BMW i

[Lloyd]

i3 caught on Chicago streets!

 

[Lloyd]

Watch the MINI E video series View this email online

THE FULL EV EXPERIENCE—TOLD BY THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED IT.
As we continue our mission towards the future of mobility, learn more about the EV lifestyle from those who have already begun to explore this all-electric era. Meet the MINI E Pioneers.

Starting in 2009, the MINI E Field Trial was launched in the US. Over the past two years, participants in this field trial have helped to shape the development of the BMW ActiveE through their first-hand experiences.

Now, watch Pioneers Todd Crook, Tom Moloughney and Peder Norby discuss charging, range, EVs in our evolving culture, and more. Then stay tuned for more videos later this year.
Watch the videos




NEW THIS MONTH

EV MYTH: PUBLIC CHARGING STATIONS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.
Most EV drivers choose to charge their vehicles at home, but for those who live in an apartment or regularly commute over long distances, it’s best to pre-plan longer trips before driving.

Now, Google Maps™ makes it easier than ever to locate a definitive list of easily accessible charging stations, helping the growing population of EV owners on the road.

For instance, if you’re taking a trip in the all-new BMW ActiveE and need to plug in close to your destination, search for a public charging station through Google Maps™, My BMW Remote or your in-vehicle navigation system.
Locate charging stations near you
IN A BMW ActiveE, THE HEIGHT OF INNOVATION IS MEASURED IN KILOWATTS.
A large part of experiencing the BMW ActiveE happens before stepping into the driver’s seat. That’s because BMW thought of a number of innovative solutions for quick and convenient usability.

As a result, the BMW ActiveE is one of the fastest all-electric vehicles to charge, thanks to its high-performing lithium-ion batteries. When used with an approved charging station, these high-voltage units go from empty to full in 4-5 hours, giving you about 100 miles of driving range.
Explore the all-electric BMW ActiveE
JOIN OUR MISSION. MAKE HISTORY.
The experience of a lifetime is almost underway on bmwusa.com. Later this year, join us in the next frontier by reserving your place as one of the first to drive the all-new, all-electric BMW ActiveE. Continue to follow us and get updates on when the BMW ActiveE recruitment process opens later this year, and receive the latest news on BMW and electromobility.

Starting with 700 cars, two years, and one collective mission, we can reshape history together.
See the latest news
THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY ISN’T WAITING FOR THE FUTURE.
Your iPhone® and Android™ devices are now ready for the BMW EVolve app. Analyze your driving patterns and gauge if you're ready for an all-electric vehicle like the BMW ActiveE. Simply tap and track to see your overall savings in money, time and emissions.
Download now
Follow us daily

 

[Doug_G]

BMW Busting Out With All-Electric; Sports Hybrid

Design News - Captain Hybrid - Slideshow: BMW Busting Out With All-Electric; Sports Hybrid

Trying to take a page from Tesla:

"If you can tell your designers that they have freedom from having to house this big engine that needs airflow around it, it opens up your ability to rethink what the automobile is," Tom Plucinsky, a BMW spokesman, said in a Design News interview. "That's why our engineers worked so closely with our designers. They rethought how to design a car that is purely electric.

Both vehicles are part of the BMW i "sub-brand." As a result, both will use a BMW system known as LifeDrive, which is composed of two functional units -- a Drive module and a Life module. The Drive module, made from aluminum, integrates the suspension, battery, drive system, and structural components. Its partner, the Life module, sits atop the Drive module. It is a high-strength passenger cell made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), which is said to offer a huge weight reduction."

Okay maybe not so much:

The i3 will take advantage of the lightweight body to travel long distances on a single charge. Using a lithium-ion battery of as-yet-unknown capacity, the i3 will have a range of about 90 miles.

 

[EVNow]

Okay maybe not so much:

Word is, it will have a 22 kwh battery. The EPA range should be around 75 miles.

My Nissan Leaf Forum View topic - All EVs, PHEVs specs/dimensions compared

 

[VolkerP]

New spy shots of BMW i8 tested near polar circle: BMW i8: Hybrid-Sportwagen auf Testfahrt | heise Autos. Article is in German.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Looking very different than the concept vehicle. Handsome, but more like a classic BMW chassis rather than the "this is not your father's BMW" i8 design.

 

[dpeilow]

SCOOP: New Photos Reveal Production BMW i8 Hybrid Sports Coupes Scissor Doors - Carscoop

 

[doug]

SCOOP: New Photos Reveal Production BMW i8 Hybrid Sports Coupes Scissor Doors - Carscoop

butterfly doors..

 

[JRP3]

Ladybug doors?

 

[Kipernicus]

Automobile Mag - Deep Dive: BMW's Project i Becomes Reality

All i models come with such innovative driver assistance systems as One Pedal Control (accelerate, decelerate, and coast by throttle pressure), Active Brake Control (works at up to 40 mph and includes pedestrian detection), Park Assist (including automatic self-parking), Congestion Assist that helps brake and accelerate the car in traffic, and will work at up to 25 mph and includes active steering), Range Assist to show all available charge points and takes you there on demand, Precondition Assist (cooling down, heating up, and charging - all by smartphone), and Navigation Assist that will connect with public transit services - just in case.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Proving that BMW is not going to roll over and play dead. This is good for the EV industry, even if it doesn't bode well for TSLA values.

 

[JRP3]

How so? Tesla is first to market with a real luxury EV performance sedan, BMW playing catch up helps validate the market segment.

 

[Yggdrasill]

The BMW electric cars don't seem to be competitors to Tesla. The i3 seems to be a premium car for the iMiev segment - I wouldn't even say it's a competitor to the Leaf, it's too small for that. The i8 seems to target the Fisker Karma.

 

[Adm]

BMW hasn't proven anything yet. Mini E and Active E are only prototypes and the i3 is just a driving concept car. So far it's all been PR and marketing and we all know the proof is in the pudding. I'll wait until an electric production BMW hits the street before I start to worry about the future of Tesla. I hope it's rather sooner than later, because we need more EV's on the street, but I am still unsure on where the German car industry is on EV's.

 

[VolkerP]

Sure thing there is no common approach to EVs within the German car industry. BMW seems to act serious, though. I assume that all these assistant systems are touted to disperse any fears among consumers that they have to relinquish anything when going EV. Only thing missing is a clever combination to form the "Anti-Brick Assist": If SOC falls below 10%, the driver is unloaded (Vehicle Egress Assist), the nearest charging point is located (Range Assist), and the BMWi autonomously steers to the next charge point and hooks up (Park Assist). :biggrin:

 

[EVNow]

BMW hasn't proven anything yet. Mini E and Active E are only prototypes and the i3 is just a driving concept car. So far it's all been PR and marketing and we all know the proof is in the pudding. I'll wait until an electric production BMW hits the street before I start to worry about the future of Tesla. I hope it's rather sooner than later, because we need more EV's on the street, but I am still unsure on where the German car industry is on EV's.

Well, by the same measure Tesla hasn't proven much either.

Not to forget, BMW will likely electrify multiple cars, not just a 3 series. But one thing they are lacking is range. That is where Tesla scores.

 

[JRP3]

You mean developing and actually selling a ground breaking electric sports car that blows away most ICE's and beats all other production EV's in range is on the same level with a limited volume experimental temporary lease program?

 

[EVNow]

You mean developing and actually selling a ground breaking electric sports car that blows away most ICE's and beats all other production EV's in range is on the same level with a limited volume experimental temporary lease program?

Yes - both of them have to prove they can make compelling EVs that can be purchased by 99 percenters. Ofcourse, Tesla is yet to prove they can make a high quality car from scratch.

 

[Larry Chanin]

BMW i8 Plug-in Hybrid Specs Leak Out

CarMagazine reports that the BMW i8 will rip from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds and will hit a top speed of 156 mph. Power for the BMW i8 comes from a 126-kilowatt (170 horsepower) electric motor spinning the front wheels. Meanwhile, a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine rated at 233 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque will spin the i8's rear wheels. Combined, horsepower peaks at 393 and torque at 406 pound-feet.

The BMW i8 is expected to tip the scales at approximately 3,200 pounds. A four-speed automatic gearbox will be standard equipment.

CarMagazine reports that the BMW i8 achieved an average fuel consumption rating of 104.2 miles per imperial gallon (86 miles per US gallon) on Europe's rather lenient test cycle. Expect the pricey BMW i8 to launch in the US in 2014 with an MSRP in the neighborhood of $130,000.

Larry

 

[VolkerP]

Very strange. After the exciting looks of the I8 concept, the spy shots look far more conventional. But the i8 is more expensive than the Tesla Roadster (was), it's not as quick (=acceleration), it is heavier, and the top speed is futile in U.S with speed limits of 65, 75, (85?) mph all over the place.
Oh well. It is not a BMW if it doesn't do 250kph.