BMW's Concept Active Tourer, a through-the-road plug-in hybrid, uses a front-mounted engine to drive the front wheels and an electric motor to drive the rear, with no mechanical connection between the two. In most hybrids the output of the engine and motor are combined. The Concept Active Tourer is the first additional application of the eDrive system used in the i8, which incorporates an electric motor, lithium-ion battery, and intelligent engine control. BMW will use the eDrive designation for all its electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Like BMW’s latest four- and six-cylinder engines, the BMW Concept Active Tourer’s 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine uses BMW TwinPower turbo technology. Even though it has only three-cylinders, BMW claims it is very smooth running even at low speeds and emits the sporty sound expected of a BMW.
The synchronous electric motor can power the car for up to 18 miles exclusively on a fully charged battery. It also augments the gasoline engine to provide over 190 horsepower when maximum power is required. BMW expects it will get an impressive 94 mpg, achieved partly through automatic engine start/stop and regenerative braking energy supplied the rear axle during deceleration. A high-voltage generator connected to the 1.5-engine also charges the battery while driving.
BMW’s Concept Active Tourer has an ECO PRO mode to help reduce fuel consumption. When appropriate, it reduces air conditioning and other electrically powered creature comforts to increase fuel efficiency. Linked to the navigation system, ECO PRO mode gives drivers advice on how to reach a destination using minimum fuel. ECO PRO mode also completely shuts off the engine at speeds up to nearly 80 mph, and then decouples the engine from the drivetrain up to 100 mph to make full use of the kinetic energy already generated.
The Efficient Dynamics strategy uses information from the navigation system to optimize electric motor and battery efficiency. For example, it calculates in advance the most suitable driving situations and sections of a route for electric-only operation or to charge the battery. This optimized charging strategy can achieve an energy savings up to 10 percent and thus increase electric range.
While small on the outside, the Tourer is very roomy on the inside. It rides on a long 105 inch wheelbase and has an overall length of 171 inches. A tall roof allows a raised seating position for an excellent all-around view. Batteries are located entirely beneath the floor so there’s no intrusion into passenger or cargo space.
Will the BMW Concept Active Tourer appear in dealer showrooms? BMW has a good track record for putting concept vehicles into production, so here’s hoping.
Most electric vehicle owners expect free public charging opportunities. Still, plenty of charging providers aim to sell such services and have built business plans around this.
Even as a pay-for-play network of charging stations emerges, we do expect many businesses to offer free charging as a way to attract environmentally-inclined customers. As all this unfolds, there’s substantial partnering going on as electric vehicle makers try to send the right message that charging stations are coming in greater numbers and many of them will indeed offer charging for free.
Case in point: Electric vehicle owners will now have access to free charging at an additional 15 charging stations in California because of an arrangement between Nissan North America and Adopt a Charger, a nonprofit group that works with companies and organizations to fund fee-free electric vehicle chargers in public places. Nissan is paying for three 220 volt Level 2 chargers at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and four Level 2 chargers at the Music Concourse Garage in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. An additional eight 120 volt Level 1 outlets are also being sponsored at the Music Concourse.
These charging locations should get maximum visibility and use since both are at highly-visited family attractions with large concentrations of electric vehicle owners in the regions. This 'best-bang-for-the-buck' approach is sure to influence both free and pay-for-play charging locations in the future.
It should be no secret that electric vehicles are pricey because of the extraordinarily high cost of their advanced lithium batteries. Yet, most folks still wonder why the purchase price of a battery powered vehicle is so high. Here’s a clue: Ford’s CEO Alan Mulally has now shared that the cost of the lithium-ion batteries used in the $39,200 Ford Focus Electric – Green Car Journal’s 2011 Green Car Vision Award winner – is $12,000 to $15,000 per vehicle.
Obviously, this kind of battery cost is limiting the number of electric vehicles automakers are willing to make since building them is just one part of the equation. The other important part is selling them…and that means either convincing buyers to step up to their higher price or relying on federal or internal subsidies, or both.
We’ve been through this before. During the test marketing of battery electric vehicles in the 1990s, people wondered why electric cars couldn’t be a success. We pointed out then, as we are again now, that the batteries in the EVs of the day – the GM EV1, Honda EV Plus, Toyota RAV4 EV, and others – were likely $20,000 to $30,000 per vehicle. The latter figure was confirmed to us by the late Dave Hermance of Toyota’s electric vehicle program some years ago.
So what really killed the electric car back then? The cost of batteries. We’re just hoping that battery development costs for a new generation of electric car batteries – whether lithium-ion or other technologies – can be overcome to provide the momentum needed by the emerging electric vehicle market.