BMW’s Electric Car Comes To America

BMW Announces Markets for BMW ActiveE Field Trial

New York Metro and Greater Los Angeles will again be included and be joined by Metropolitan markets of San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and Boston

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – September 23, 2010… Later today at Opportunity Green in Los Angeles, BMW will announce the markets which will participate in the BMW ActiveE field trial when it begins in summer 2011. The New York metro market and the Greater Los Angeles Area will again play key roles. In Southern California, the metropolitan market of San Diego will be included. Northern California will be included in the BMW ActiveE field trial with the Greater San Francisco and Sacramento areas. In addition to select markets in Connecticut, Boston will provide new opportunities to gain experience in this trial.

The BMW ActiveE field trial will build on the success and experience gained during the MINI E field trial, now in its second year. Experience gained in this second-phase trial will prepare the BMW Group for the launch of its purpose-designed Megacity Vehicle in 2013.

“We were the first automaker to put 450 electric vehicles on US roads for daily use. We have gained so much insight into living with an EV with our MINI E pioneers over the last year,” said Rich Steinberg, Manager of Electric Vehicle Operations and Strategy for BMW of North America. “Partners like the City of New York’s Mayor’s Office, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison have also been critical to the success of the program. We’re looking forward to working with more drivers in more markets to build on our base of experience as we get ready for the launch of the Megacity Vehicle, and we look forward to even greater collaboration with the BMW ActiveE.”

“In addition to our existing and new pioneers in each of these markets, we are looking forward to working with our new strategic partners: the City of San Francisco Department of Transportation, San Francisco Clean Cities Coalition, Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Boston, San Diego Gas & Electric, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Northeast Utilities and subsidiary Connecticut Light & Power, Sacramento Municipal Utilities District and New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition,” added Steinberg.

The BMW ActiveE field trial is set to begin in Summer 2011.

BMW ActiveE: the next phase of the BMW Group’s ongoing EV development

A glimpse of the BMW ActiveE was first seen with the Concept ActiveE at the North American International Auto Show in January, 2010. Based on the chassis of a BMW 1 Series Coupe it features a newly developed electric drive train and a lithium-ion batterylithium-ion battery-packed developed in cooperation with SB-LiMotive. It offers four passenger seating and approximately seven cubic-feet of luggage capacity.

The vehicle concept and drive system provide the agility and dynamic acceleration performance which are characteristic of the BMW 1 Series Coupe. Based on realistic simulations, the sprint from 0-60 mph requires approximately 8.5 seconds. The maximum speed of the vehicle is electronically limited at around 90 mph.

The lithium-ion battery pack specially developed for this vehicle supplies energy to the motor and all other functions of the BMW Concept ActiveE. For the first time, storage cells are used which were developed especially for use in automobiles by the BMW Group in collaboration with the cooperation partner SB LiMotive. The aim is to use the best available technology in the area of energy storage as part of the development of the Megacity Vehicle. The lithium-ion batteries of the BMW Concept ActiveE have their own liquid cooling system and intelligent battery management system, which are key elements in increasing both the storage capacity and the durability of the battery cells. These systems also ensure that the long range can be maintained largely independent of external climatic conditions. The storage system developed for the BMW Concept ActiveE enables a real-world range of about 100 miles on a single charge, depending on conditions.

The climate control systems developed for the BMW Concept ActiveE can also be activated via smartphone. This option includes a timer function so the driver can ensure that the vehicle is conveniently pre-cooled or pre-heated before getting into it in the morning, for example. Climatic pre-conditioning optimizes not only ride comfort but also the operating status of the energy storage system in the sense that it maximises the range of the vehicle. The control of the heating and air conditioning system by mobile phone is made available through BMW ConnectedDrive. The BMW Concept ActiveE demonstrates the extensive range of options for using these services with the full integration of a smartphone connection into the vehicle infotainment system.

A future-oriented technology which runs across all brands: electro-mobility as a mainstay of EfficientDynamics.

With the BMW ActiveE, the BMW Group demonstrates the continuation of its project i research and development activities geared towards achieving emissions-free mobility independent of fossil fuels. It builds on the significant experience that had already been gained through the MINI E field trial which recently entered its second year.

The BMW Group is developing electro-mobility as an additional central mainstay of its EfficientDynamics strategy. Electric drive provides an additional option for individual mobility, alongside the ongoing optimization of the pure combustion engine, the market launch of BMW ActiveHybrid technology in production vehicles and the BMW Hydrogen 7 as evidence of the suitability of hydrogen drive for everyday use.

Project i brings together the BMW Group’s activities relating to the development of production vehicles with electric drive. The focus is on the conception of a production Megacity Vehicle which fulfils the requirements of a sustainable mobility solution for urban areas, with one option being electric drive.

The BMW ActiveE field trial will begin in summer 2011 leading up to the Megacity Vehicle in 2013.