MINI E Drivers Delighted with Electric Vehicle Experience
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 30th, 2010The BMW Group today announced at the Washington Auto Show the first results from a comprehensive study conducted in cooperation with the University of California (UC Davis) and consumers leasing MINI E electic vehicles as part of a year-long program to acquire real world use patterns. The MINI E program is the first large population field test of current generation electric vehicles and therefore sheds a realistic light on both the opportunities and challenges from this innovative new form of mobility. The UC Davis study results of 57 drivers, combined with updates continually provided from the log books of all 450 users show the following: * The range of about 100 miles is sufficient for most daily needs * Charging at home provides enough energy for most daily driving * Demand for additional charging is centered on the place of work, or where sufficient time is spent during the day (shopping centers, stadiums, etc.) * Driving the MINI E is a delightful experience and there is no sacrifice of “real car” values * Unmet demands focus on having enough space for four passengers and more cargo to stimulate even more use of an electric vehicle “There’s been a lot of conjecture about electric vehicle user demands and being the first to the market with obtaining ‘real world use’ patterns, we’re now able to shed some accurate light on this subject,” said Rich Steinberg, Manager – EV Operations and Strategy for BMW of North America. “What they shared with us is that, for the most part, the MINI E suits their daily driving needs and that they really enjoy driving it. This makes us optimistic that electric vehicles have a role in the future of mobility in America by being a part of the overall vehicle mix.” More than 1,800 people and organizations applied to be part of this ground-breaking field trial of 450 MINI Es now on the road in the US. From that, 450 were selected based on specific criteria that included the amount and type of use in which they would engage, home suitability to installation of a fast charging system and desire to be engaged in a field trial that requires continual feedback. MINI E drivers provide ongoing feedback that has already proven invaluable to the development work being done by the BMW Group’s Project i on what is called a Mega-City Vehicle – the company’s innovative program to develop a volume transportation solution to the demands of the world’s biggest cities in the 21st century. This vehicle is scheduled to be introduced just before the mid-point of this decade. The self-selected group of 57 that agreed to participate in the UC Davis survey is part of a more extensive research project. Feedback from this program shows that the range of the MINI E enables drivers to use it for most daily driving needs. Reported range under normal circumstances varies between 70 – 100 miles with 45 percent reporting a typical range of 100 miles. MINI E drivers reported an average trip length of approximately 30 miles. Other studies have found that driver’s in the US average about 40 miles per day1. This makes the range of the MINI E suitable for most daily driving needs. Many households in the study have replaced the primary vehicle of one driver with the MINI E. One-third of the participants have reported driving the MINI E even more than the household vehicle it replaced. The lack of a back seat and a usable trunk, rather than range, is most often the reason the MINI E is not chosen for a particular outing. Drivers have also reported that driving the MINI E is fun. Most adapted quickly to the characteristics of the Brake Energy Regeneration function and like the feeling of control it gives them in being able to proactively extend the range of their MINI E by how they drive. Brake Energy Regeneration captures energy ordinarily lost on deceleration and coverts it into electrical energy to recharge the batteries. All drivers in the US study said they enjoy using one pedal to accelerate and decelerate. Many reported that once they became acustomed to the BER function, they enjoyed driving their conventional vehicles less. The study found that keeping the MINI E charged did not pose a problem. Recharging in the US requires four – five hours and, while it wasn’t always necessary based on their driving needs, about half of the drivers in the study report recharging daily as a matter of routine. Additional recharging away from their home charging station by-and-large proved unnecessary. This first field-trial has provided Project i with invaluable insight as it prepares for its second field trial with the BMW ActiveE. The electric drivetrain developed for the BMW ActiveE will be used in the BMW Group’s first Mega-City Vehicle. The newly developed and more compact lithium-ion battery pack in the BMW ActiveE vehicle features liquid heating and cooling in order to provide a more consistent and predicatable driving range. Smartphone apps will enable the user to remotely check the available range of the BMW ActiveE’s battery. The apps will also enable the driver to begin heating or cooling the interior of the BMW ActiveE and thus the battery while still connected to the grid. This will allow the battery to function at its optimal operating temperature without affecting the range of the car. The field trial for the BMW ActiveE will begin in 2011. As announced at the North American International Auto Show earlier this month, lease extensions will be offered to a number of MINI E drivers who wish to continue their electric driving experience until the BMW ActiveE becomes available. [Source: BMW
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MINI E Drivers Delighted with Electric Vehicle Experience
read comments (0)Autoblog reviews the 2011 BMW 335is
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 30th, 2010Chris Paukert over at Autoblog spent some time behind the wheel of the 2011 BMW 335is, the latest high-performance 3 Series coming out of the Munich factory and only available exclusively for the U.S. market. Since most of the technical information are well known by now, we will take a moment to focus on the driving experience, as reported by Autoblog: “More important than raw numbers is the way the 335is feels and behaves, and in this regard, we’ve only whetted our appetites with a limited amount of laps at Estoril with both the DCT and manual (these prototypes were sadly not plated for street use). Even given our limited time and closed course conditions, we can tell you that we like what we see so far. The 3 Series has always had exemplary balance, and the 335is is no exception, only now it has significantly more power to lunge from the apexes. Out on the circuit, the surplus torque offered by the temporary overboost function allows one to gloss over most track virgin mistakes – braking too early (or too late), or taking a bad line through a corner, and even if you get it spot-on, you’ll get there that much more rapidly thanks to the extra power. We’re pleased to report that the DCT seems particularly well-suited to the 3 Series’ character, and it’s similarly fine work on the track, being quicker than the (still excellent) tripedalist setup, especially as it allows for both hands on the wheel at all times. Full review at Autoblog
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Autoblog reviews the 2011 BMW 335is
2011 BMW X6 preview with details
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 30th, 2010I must say that I would not expect so fast to hear any news about the new 2011 BMW X6 but we do. In the past time the BMW X6 was very ‘active’ because of the BMW X6 M, BMW ActiveHybrid X6, tunings for this BMW X6 and also many details about this amazing SUV. This
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2011 BMW X6 preview with details
VIDEO: 2011 BMW 5-Series Parking Assistant
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 30th, 2010Parking Assistent package which debuted on the new BMW 5-Series can park without you to spin the steering wheel. Although the package is not an absolute novelty, the technology used is new. Among with the launch of the new 5-Series, BMW introduced a parking assist system, unique for the moment in the German manufacturer’s range. The
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VIDEO: 2011 BMW 5-Series Parking Assistant
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics to be produced in series!
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 30th, 2010According to informations provided by a Bavarian company official, BMW intends, indeed, to produce a series version of the Vision EfficientDynamics concept. BMW is thinking at a cadence of about 5.000-10.000 annual units, but also to change the concept’s name. It is unknown yet, but, in all likelihood, will keep the coupe’s revolutionary powerplant group and
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BMW Vision EfficientDynamics to be produced in series!
Video: BMW 335is – Great exhaust note
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 30th, 2010Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the one bimmer we’ve been all waiting for and the one that brings that much craved for exhaust note. Being in the BMW world for quite some time now, I often come across BMW fans and owners that brag about one thing first: the exhaust sound of their bimmers. But with the introduction of the recent turbo engines that specific exhaust sound was less intriguing than in a high revved naturally aspirated engine and believe me, I’ve heard all about it. Don’t fear anymore, if you can’t afford the M3 or M5 at this point, the 335is comes to save the day. Sure, it’s not an M car, we’ve been over this already , but it’s more than a decent compromise for those of you looking for a new performance sporty car. Photo by Autoblog 335is comes packing 320hp at 5,900 rpm and 332lb-ft of torque is available from 1,500-5,000 rpm. The engineers have tweaked the twin-turbo 3-liter motor to have an overboost function that increases torque to 370lb-ft. The overboost function comes into play at higher engine speeds and gears. BMW has also fitted a sport exhaust system that has a deeper “rumble” at low speeds and rpm. And for the first time, we have a chance to hear that exhaust note, courtesy of KilometerMagazine . Impressed yet?
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Video: BMW 335is – Great exhaust note
BMW News: They Will Launch Two New Cars!
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 30th, 2010It seems that everyone in the world is switching up their gears and going from the bigger and bulkier cars and moving on down to the smaller, more compact cars. To be honest, I think that is a better option – only because the cars are better all around for the environment as well as the overall appeal of the cars. BMW is no different and they are actually switching up their way of thinking too. In 2014, they are actually rumored to release two cars that are right around the same size of the 1Series and honestly … I think that is great! One car is rumored to be electric and it was actually shown just a few short weeks ago at the Detroit Auto Show. The other car – not quite sure what they have in store for it but this little clip of a picture is a sneak peek!
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BMW News: They Will Launch Two New Cars!
BMW News: They Will Launch Two New Cars!
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 30th, 2010It seems that everyone in the world is switching up their gears and going from the bigger and bulkier cars and moving on down to the smaller, more compact cars. To be honest, I think that is a better option – only because the cars are better all around for the environment as well as the overall appeal of the cars. BMW is no different and they are actually switching up their way of thinking too. In 2014, they are actually rumored to release two cars that are right around the same size of the 1Series and honestly … I think that is great! One car is rumored to be electric and it was actually shown just a few short weeks ago at the Detroit Auto Show. The other car – not quite sure what they have in store for it but this little clip of a picture is a sneak peek!
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BMW News: They Will Launch Two New Cars!
BMW City and a mini BMW: Competition for Mercedes A-Class and Audi A1
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 29th, 2010Ready for another rumor? German magazine Auto Motor und Sport reports that in 2014 BMW will be pushing out two models under the BMW 1 Series. One of them will be a “Mini BMW” vehicle, advertised as a small premium car that will be powered by 3-cylinder engines and hybrid drivetrains. The unnamed small bimmer is rumored to be a front wheel drive vehicle that will push out between 90 and 170 horsepower. The car will be taken on the upcoming Audi A1 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Second vehicle, dubbed BMW City, will also be placed below the 1 Series family and it is being developed under the highly advertised Project i program that will continue to develop uber efficient cars in the upcoming years. BMW City or Mega City as referred before by BMW executives, is a vehicle that measure four meters long and seats four people, but very important to mention, this vehicle has nothing to do with the above-mentioned entry-level BMW. BMW City will combine a high percentage of lightweight components and it will feature the electric drivetrain unveiled in the BMW ActiveE Concept at Detroit Auto Show. The electric motor will output 125 kW (167 horsepower) and 250 Nm of torque. The liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery has a range of 160 kilometers. The BMW Mega City is designed for city dwellers and offers a range of sophisticated multimedia technology in addition to various electronic aids for navigation in the urban jungle. On the same platform, a two-seater electric car will follow in 2014. While the above details might slightly vary when the cars launch, we know they’re coming. [Source: AMS ]
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BMW City and a mini BMW: Competition for Mercedes A-Class and Audi A1
Rumor: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics gets greenlight as production car
Posted by admin in BMW Cars on 01 29th, 2010Inside Line publishes an interesting report tonight. According to BMW executive present at the 5 Series launch, the last year stunning Concept, Vision EfficientDynamics receives greenlight as a production car coming in 2013. The breaking news are not really….new, in the past, BMW acknowledged several times that a variant of the VED Concept will eventually make it into production. The underpinnings of the car are already near production ready, including the hybrid drivetrain and the new 3-cylinder diesel engine. Clearly, several modifications to the exterior and interior design need to be made. The power and performance of the VED are made possible by combining a fuel-efficient 1.5 liter 3-cylinder turbodiesel with one electric motor on each axle. The intelligent combination of these units, together with precisely controlled energy management, simultaneously enhances the dynamic performance and the efficiency of the car. Overall system output is 356 horsepower, and peak torque is 590 lb-ft. According to the BMW executive, the total volume continues to be debated, but we should expect to see anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000 units. As we mentioned above, the powertrain and other technologies will remain intact, but, quote: “there will be less of the synthetic glass and more solid structure added to the final design”. Pushing the envelope even further, Inside Line was looking for a scoop to an M1 successor and if indeed, the VED could be considered one. The response was enigmatic, but interesting: “quite probably”. Inside Line also learned that this coming summer, BMW will conduct some further real-world testing in southern France, in an attempt to score faster times than the previously reported 4.8 seconds. And yes, the highly complicated and less appealing Vision EfficientDynamics name will change for sure. Any guesses? [Source: Inside Line ]
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Rumor: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics gets greenlight as production car
