By Giancarlo Perini. ©

We have driven, in a real environment, one of the some 1100 BMW ActiveE, that the German premium car maker will deliver as of December. This is the all-electric, plug-in, two-door, four-sweater, real-wheel drive sport car built from the first generation BMW 1 series coupé platform.  Handling, acceleration, speed and comfort are on a pair, or better, than the BMW120i Coupé and our feeling was that, indeed, we could go on for all the 140 km range promised by the lithium-ion batteries charged at 92% at start point.

Is it really the premium car of the future? It could, but BMW is working at something much better and is very confident that car buyers in the Megacities will love it. We agree, if the selling price is equivalent to a new generation BMW 3 series.

Driving, the ActiveE is a privilege reserved to a fleet of some 1100 drivers selected to contribute to the fine-tuning of the whole project “I”. They will help sorting out all potential problems through the next two years, in three continents.

“The BMW ActiveE is the BMW Group’s next systematic step towards an emission-free, mass-produced electric vehicle. After field tests in the USA and Europe involving more than 600 MINI E cars in the USA, Europe and China, the ActiveE fleet, will provide further valuable insights into the everyday use of the vehicle”, said one member of the team.

How serious this “pre-mass-production” EV is, is simply said: it combines the best of two real cars: the reality of the present and the near future. It shares the drive-train, the batteries, the electronic energy management and all related technology of the new “BMW i3”, although in a different and much heavier package of a reinforce BMW 1 series coupé.

For layout and weight distribution reasons the one-piece flat unit of the i3 is split here in three blocks. The drive train – i.e. the electric motor with gear and power electronics – sits directly on the rear axle.

This eventually reduces the space available in the trunk but the cabin is as roomy as a regular Coupé. The most notable differences from outside, apart the distinctive graphic work, is the addition of a scoop on the front bonnet (hosting a pack of batteries) and the absence of exhaust pipes at rear. The luggage compartment is standard, but the volume available is limited to 200 litres because the trunk houses part of the “power electronics” pack.

One of the three energy storage units takes up around half of the construction space normally occupied by the combustion engine and extensive measures implemented in this area guarantee optimal passenger safety in the event of a crash and also ensure that the high-voltage storage unit, ancillary components and battery fluid containers are not damaged in a collision.

Inside, the large and easy to read instrument cluster make sure that the driver has under control the way to its destination.

The instrument cluster and the control system iDrive are adapted to the electric drive concept of the BMW ActiveE and enhanced by specific display functions. Instead of indicating the engine speed, the instrument on the right of the cluster shows the amount of energy being taken from the battery or the current amount being supplied to it through recuperation. When the vehicle is at a standstill, the middle position of the needle indicates that the silent vehicle is ready to drive. If the vehicle is not ready to drive, the needle rests at the bottom left of the instrument. The “fuel gauge” below it indicates the battery charge level. Furthermore, the onboard computer provides additional vital information such as the remaining vehicle range, whether the air conditioning or the heating system is working.

In addition, a dedicated menu provides information on the battery energy level as well as remaining range. During charging it indicates the remaining charging time.

If the driver wishes to increase the range he can do that with the ECO PRO Mode. A simple switch changes the drive configuration and comfort functions to deliver a more efficient driving style. Less power is demanded with the same pedal travel and the air conditioning systems are set to use less energy.

By the end of 2013, when the car is in the garage and being recharged, car and driver can be connected and under control through a smartphone. This will be instrumental in remotely set the car to be ready at the right time, properly warmed up in winter, or cooled down in summer. Or to flash its lights or to horn when he or she can’t remember where the car was parked at the airport.

A look to the technical specifications of the ActiveE and some consideration about what can be expected of the “BMW i3” is very, very promising.

Now the 3 packs of cells weights 450 kg. This will not change much with the “i3”. They store 32 kWh of energy and ensure a range of at least 160 km (some 100 miles) according to BMW. However, the company says that “according to the American consumption cycle FTP72, the vehicle has a range of up to 240 kilometres (150 miles) independently of external climatic conditions.”

This is realistic with a lively but sensible driving style, when energy consumption should range around 0.12 kWh per km. The permanent-magnet hybrid synchronous motor grants up to 125 kW of power and a constant torque of 250 Nm. Acceleration to 100 kph requires 9 seconds and this is more than what you need in city traffic and beyond. The top speed is limited to 145 kph when the motor revs are cut at 12.000 rpm. Obviously, CO2 (from the car) is 0 g/km.

Recharging the battery from a conventional power socket at home takes 16 to 20 hours. Too much for a full charge at night (from 18:00 to 7:00 there are only 13 hours) but at 240 V/32 A (good for 7.7 kWh) a full charge takes 4 to 5 hours. BMW proposes its so-called wall box, a 32-ampere power supply terminal, installed at the user’s home and optimised to obtain the shortest possible charging times.

How different it is to drive the ActiveE from a combustion engine BMW? Not much. At first, under heavy rain, you wonder if you are absolutely isolated. The answer is obvious, but you cannot fight your instinct. You also question how much energy the wipers absorb and how they affect your range. Than the first surprise is the strong deceleration of the car as soon as you lift your foot from the accelerator. The car brakes by itself, recovering energy and in most instances (BMW estimates them at 75%) you do not even need to touch the brake pedal.

Next you wonder if the following drivers are informed of your deceleration. Yes, they are the brakes lights go on even if you do not brake. There is no sound at all? Not true. There is a low and gentle sound that tells you the engine (at the rear) is running quietly and smoothly. Yes, there is no vibration from that department, or from any other parts of the car. The tyres are comfortable and communicative. And so is the electric steering wheel. They are not yet specific for EVs and are 205/55R16 with running flat properties and optimised for rolling resistance.

The power is quite reasonable on this car but the weight is not.  Without any passenger the scale shows 1815 kg. This is as much as 515 kg more than a BMW 120i Coupé with the same tyres. Now let’s consider that because of its all-new architecture, materials and construction technology the 2014 BMW i3 will be “some 600 kg lighter” (according to a BMW official) and there you go with a set of preliminary, very promising, figures.

In the next two years, before the launch of the ultimate car of the future, the ActiveE will gather all sort of experience on the road in the hand of typical American, Chinese and European drivers.

In the meantime, at the Leipzig factory, BMW will experiment and test the entirely new and very innovative material manufacturing and production process. A new way of designing and building cars that is even more intriguing than the cars itself.

]]> http://autodesign.socialblog.us/2011/10/20/bmw-activee-the-premium-car-of-the-future-is-ready/feed/ 3 http://autodesign.socialblog.us/2011/10/18/bmw-unveil-all-new-3-series/ http://autodesign.socialblog.us/2011/10/18/bmw-unveil-all-new-3-series/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:01:45 +0000 Giancarlo Perini http://autodesign.socialblog.us/?p=554

By Giancarlo Perini ©

BMW Board of Directors,  managers and employees have presented their all-new 3 series limousine to the press gathered in Munich for an event that has been broadcasted on line for all car enthusiasts, in sometwhat retoric yet appropriate cerimony celebrating the BMW team at large and the Munich factory that produce the company most iconic and profitable range.

The new BMW 3 series is at ist 6th generation and the first units are going on sale next as of next Feebruary.

The new classic notchback is some 93 mm. Longer and sits on a 50 mm. longer wheelbase that the model it replaces but is nominally (4 mm.) narrower, despite its much wider tracks,. Yet, the car is some 50 kgs lighter and in some istances faster. Still it is more fuel efficient than its equivalent predecessor. The new dimensions do indeed set new proportions and deliver improved dynamics and aerodynamics.

The side and front views show the benefits of those additional 93 mm. length, with the long, flowing and very dynamic bonnet that does not sacrifice beauty and meets with pedestrian safety standards. The overall heigth just increases 9 mm.

The drag coefficient (Cd) is as low as 0.26 thanks to streamlined underside covers which create a diffuser effect at the rear and „Aero Curtain“ air channels in the front apron which reduce the turbulence created by the revolution of the front wheels in their arches.

The new look seems to be somwehat „typical“, indeed the new 3 is quite a step forward.   Give sometime to your eyes to see the cacr on the road and in daylight for few days and the difference will become obvious and, once again, trend setting.

Exterior design is back to a slightly wedge-shaped silhouette but with a the side highlight splitted in two sections that „work in harmony“ along the whole side and in combination with the charachter line front and rear.

Statements from the company´s officials have pointed to the key theme of the new generation: efficient dynamics delivering top fuel efficiecy and record low CO2 emissions. The premium carmaker is proposing four different engine options at lunch time but the range will eventually reaches 8 different powertrain versions, all turbocharged, gasoline or diesel and whether some will come only with 8 speed automatic geaboxes, a couple of them will be available both with standard manual 6 speed and optional 8 speed transmission.  As in the U.S.A.

In March 2012, when more engines are added to the four at launch, BMW will offer eight different versions, with CO2 emissions at or below 120g/km while competitors can presently offer only one each. In markets such as the U.K. this brings clear benefits to owners in terms of Benefit-in-Kind company car taxation and Vehicle Excise Duty, while the 320d EfficientDynamics model, with CO2 emissions of less than 110g/km, allows businesses which outright purchase, to write off 100 per cent of the cost of the car against tax in the first year.

Complete Photo Gallery

Here is a summary of the engine specifications.

The 2011 Auto Shanghai motor show, opening in a week time, will not be business as usual. Indeed it will mark a new era of the entire world car industry, the one steered by the Chinese market and industry. China is the biggest car market, and the one that is growing faster worldwide. The leading premium brands are betting on for most of their growth in the decade.

For VW China is by far the biggest market. Last year they sold 2 million cars there, twice as much as they did in Germany. For the German premium-car makers, China already is their top export business and might soon become their biggest market too.

So much so that makers such as Audi and Peugeot have approved investment for classic notchbacks that they their traditional markets would not buy in numbers big enough to justify the investment. The new Peugeot 508 is the first example: half of the project production and sales are for, and from, China.

Next will be the Audi A3 Limousine and the all-new Volvo four doors, 5-metres, long-wheel-base Luxury Coupe. This one is just of the many new cars (and some surprises) to be unveiled at the latest hour.

Within this scenario, with their world-premières the top European brands will steal just a share of the public attention from the dynamic home players, which will unveil an overwhelming number of attractions of all sorts.

In addition to the newcomers unveiled in Geneva last month, visitors to Auto Shanghai will be delighted to be the first ones to see in full metal the new Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz’s vision of their A-Class replacement that goes on sale next year. Both in high performance and luxury equipment settings. Both come with “small” 4-cylinder engines with output in the area of 200 hp. The A class is front wheel drive only whereas the Q3 is available also with “quattro” transmission.

Next is the new generation of the VW Beetle that must be up to the design standard of the superlative VW Bulli Concept presented in Geneva, to really catch the young generations it is hunting for. The new Beetle will be launched worldwide from Shanghai and broadcast from MTV World Stage Parties in Berlin and New York, with dedicated exhibitions.

MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households,

BMW reacts to the attacks of its competitors in many ways: with a typical “made for China and built in China (with Chinese partner Brilliance)” hi-tech luxury concept that combines the status and comfort of a long wheel base 5 Series with the advanced, high performance, plug-in hybrid technology.

For a green 5 Series for tycoons sitting in the back, there is another one for those who love driving themselves: the new 560 hp BMW M5, it is called a concept car but indeed it just preview the newcomer due to go on sale this year.

The answer from Porsche comes with the name of Panamera Turbo S, also a four door limousine that now come with some 550 hp and a top speed close to 310 kph.

On its turn MINI has reserved to Shanghai the new ultra-luxury MINI Inspired by Goodwood and designed with the help of they Rolls-Royce team takes the highest quality standards of the traditional, all-leather -and-wood, British design. Production is based on craftsmanship and is limited to 1000 pieces, with deliveries starting in one year time. Luxury can be small and is trendy in megacities.

The Germans are dominating the scene in China but Peugeot and Citroen are challenging them and are very serious at improving their performance there. While Citroen has in store a surprising long-wheel-base luxury flagship Peugeot will not do just with the 508 Sedan and its hybrid concept.

They will also tease the public with the concept of a cutting edge 4×4 crossover with hybrid technology (petrol engine this time, not diesel) reportedly called Peugeot SXC, designed by Peugeot’s design team in China

Photo Gallery

Just 21 days ahead of the Auto Shanghai 2011 show, BMW has officially released the news concerning the very unique and amazingly fast M3 Pick-up developed by a task force in a very short period of time.

Considering the speed of the entire development, today I prefer to let the press-office tell you the entire story by reproducing here the full press release, issued just few hours ago.

Media Information 01 April 2011

Unique: BMW M GmbH develops the world’s fastest pickup. Drive and suspension technology from the BMW M3 – comprehensive testing completed on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife – 420 hp and 450 kg load capacity – world premiere on 1 April 2011.

Munich. Following the BMW M3 Coupé, BMW M3 Convertible and BMW M3 Sedan, a fourth body variant of this globally successful high-performance sports car is about to cause a stir. Under the strictest secrecy, the world’s first high-performance pickup has been created at the BMW M GmbH development centre. The sportiest example by far in this vehicle category, the BMW M3 Pickup will fire the imaginations of all motorists with a deep appreciation of top performance matched by a keen practical bent. 309 kW/420 hp under the bonnet and a rear-axle load capacity of up to 450 kilos take the hallmark BMW M relationship between race-oriented driving pleasure and everyday utility to an entirely new level. This unique vehicle has already completed extensive test and set-up drives on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife in advance of its global unveiling on 1 April 2011.

With this vehicle, BMW M GmbH once again furnishes evidence of its exceptional competence in developing and building high-grade, individual dream cars. With a high-revving V8 engine at the front, a generously sized load area behind and a removable Targa roof above, driver and passengers in the BMW M3 Pickup will relish an unprecedented take on the familiar M feeling. Yet this spectacular new development is unmistakably recognisable as a member of the BMW M3 model family. Corroborating this kinship are not just the inimitable power of the engine, but also fine-tuned aerodynamics and a tailored suspension set-up. Measurements in the wind tunnel at the BMW Group’s Aerodynamic Test Centre showed a Cd factor on a par with that of the BMW M3 Coupé. Like every BMW M model, the BMW M3 Pickup has also demonstrated its dynamic potential on the North Loop of the Nürburgring. Official lap times have not yet been released, but the needle in the dial vouched for a top speed of 300 km/h.

The kerb weight of the world’s fastest pickup undercuts that of the BMW M3 Convertible by around 50 kilograms. Removing the Targa roof shaves off a

further 20 kg while at the same time lowering the car’s centre of gravity. This most unusual experience of top-down driving pleasure in a BMW M3 thus goes hand in hand with further optimised dynamic handling.

The practical features of the BMW M3 Pickup are no less impressive. Maximum load capacity has been raised to 450 kilograms. The load bed of the BMW M3 Pickup is clad in high-grade structured aluminium sheeting and provides the biggest cargo capacity ever offered on a BMW M vehicle. In terms of the unit of measurement generally applied to premium automobiles, that gives the loading area of the BMW M3 Pickup the capacity to carry up to 20 standard 46-inch golf bags. What’s more, the BMW M3 Pickup is the first BMW M3 variant in the 25-year-plus history of this model range to come with a trailer tow hitch.

Notwithstanding these unquestionable stand-out qualities, the BMW M3 Pickup will not be heading for the golf course or series development, but will retain its status as an exclusive one-off. It is earmarked for use as a workshop transport vehicle for BMW M GmbH. With this in mind, the current BMW M3 Pickup – unlike a similar predecessor built back in the 1980s – has gone through the requisite procedures to earn its road certification. Which makes it officially a truck – but one that puts a whole new spin on the meaning of the word.

MINI is far from being tired of launching newer and sexier ideas in spectacular show-cars. In Geneva they will we unveiling their shortest and possibly lightest (for the millenium) Mini so far. It will be also the fastest from zero to 100 thanks to its hybrid technology since, according to a company statement “it is designed to allow the integration of a drive system which combines further enhanced sprinting ability with average fuel consumption of just three liters per 100 kilometers (94 mpg imp).”

Called the MINI Rocketman Concept, it comes with a shorter wheelbase doubled-hinged doors and a two-parts hatch that opens wide into the roof to allow greater access to the cargo area. The interior architecture is affected by the new dimensions and reflects a 3+1 layout. A company press release claims the new Concept “just add few extra centimeters to the front and rear of the brand’s founding father born in 1959” but indeed the volume of the 2011 Mini concept, 9,11 cubic metres, is far greater (3.419×1,907×1.398 metres, lenght, widht and height) that the 5,76 cubic metres of the 1959 Mini (respectively 3.050×1.400×1.350) and the weight is far from any possible comparison. Just as the car’s world of yesterday and today are …….worlds apart.

What MINI is committed to preserve  is the fun to own and drive a very unique motor car. This can clearly be seen in the 2011 Concept.

Once again pictures tell the story better than words so let me just point out the main highlights of the project that is very like to evolve into a regular production car for 2012.

• lightweight design principles
• interior geared to maximum driving fun and unbeatable variability
• carbon spaceframe construction (front end, around its doors and in the interior) for a weight-minimizing construction.

• 

• Wide-opening doors with double-hinge joints and integrated sills.
• lightweight seats contoured in customary MINI style
• can be arranged in a variety of different positions



• adaptable capacity of the luggage compartment
• two-part tailgate consists of one section which is attached to the roof and opens extremely high, and a lower section which extends out of the body in the form of a drawer. The drawer represents the further development of the downward-opening tailgate seen on the classic Mini.
• extensive connectivity

• 

• the central control unit can be taken out of the car and configured on a computer before the journey begins to update navigation destinations, the music playlist or contact details for mobile communications.
• Tight surfaces, large wheels and a basic form dictated by straight lines give the MINI Concept a resoundingly solid structure.
• While the exterior contours of the headlights fit the familiar visual template, their inner structure has been further developed for the new study.

  

• The dimensions of the headlights reflect those of the current MINI, which means they come across as particularly large when set against the smaller face of the study car.
• 18-inch wheels
• the doors pivot outwards complete with their sills, enabling the driver and front passenger to climb in right next to their seats and get settled in comfort.

  

• Entry to the rear seats is also made much easier by the car’s unusual door concept.
• The rear lights of the MINI Rocketman Concept have a trapezoidal stirrup design – into which all the light functions are integrated – and work using projector technology.

  

• The roof puts on an extraordinary light show.
• The full-surface glass roof is segmented by illuminated braces to recreate the look of Britain’s Union Jack flag. When not illuminated, the longitudinal, horizontal and diagonal braces glow a bright Porcelain White. In darkness the integrated optical fibers give the interior of the MINI Rocketman Concept a pleasantly indirect illumination and, as a result, a more effective nocturnal appearance.
• Three individual seats slide fore and aft, allowing a high level of comfort. There is also an additional seat in the rear, whose backrest can be folded down fully to serve as a stowage surface.

• 

• all the controls are concentrated on the steering wheel.
• In addition, a trackball is integrated into the right-hand steering wheel spoke.
• the driver uses his thumb to move the cursor around the display in any direction to select functions such as in-car internet.

  

• Photo Gallery

According to well placed sources, on February 21^st, when Dr.-Ing. Norbert Reithofer , CEO of the BMW Group will eventually and officially announce the name of the sub-brand that the German group is setting up for the production and sale of the all-new range of automobiles (designed to specifically meet the expectations of mega cities drivers), the audience will be impressed for the extreme simplicity of the formula and logo.

The sub-brand is simply named “BMW i” (but it could well be iBMW or i-BMW) and reflects the same approach to specialty vehicles the company took when it launched the “BMW M” division dedicated to race-inspired high performance range, back in 1972.

In the past months (actually years) the industry has been wondering and questioning which way BMW would go when marketing their innovative new vehicles and enthusiasts expected that some old brands, such as Isetta, would be resurrected. More recently, after BMW announced that the first vehicles to bow from the “Project-i” will be a full-electric development many sources were ready to bet the sub-brand would start with an “e” for electric(ity).

Late in 2007 BMW put together the Project ‘i’ group in order to develop a “completely new car and mobility concepts for megacities”, according to chairman Norbert Reithofer. The ‘i’ stands for innovation and in the team was given a very open briefing alongside the freedom to act beyond the structure of the BMW organisation to explore different technologies and approaches, including the exploration of battery power.

What the car will look like will become clear in September, when “BMW i” unveils its first “Concept” actually based on the new four-metre long, four-seater, rear-engined, and rear-wheel-drive premium city-car, that is expected to go on sale towards the end of 2013. As one would expect from such an innovative vehicle the design will feature a “surprise”. Whether this will have to do with the door-opening, as I expect, or something else the sources did not want to say.

With an overall length close to 4 metres and because of the package advantages offered by E-propulsion system, the first BMW i will offer the roominess and status of a 3 series within a length some 25 cm shorter than a first generation 1.

The new plug-in electric BMW will be a roomy and comfortable premium car that will be offering the driving pleasure, quality and comfort standards of a 4 seater BMW, which price will reflect the technology value of its content. I would expect the price to be slightly higher than a well equipped 3 series and the weight to be closer to that of the second generation1 series, with the weight of the sophisticated battery pack and its ancillaries compensated by the extensive use of aluminium and carbon fibre for the chassis and bodywork.