on the a-pedal that lets you coast. You are neither using power, or gaining it form regen. If you are driving on the highway and you slightly back off the accelerator, the regen doesn't grab and the car coasts. back off a little more and the regen activates. It takes a little getting used to, but there is a gauge that displays if you are using power, gaining it or coasting.

I was lobbying for a setting where the owner could say they want strong, medium or soft regen. That's what I was referring to.
 
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