Posted on 11/27/2009 8:18:12 AM PST by thackney
BMW's EfficientDynamics Vision concept car combines the best of all worlds with incredible fuel efficiency, breaktaking performance, and sensational looks. It's powered by a three-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, lithium polymer batteries, and electric motors front and rear. The BMW Vision gets a U.S. unveiling next week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Dec. 4-13. The only bad news: The BMW Vision is more vision than production-ready concept car. What you'd most likely see on sale would be the key components such as the drivetrain and battery technology transplanted to a more mainstream body.
On a stopover from Europe en route to L.A., BMW held a series of press briefings at its Chestnut Ridge, N.J., U.S. headquarters. According to BMW, the goal was to create a car that would be as quick as BMW's V8 M3, yet tread lightly in terms of environmental impact. Here's how the BMW Vision has the potential to win the hearts and minds of hot-rodders, environmentalists, and techies alike:
Total output from the engine and electric motors is 356hp, and peak torque is 590 foot-pounds (a lot). Acceleration to 100 kph (62 mph) takes just 4.8 seconds and speed tops out at 155 mph. Average fuel consumption is 62.6 mpg or 3.76 liters/100 km in European figures. The fuel economy translates to CO2 emissions of 99 grams per kilometer; getting below 100 is the holy grail by EU standards.
The Vision has a range of 431 miles, BMW says: 31 miles in all-electric mode, about the same as the Chevrolet Volt, plus 400 miles from the 6.6 gallon fuel tank. BMW hasn't yet tried to play the U.S.-automaker mpg numbers game, saying that since most trips are less than 30 miles, and since big powerplant generation is more efficient than using a combustion engine, the effective mileage is up around 200 mpg. What is clear is that electric motors are extremely efficient, as are big power plants, so the effective cost of energy is less than half that of diesel or gasoline fuel.
The three-cylinder, 1.5-liter engine alone produces 163 hp. BMW says the output of 109 hp per liter is the most power produced by a diesel engine. It's small enough to fit ahead of the rear axle for better weigh distribution. Power travels to the rear wheels via a six-speed double-clutch transmission.
One electric motor, in back, sits between the diesel engine and transmission and produces 33 hp (51 hp peak). It can run on its own, without the combustion engine, making the Vision what's considered an active hybrid, as opposed to a mild hybrid where the combustion engine always powers the car. The second motor powers the front axle; it produces 80 hp (continuous), 112 hp (30-second bursts), or 139 hp (10-second bursts). The two motors also act as brakes and regenerate power into the lithium polymer battery pack that runs in a tunnel along the floor of the car. Fuel for the diesel engine is in the rear of the tunnel (separate compartment; it doesn't just slosh around the batteries).
The battery pack has enough juice to bring anyone back from cardiac arrest (or cause it): 98 lithium-polymer cells deliver 30 amp/hours at 3.7 volts, or 111 watt-hours. So each cell is about equal to two laptop batteries. For periods of up to 30 seconds, each cell develops 1,200 amps. Plug the Vision into a standard (in Europe) 220-volt, 16-amp circuit, and the car fully recharges in 2.5 hours. Uses 380 volts and 32 amps and you're back on the road in 44 minutes. Conversely, you'd be looking at overnight plugged into 120 volt U.S. power.
Build and sell it for under $30,00 and they may have something. Until then, it will remain an expensive toy.
The only bad news: The BMW Vision is more vision than production-ready concept car. What you'd most likely see on sale would be the key components such as the drivetrain and battery technology transplanted to a more mainstream body.
Then, no thank you... With the exception of the new 650i, the new beemers are ugly turds with wheels... I keep my 3 old e28s and the e30, they are built so much better...
Anything above $15k is out of my price range.....
Other than the all-glass doors, I don’t see anything that would prevent this from rolling into showrooms in the next 2 years as-is. The looks aren’t all that far off of the mainstream, particularly for BMW, whose non-sedan/non-crossover vehicles are all a bit quirky (Z3, Z4, 6-series, Z8). As it is a hybrid, and an unusual one at that, the styling seems fine. Paint it something other than the white/blue, and you’d not likely pick it out of a lineup of current vehicles easily. Also, the paint it does have is close to the current scheme on the company’s bikes, particularly the HP2 and its other high-sport offerings.
Looks become secondary when you drive the 1-series. Admittedly, not my favorite BMW design, but power/performance is outstanding.
BMW’s biggest problem is still the HPFP on twin turbos. It’s inexcusable that they allow that problem to go on and on without a fix.
Not enough room to haul my stuff.
Ping
The E65/E66 looks like a Lexus.
I will say that I find the new five nice though and the F02 760il is growing on me...
I doubt you find any hybrid below $15k, ever. Let alone with diesel.
Mine too right now, but we must be reasonable. The technology must be financed initially to lower the costs later. If these were to come on the market under 30K, then you (and I) will be able to afford a used one in a few years. Also as the design becomes more mainstream, production costs and selling price should fall as well.
Another suppository shaped vehicle. Great.
How long did they drag ass on the F01 software updates, and that was for their “flagship” car...
I have three e28's (M5, 535is, 533i) and one of these e30s ("the ugly car") which I think looks terrible, but runs like a real race car...
I don't know why they just couldn't keep that old 4 cylinder engine in production, it is a rocket...
They should start reporting.....
.....Miles per BTU burned per pound of mass driven.....
as in including all electric power plant BTU input before conversion and and transmission losses and a test to show performance during acceleration and deceleration. This would be a true measure of the power plant to axle effectiveness from fuel to driving a car regardless of weight.
Hybrid does gain efficiency due to regenerative braking (if it is there), diesel gains efficiency over gasoline I think, but "plug in" gives the advantage of using grid power unless the measure accounts for it. The mass factor would add the ability to directly measure the power train without giving credit for a ridiculously light car driven by a 90 pound weakling.
The LI-PO batteries alone will cost more than that, for the time being at least.
And more than likely the batt. of the future is LI-FI, Li-Fi cells are much less violate and last perhaps thousands of cycles verses hundreds, and can be fast charged without the danger associated with fast charging Li-Po batts.
The cost of periodically replacing these would have to be factored into the cost of operation. Battery life & cost remains my biggest concern with the plug-in hybrids, I believe all of the other technology is available and stable.
BMW’s 31 miles of all electric drive is not “about” Volt’s 40 miles of all electric drive.
Plus it looks like all that tech would cost about $200K.
Get it “around” the Volt’s $40K then we are talk’n.
Our lame grid system is going to hurt the future of electric cars in this country.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.