In 2007, BMW created the “project i”, a think tank to study and develop the future of mobility. The first part of this project involved testing the MINI E, which has been tested over the past two years. The second part involves testing out the BMW ActiveE. BMW will gather information from these tests and learn how the electric vehicle fits into the lives of the drivers. BMW will take this information and will use it to develop the BMW i sub-brand initiatives and the BMW i3 (MegaCity Vehicle) in 2013.
BMW is set to launch the ActiveE in late 2011 and will give drivers the chance to drive the new BMW ActiveE. The ActiveE offers the driving pleasure you would expect from a BMW, but also has zero tail pipe emissions. The motor is located in the rear axle and gives off 125 kW/170 hp and has a maximum torque of 250 Nm/184 lb-ft. The ActiveE features four full-size seats and a trunk with a luggage capacity of 200 liters/7 cu ft. It can accelerate from 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. The ActiveE car is powered by an advanced lithium-ion battery pack that was developed by BMW and the co-operation partner SB LiMotive. It has a range of about 100 miles for everyday use and the intelligent battery management system helps achieve that range independent of the external climate conditions. The charging time is only about 4.5 hours when using a high-current (32 ampere continuous) residential wall box.
The BMW ActiveE allows the driver to control deceleration and acceleration with the movement of the accelerator pedal. When the driver removes their foot from the accelerator, the electric motor converts the kinetic energy into electric power and stores it in the battery pack. Using this process continuously increases the range by up to 20%. This process works well in traffic with constantly varying speeds. In urban traffic, about 75% of all deceleration maneuvers are initiated without the need for the brake pedal. Also, the location of the battery pack moves the vehicle’s center of gravity down and the battery cell layout preserves the near 50-50 weight distribution characteristics of BMW vehicles. This allows the ActiveE to have the agility of a regular BMW.
BMW is excited to launch their new ActiveE with zero tail pipe emissions. This electric car is a step forward into the future of mobility and does not sacrifice an exciting ride or luxury quality materials.
