BMW
The Bavarians showed photos of i3 and i8, and a public display of live cars will be held at the September Frankfurt Motor Show. True, electric cars will still appear there in the rank of concept cars. The start dates for their serial production have already been determined: the urban compact BMW i3 should be on the conveyor in 2013, and the hybrid sports coupe BMW i8 - a year later.
BMW
Components
BMW engineers decided instead of adapting the traditional automotive layout to the specifics of electric cars to develop cars from scratch. The usual body technology has undergone a radical revision: Bavarian i-mobiles are built on the principle of the modular LifeDrive architecture. In other words, the car consists of two modules. A drive module is an aluminum chassis on which a power plant (electric or hybrid) is mounted, a traction battery and a fuel tank (if one is provided). Accordingly, the Life-module is a "residential superstructure" above the chassis. Moreover, the supporting spatial frame of the inhabited modules is made of a carbon fiber composite.
BMW
LifeDrive modular architecture 1. Carbon fiber composite passenger compartment - Life module 2. Aluminum chassis - Drive module 3. Electric motor with control module 4. Lithium-ion traction battery 5. Fuel tank 6. Internal combustion engine and transmission LifeDrive modular architecture 1. Passenger compartment made of carbon fiber composite - Life module 2. Aluminum chassis - Drive module 3. Electric motor with control module 4. Lithium-ion traction battery 5. Fuel tank 6. Internal combustion engine, etc. ansmissiya
The use of an ultralight composite and aluminum in the design of the BMW i3 made it possible to reduce its curb weight by about 250-350 kg and thereby compensate for the weight of the batteries. As a result, the i3 turned out to be lighter than current electric cars - it weighs about the same (1250 kg) as classmates with a conventional internal combustion engine, and has comparable dynamics with them - up to 100 km / h, the electric BMW accelerates in less than 8 seconds. The maximum speed is electronically limited at 150 km / h.
BMW
The absence of a central pillar and the rear opening against the back provide convenient access to the cabin. The floor is flat - without a central tunnel. The absence of a central pillar and rear rear doors that open against the course provide convenient access to the passenger compartment. Flat floor - no central tunnel
Driving force
The BMW i3 is driven by a rear-mounted 125-kilowatt (170 hp) electric motor that rotates the rear wheels. The power reserve with a fully charged traction battery reaches 150–160 km. At the same time, using the fast charging device, it is possible to restore the energy reserve in the battery by 80% in just an hour. This level of mobility is usually quite enough for a city car. And if you still need a larger power reserve, the BMW i3 can be equipped with a “range extender” - a compact and almost silent internal combustion engine that drives a generator that replenishes the supply of electricity on board.
BMW
BMW
The dashboard is one display on which all relevant information is displayed The dashboard is one display on which all relevant information is displayed
BMW
Minor controls on the i3 concept are made by touch. Minor controls on the i3 concept are made by touch.
Electric sport
As for the BMW i8 hybrid sports car, it is planned to equip it with a power plant consisting of a modified electric motor located on the front of the BMW i3 and a rear mounted three-liter 1.5-liter turbo engine developing 220 hp With a total power of 260 kW (354 hp), the BMW i8 is capable of gaining 100 km / h in less than 5 seconds. The maximum speed is also electronically limited, but the ceiling is higher - 250 km / h. The average fuel consumption of a hybrid BMW is approximately 3 liters per 100 kilometers. At the same time, he is able to cover up to 35 km exclusively on electric traction, and his traction battery can be recharged from the network.
BMW i8
BMW i8
The i8 instrument cluster in sport mode only displays speed and navigation tips in large size. The rest of the information is minimized. The i8 instrument panel in sport mode only displays speed and navigation tips in large size. Other information is minimized.
BMW i8
The law of the sports coupe genre: back "+2" places in i8 are purely symbolic The law of the sports coupe genre: back "+2" places in i8 are purely symbolic
The BMW i8 Coupe has a 2 + 2 landing formula and is also built using the modular LifeDrive architecture. True, unlike the compact i3, the sports car has a central tunnel in which the battery is located. Fuel tank - in the usual place, under the rear seats.
BMW i8
Lift doors are designed to once again emphasize the sporty character of the BMW i8 Lift doors are designed to once again emphasize the sporty character of the BMW i8
It remains to add that the Munich concern has rather optimistic plans for the release of electric vehicles of the i-series. So, for example, urban compacts BMW i3 are expected to produce up to 30 thousand units annually. Whether electric cars will be sold out in such quantities is a big question. Moreover, according to some reports, the estimated price of an electric car is about 40 thousand euros.
BMW
Ideas are in the air
The latest i-series concept cars introduced by BMW actually have ancestors. For example, in the design of the BMW i8 sports coupe, the motives of another concept are traced - BMW ConnectedDrive, presented this spring in Geneva. And if you dig a little deeper, you can recall the concept of authorship by Luigi Colani with similar transparent inserts on the hood and doors. The compact BMW i3 grew out of the MegaCity Vehicle project, which already used the modular LifeDrive architecture. There is another comparison: the Bavarian i-mobile looks somewhat reminiscent of the Prokhorov ё-mobile, although this analogy is more likely at the curiosity level.
ё-mobile
ё-mobile ё-mobile
Corvette colani
Luigi Colani Concept Luigi Colani Concept
