Munich, Germany – BMW'southward strategy for providing transportation involves what they describe as 'three powertrain pillars', internal combustion engines (ICE), hybrids, and electric motors. The flim-flam with plug in hybrids and electric vehicles is to empathize exactly how buyers intend to use them and make certain that at that place are a range of suitable vehicles to cover the needs of consumers.

BMW sees a range of hybrids and electrical vehicles that complement the Ice powered cars they currently build. Some mild hybrids are already in production and available in a number of markets. Their plans include
hybrid vehicles that are used in ex-urban settings (inter metropolis mobility) that receive a 20/50 kW electric 'boost' in improver to an Ice. Relying on minimal battery storage, the electric motor tin can exist seen as being the
prime number engine at depression urban speeds and providing extra thrust to an economical engine when chosen on for passing or merging in an ex urban environment.

bmw electric 01 655x436

There is a PHEV under consideration that would boast a forty-lxxx kW electric motor and up to 15 kWh of battery storage. This would be geared more towards urban environments. And in a pure urban setting, a car like the i3 would smooth.

The large three components in electric vehicles are batteries, electronics, and the electric motors. Recently Bosch and Daimler announced that they accept established a articulation venture to produce electric motors. BMW is already producing their own electrical motors internally.

bmw electric 5 655x436

BMW volition use a hybrid synchronous motor to ability their electrified vehicles. Hybrid in this case means that the motor uses a combination of permanent magnets and variable reluctance to provide power. (More to come in a futurity tech article.) But a hybrid synchronous motor can pack a lot of power into a pocket-size package.

The bombardment packs are supplied by SB LiMotive and are lithium ion batteries, the individual cells producing 3.seven volts optimally. Full up voltage will be in the 250 to 400 volt range. The batteries are heavy and subsequently will be placed at the very bottom of the chassis in the i3. In add-on they volition exist protected by deformable aluminum extrusions on the sides of the vehicle.

The lithium ion batteries have the storage capacity that BMW is currently looking for (pun intended). Still, I believe BMW has passed up on going to a standardized plug-in battery configuration that some
manufacturers are proposing because they don't want to exist locked into a battery technology at this stage. There is some hope that newer battery solutions will deliver improve free energy density at a weight and space savings in the near future. Lithium polymer batteries are one such possibility.

The last component is the electronics that keep all of the piece parts, batteries, DC current flow, AC current menstruum, brake energy regeneration, and a host of other items in sync. BMW is building these components in house too and did not spend much time discussing them during the presentation.

I asked about the torque curve of the motor, knowing that inductance can reduce torque output of the motor at higher RPM. I specifically asked well-nigh the torque curve falling off later on about five,000 RPM and was told that the torque curve was flat across that RPM. BMW is taking steps to provide a broad flat torque curve to the electrical motors (apparently by mitigating the effects of inductance in the motor).

One telling point in the give-and-take about the cost of an electric powertrain is that ten percent of 300 parts brand up 75 percent of the cost of the powertrain. Subsequently the power to build modules that can exist shared among vehicles is critical to BMW.

This was a fascinating glimpse into the future of electric vehicles at BMW, the i3 of which we volition see on the roads kickoff. Nosotros are looking forward to sampling the i3 at the primeval opportunity.

Run into all of our coverage on Innovation Days 2011.