In the race to find a suitable high-efficiency, low-emission drivetrain, BMW has gone all-in: The company announced today that it will spread the plug-in hybrid tech from its future-powered i8 spaceship-mobile across all of its models. And the 3-series is the first in line, built on the plug-in drivetrain shown above.
BMW vowed today that going forward, it will offer plug-in hybrid versions of its "core brand models," beginning with a 3 series prototype to be unveiled in Miramas, France. That 3 series will feature "a four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor," though BMW did not provide details on displacement, battery size, or expected power output.
While the company says it will offer numerous plug-in versions, it's not putting all its eggs in this sole basket, calling plug-in tech "one key lever" to bring emissions of high-performance cars down below the target of 100 grams per kilometer, which roughly equates to 54.5 MPG. The automaker says this type of drivetrain can retain "the driving pleasure and driving dynamics of a BMW."
BMW describes its eDrive system as a modular, scalable setup, building high-voltage battery modules for cars as different as the i8 and the upcoming X5 eDrive on the same assembly line. The statement released today promises future lithium-ion battery systems with capacity "greatly in excess of current hybrid systems," predicting an all-electric driving range of up to 62 miles.
- BMW i8 News, Reviews, Photos, and Buyer's Guide
- Everything You Need to Know About the 2015 3-Series
- BMW's X5 Plug-In Hybrid Jolts the 2014 New York Auto Show
We've known for some time that BMW is working on a plug-in hybrid X5, pairing a 24o-horse 2.0-liter turbo four with a 95-horse electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission, and rumor has it the company is preparing an X3 with the same drivetrain. Given how effective this drivetrain is in the i8, we think this is a pretty good move.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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