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BMW i is ready for series production
By Lu Nengneng |
April 20, 2013, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IN a recent visit to the newly-opened BMW Brand Experience Centre, the world's first of its kind, we saw a model representing the future of auto industry, the BMW i3. BMW will roll out the production version of its BMW i3 electric vehicle late this year to strengthen its long-term commitment to providing sustainable mobility solutions, the German premium carmaker said in Shanghai earlier this week.
Driving into the spotlight at the newly opened BMW Brand Experience Centre in the city, the BMW i3 concept vehicle offers a preview of the first series-produced model of BMW i, a sub-brand developed under its visionary strategy EfficientDynamics.
Aiming to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while increasing performance and driving pleasure, EfficientDynamics has put Intelligent Energy Management on top of its mid-term research and development agenda, which is a technology concept that has been and continue to be featured in many of BMW's hybrid and pure electric drive offers.
Among the highly fuel-efficient models available on the Chinese market are BMW ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7. And the field trial of MINI E electric vehicles has been held in Beijing and Shenzhen as part of BMW's worldwide field trial projects to study the user habits and expectations of electricity-powered vehicles. Soon the field trial of BMW ActiveE electric vehicles will start in China.
The findings not only prove the reliability of BMW's technologies but also show the high market acceptance of electric vehicles as the efficient and eco-friendly solutions for megacity transport, the company said.
Ninety-eight percent of participants expressed satisfaction with the MINI E research project. Many of them said they are willing to buy purely electric vehicles and make recommendations to others in the future. Drawing from the experience of MINI E and the upcoming BMW ActiveE, BMW i is expected to achieve commercial viability to make a real-world difference with a focus on sustainability throughout the value chain, from a vehicle's design and production to its ultimate recycling.
Based on the unique LifeDrive architecture, the body of BMW i vehicles is made up of two separate functional units. The upper Life module consists of the first ever passenger cell made of series-produced carbon fiber reinforced plastic while the lower Drive module is pure aluminum construction that integrates the battery, electric drive train, suspension system and structural and crash components, both featuring innovative use of lightweight materials to improve energy efficiency.
In addition to the lightweight, the carbon-fiber passenger cell is exceptionally rigid and strong. Moreover, in the case of BMW i3, there is no space-consuming tunnel running through the middle of the car since all the power components are housed in the Drive module. As a result, passengers can enjoy streamlined seating and a lounge-like sense of space.
The advantage of this LifeDrive design can also be found in the simplicity of the manufacturing as vehicles now have fewer components that need to be put together to form the body. The production of a BMW i3 vehicle only takes half the time for a normal one of the same size, which means energy consumption during the production can be cut substantially compared with the conventional process. More importantly, 100 percent of the energy used to build the vehicles is renewable, such as wind power.
BMW i uses renewable raw materials, such as natural fibers and naturally tanned leather, to create sophisticated interior features. A quarter of the plastic used in the BMW i3 interior and a quarter of the exterior thermoplastic parts were either recycled or come from renewable sources.
Since 2005, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index has consecutively awarded BMW the title as the world's most sustainable premium automobile manufacturer.
In fact, the company is also a provider of pioneering electric mobility services, with the BMW i delivering real-time solutions via the mobile applications of car owners, such as finding the nearest charging pole. If the BMW i3 Concept Coupe is connected to a charging station, its driver can start or end the charging process remotely or even control it with a smartphone.
As vehicle traffic puts increasing pressure on the world's limited energy resources, BMW is eager to contribute to the solution. With BMW i cars running on the streets, the world will surely be a better place.
Driving into the spotlight at the newly opened BMW Brand Experience Centre in the city, the BMW i3 concept vehicle offers a preview of the first series-produced model of BMW i, a sub-brand developed under its visionary strategy EfficientDynamics.
Aiming to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while increasing performance and driving pleasure, EfficientDynamics has put Intelligent Energy Management on top of its mid-term research and development agenda, which is a technology concept that has been and continue to be featured in many of BMW's hybrid and pure electric drive offers.
Among the highly fuel-efficient models available on the Chinese market are BMW ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7. And the field trial of MINI E electric vehicles has been held in Beijing and Shenzhen as part of BMW's worldwide field trial projects to study the user habits and expectations of electricity-powered vehicles. Soon the field trial of BMW ActiveE electric vehicles will start in China.
The findings not only prove the reliability of BMW's technologies but also show the high market acceptance of electric vehicles as the efficient and eco-friendly solutions for megacity transport, the company said.
Ninety-eight percent of participants expressed satisfaction with the MINI E research project. Many of them said they are willing to buy purely electric vehicles and make recommendations to others in the future. Drawing from the experience of MINI E and the upcoming BMW ActiveE, BMW i is expected to achieve commercial viability to make a real-world difference with a focus on sustainability throughout the value chain, from a vehicle's design and production to its ultimate recycling.
Based on the unique LifeDrive architecture, the body of BMW i vehicles is made up of two separate functional units. The upper Life module consists of the first ever passenger cell made of series-produced carbon fiber reinforced plastic while the lower Drive module is pure aluminum construction that integrates the battery, electric drive train, suspension system and structural and crash components, both featuring innovative use of lightweight materials to improve energy efficiency.
In addition to the lightweight, the carbon-fiber passenger cell is exceptionally rigid and strong. Moreover, in the case of BMW i3, there is no space-consuming tunnel running through the middle of the car since all the power components are housed in the Drive module. As a result, passengers can enjoy streamlined seating and a lounge-like sense of space.
The advantage of this LifeDrive design can also be found in the simplicity of the manufacturing as vehicles now have fewer components that need to be put together to form the body. The production of a BMW i3 vehicle only takes half the time for a normal one of the same size, which means energy consumption during the production can be cut substantially compared with the conventional process. More importantly, 100 percent of the energy used to build the vehicles is renewable, such as wind power.
BMW i uses renewable raw materials, such as natural fibers and naturally tanned leather, to create sophisticated interior features. A quarter of the plastic used in the BMW i3 interior and a quarter of the exterior thermoplastic parts were either recycled or come from renewable sources.
Since 2005, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index has consecutively awarded BMW the title as the world's most sustainable premium automobile manufacturer.
In fact, the company is also a provider of pioneering electric mobility services, with the BMW i delivering real-time solutions via the mobile applications of car owners, such as finding the nearest charging pole. If the BMW i3 Concept Coupe is connected to a charging station, its driver can start or end the charging process remotely or even control it with a smartphone.
As vehicle traffic puts increasing pressure on the world's limited energy resources, BMW is eager to contribute to the solution. With BMW i cars running on the streets, the world will surely be a better place.
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