The Bavarian firm’s first electric cars combine the latest in powertrain development with lightweight materials
THE ELECTRIC car debate is set to move into the premium segment by 2013 as BMW and Audi prepare to do battle with new plug-in models, the latest of which were unveiled last week.
After several months of hype, BMW has finally unveiled its plans for a future electric division, under the “i” moniker. While the cars will still carry the premium brands logo, the “i” will be run as a sub-brand, along the lines of its current high-performance M division.
With range anxiety – the fear of running out of electric charge – dominating buyer reticence, the Bavarian-based car firm is taking a catholic approach to the electric debate, offering a fully-electric supermini, the i3, capable of 150km on a single charge, but adding the option of a small petrol engine that can be used as a generator to extend the range. Alongside this comes the i8 supercar, a plug-in hybrid that runs on electric power for 35km and then becomes a regular hybrid, mixing whatever regenerative power it can source from braking and the like with a 1.5-litre 220bhp petrol engine. The battery takes 105 minutes to charge to full to give you that 35km range.
While the technology involved is new to BMW, it’s not new to market, with rivals Audi planning to begin sales of an electric version of its R8 supercar next year, while electric versions of its A1 and plug-in hybrid versions of its A3 are due for sale in 2014.
The move to plug-in hybrid suggests that for all the criticism of Toyota, their hybrid strategy seems to have been spot on.
BMW is quick to point out, however, that the innovation in its i sub-brand doesn’t start and end with the electric motors. New carbon-fibre bodyframes and plastic panelling dramatically reduce the weight of its i models (in part to compensate for the heavy batteries required), while inside the use of naturally tanned leather and hemp fibre in the floors make the cars more environmentally friendly.
Norbert Reithofer, BMW’s chief executive, refused to be pinned down on pricing for the i3 or i8 but suggested the latter will cost more than €100,000.
When asked directly at the press conference how much the cars might cost, he responded in the style of Yoda from Star Wars. Dr Reithofer called on all present to remember when the horse was the dominant mode of transport in 1900 and then within 25 years it was largely replaced by the car. And that was it. Next question, please.
As we scrambled to Google the prices of horses 111 years ago – and work out potential inflation since then – the next question was how many of these cars BMW will build? The head of production took up this particular tricky question, responding that they will make as many as the market requires and they will be well able to meet demand.
So what we now know about the future i range is pretty much what we did before we entered the auditorium. Two models for launch by 2013.
We also know that BMW is betting that by creating new models from scratch, rather than converting current models to electric, it has ensured that it doesn’t have to make compromises along the way. And that’s perhaps where the Bavarians may really reap rewards.
Starting from a relatively blank canvass they’ve combined the latest advances in electric powertrain development with the latest lightweight and environmentally friendly materials to come up with a range of models that, the brand hopes, will give owners in the premium segment the sort of eco-friendly credibility that Toyota Prius owners have enjoyed for several years.
Aside from showing BMW’s eco-credentials, the new cars will also bolster the attack against perceptions that electric cars are slow. The i8 has a 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds, while even the i3 records a respectable time of 7.9 seconds.
Range will remain the greatest stumbling block for electric cars, but while the Bavarians hope that battery developments will allow future additions to the i range to boast greater distances between charges, in the meantime its mix of electric options seems very wise.
The full electric i3 will work for owners looking for a second car to run around the city, while the i8 looks like a proper sports car with the figures to support it. The success of this sub-brand will, of course, depend on pricing, but for now horse trading from the 1900soffers little insight.
FACTFILE
i3concept
Wheelbase2,570mm
Seats4
Kerb weight1,250kg
Output170bhp/250Nm
Top speed150km/h
0-100km/h7.9 secs
Electric range130-160km
Luggage space200 litres
i8concept
Wheelbase2,800mm
Seats2+2
Kerb weight1,480kg
Output350bhp (220bhp 1.5-litre petrol and 130bhp electric motor)
Top speed250km/h
0-100km/h4.6 secs
Full electric range35km (after which it becomes a hybrid, mixing engine and regenerative power)
Luggage space150 litres
