Following incorrect reports that BMW’s ActiveE trial would be limited to 200 vehicles, the BMW Group has issued a statement in response.

According to BMW, the exact size of the fleet has not yet been determined but it will be at least as large as the MINI E fleet that consists of 450 MINI Es on US roads being driven by individuals and fleet users.

Rich Steinberg, the manager of the company’s electric vehicle operations and strategy, commented that the existing electric vehicle trials are proving to be a great learning experience particularly applying to the company’s development work. For example, it has discovered the liquid heating and cooling capability for the batteries and this should help it to optimise its operating range.

The ActiveE trial is expected to begin in 2011 and was originally announced at the North American International Auto Show in January.

While planning to debut its new BMW 5 Series saloon car at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show next week, the German car manufacturer has also revealed plans for a Concept 5 Series ActiveHybrid.

The BMW Concept 5 Series ActiveHybrid will be the first combination of a straight-six with electric drive. It integrates the ActiveHybrid technology into a 5 Series model to slash both fuel consumption and emissions by more than 10 per cent.

Featured in the model will be a straight-six petrol engine with TwinPower turbo technology, an eight-speed automatic transmission and an electric drive system that has been developed specifically for the model. An automatic clutch will connect the petrol engine and electric motors while energy is drawn from a high voltage battery pack at the back of the car.

The drivetrain technology includes an auto start-stop function that consistently switches off the combustion engine when stopping at traffic lights, at a junction or in congested traffic. The electric motor also includes a boost function to support the petrol engine and the high voltage battery has been designed for this concept with a special case near the rear axle that leads to harmonious weight distribution and offers the optimum position for safety.

In addition, the BMW Concept 5 Series ActiveHybrid also includes an intelligent energy management system which has the ability to adjust the operating strategy not only to current, but also to upcoming driving conditions. The power electronics evaluate data that indicates a potential change in exterior conditions and prepares the drivetrain as appropriate. For example, if the system determines that the road will lead downhill, the charge level of the battery is controlled in advance to regain brake energy with maximum efficiency.

The vehicle will make its debut in Geneva on March 2.

The Green Piece Column. Tuesday 23 February 2010

Steeped in tradition, having been established in 1905 and now set for its 80^th edition, the Geneva International Motor Show has always been one of the highlights of the automotive calendar.

Regarded as a level playing field for the world’s car manufacturers as Switzerland lacks an automotive industry of its own, exotic supercars usually steal the spotlight at the event but this year, after turbulent times for the industry, the focus is on green cars and the future of the business. With that in mind here we look at the top 10 most exciting green cars expected to be unveiled at the show.

1. BMW Concept ActiveE

Making its European debut in Geneva, the BMW Concept ActiveE is a fully electric drive vehicle based on the BMW 1 Series (see article). It features a specially developed motor that delivers 125kW/170hp with a maximum torque of 250Nm.

It is capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds and has a range of 100 miles on a single charge.

2. New 2011 Ford Focus

Already unveiled to North American audiences in Detroit in January, the 2011 Ford Focus will make its European debut in Geneva with fuel consumption savings of 10-20 per cent compared to outgoing models (see article).

The new Focus is expected to include the next generation Focus ECOnetic technologies including automatic stop-start, smart regenerative charging and low tension front end accessory drive to bring emissions down to a targeted 99g/km with fuel economy at 74.2mpg.

3. Citroen DS High Rider

A brand new hybrid concept, the Citroen DS High Rider hopes to capitalise on the higher efficiency of a diesel combined with an electric motor and is capable of operating by diesel or electric power separately dependent on the conditions (see article).

Details of fuel economy and emissions of this exciting prototype are remaining under wraps until the Geneva Motor Show opens its doors.

4. Peugeot SR1

A new concept car by Peugeot, the SR1 uses the Hybrid 4 technology that is expected to be launched in the Peugeot 3008 in 2011. A 1.6litre THP petrol engine is combined with a rear electric motor that develops 70kW and with the two powertrains operating simultaneously the SR1 can deliver power as high as 230kW.

Its combined fuel cycle performance is 58mpg, with CO2 emissions at 119g/km.

5. New 2011 Audi A1

A new super-mini from the German carmaker, the Audi A1 boasts CO2 emission figures as low as 102g/km according to preliminary figures (see article).

 

Though Audi is shrinking in size to meet green car market demand, the A1 retains its signature sleek, streamlined look and can develop 160Nm of peak torque that enables it to race from 0-62mph in 12.1 seconds with a top speed of 111mph and fuel efficiency in the region of 55.4mpg.

6. New 2011 Bentley Continental SuperSports Convertible

As part of Bentley’s ongoing commitment to biofuels, the manufacturer will debut its flex-fuel capable Continental SuperSports Convertible at the event (see article).

With flex-fuel in full use, CO2 emissions fall by as much as 70 per cent and yet the vehicle still produces remarkable sports car figures, racing from 0-60mph in 3.9seconds and with a top speed of 202mph.

7. New 2010 Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion

Simply one of the greenest cars to date, the new Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion will be the second cleanest conventionally fuelled diesel on the market (behind the Smart ForTwo) with emissions at just 91g/km and fuel efficiency as high as 80.7mpg (see article).

This remarkable small car has certainly stood the test of time but with a new advanced 1.2litre TDI engine, automatic stop-start technology and regenerative braking, it takes the carmaker to an all-time high in fuel efficiency.

8. Vauxhall/Opel Flextreme

The Vauxhall/Opel Flextreme is a diesel plug-in hybrid car that can travel 34miles on its lithium-ion batteries before a small diesel engine starts to charge the batteries (see article). This range-extended concept is a rebadged version of the Saturn Flextreme first introduced in 2008 and is expected to emit 40g/km of CO2 or less based on European test procedures for range extended vehicles.

Its total range is expected to be more than 300miles with average fuel consumption at 174mpg.

9. “5 by Peugeot”

Another Peugeot debutant at the event will be the “5 by Peugeot”, a new concept car that expresses the carmaker’s desire to establish itself in the luxury sector (see article).

With Hybrid 4 technology it has an overall maximum power of 200bhp with super low fuel consumption at 74.3mpg. Its CO2 emissions, although not yet confirmed, are expected to be a meagre 99g/km placing this car right at the top of its sector.

10. New 2011 Lotus Elise

With all the hallmarks of a super car, the new Lotus Elise certainly isn’t the average green car, but thanks to a number of technological advances it manages to combine performance with efficiency (see article).

Thanks to a new 1.6litre engine that is 200cc smaller than the previous Elise model but still produces similar power at 160Nm at 4,400rpm, it has the lowest CO2 output of a petrol sports car in the world with emissions at less than 155g/km of CO2 and fuel economy at 38mpg. Nevertheless it still manages to race from 0-60mph in 6.0seconds with a top speed of 124mph.

The Geneva Motor Show opens to the Press on March 2 and to the public on March 4. We’ll bring you all the latest information from the event in our news section.

Faye Sunderland

The BMW Group has won the special award for “Sustainable Innovation Management” at the 2009 Best Innovator competition, held by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology.

It was yet another award for the car maker’s “Efficient Dynamics” program, which has significantly made reductions to fuel consumption across the whole range of BMW vehicles.

Dr Christoph Grote, Head of Strategy and Innovations Total Vehicle at the BMW Group, said as he accepted the award in Berlin: “Our products stand for innovation. But our focus is on innovations that offer the customer – and the public at large – a clearly recognisable benefit. We are very proud to play a leading role in the campaign to reduce fuel consumption.”

“In the last two years alone we achieved bigger cuts in vehicle fuel consumption than any other European car manufacturer. With a fleet value for Germany of 156 g/km in 2009, we even undercut volume producers in terms of absolute figures.”

“Sustainability isn’t a buzzword for the BMW Group but is deeply anchored in the corporate strategy, and therefore its innovation strategy. We did not achieve our positive results in reducing fuel consumption through short-term, isolated actions, but on the basis of an early and enduring commitment to the issue of sustainability.”

BMW has joined the fleet of one of the UK’s best-known car clubs, Streetcar. The move means that car hire customers can drive away in a brand new BMW from as little as £6.95 per hour.

That is the base hourly rate to hire one of Streetcar’s new BMWs – a 1 Series and 3 Series models.

The cars will be available to rent by the hour, day, week or month, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Members can reserve a car online or over the phone, with bookings taking just 60 seconds to reach the car.  Unlocked remotely by a smartcard, members can have access to their booking in as little as 30 minutes.

Both BMW models come complete with BMW’s EfficientDynamics technologies ensuring better fuel economy and emissions.  A BMW 1 Series is available at £6.95 an hour while a BMW 3 Series can be hired for £8.95.

Streetcar was impressed by BMW’s eco-credentials, after independent research showed that the carmaker had the lowest average CO2 emissions of any premium car manufacturer for the second year in a row and it was this that helped the carmaker win the fleet order.

Stephen Chater, Corporate Sales Manager, said: “We are delighted to have won this important new business opportunity with Streetcar, providing an ideal route for people to drive a BMW first hand for as long, or as short, a period as they need.  By offering BMWs with EfficientDynamics technologies Streetcar is also fulfilling its long-term environmental aims while at the same time offering members more miles for their money.”

Car clubs like Streetcar have become a popular alternative to car ownership. Membership for Streetcar has more than doubled in the past 12 months. With more than 1,000 cars located across a seven cities; London, Brighton, Cambridge, Southampton, Guildford, Maidstone and Oxford, the club aims to increase this to 2000 by 2011. 

Having formed a successful engine collaboration which has produced around 1.3million engines since 2006, BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroen will now continue their partnership on a next generation four-cylinder petrol engine.

An agreement has been struck between Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG and Philippe Varin, the chairman of the managing board of PSA Peugeot Citroen, in Paris. 

The engine will meet EU6 requirements – the current generation is used in several Peugeot, Citroen and MINI brand models. There are also plans to examine other areas for co-operation at systems and component level, the aim being to leverage synergies in the development, production and procurement of selected components.

How times have changed. If anything was learned from this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit it was that the motoring industry is not what it used to be.

Attendees in previous years may have fond memories of the deafening music, smoke and dancing girls that accompanied a new model. However, at this year’s event there was less of the razzamatazz and more of a focus, as it became clear that manufacturers are in a race to market electric cars.

Though the most noteworthy electric vehicle currently available, the Tesla Roadster, doesn’t come cheap at $109,000, by the end of 2010 it will be joined by a host of affordable new options. Indeed whether they are established giants such as GM, Renault-Nissan and Ford, or relative upstarts like Fisker, the market has clearly moved towards marketing electric cars.

Who are the contenders?

The manufacturers that are intent on bringing electric vehicles to fruition reads like a who’s who of the automotive world:

• BMW: The German car maker could steal a march in the luxury sector with its Concept ActiveE, a plug-in version of the BMW 1 Series coupe. It has also electrified the MINI for a test programme.
• Coda Automotive: A relative unknown at the moment, Coda may soon establish itself as a household name with its battery powered saloon car with batteries from its joint venture in China. It will launch with an internet marketing strategy in California only, but is expected to have the capacity to produce 20,000 cars a year.
• Fisker Automotive: Seen as Tesla’s closest competitor, Fisker will debut its high performance plug-in hybrid known as the Karma later this year and is working on a lower cost option known as Project NINA having been boosted by a loan from the Department of Energy (see article).
• Ford: It plans to introduce a plug-in version of the Focus from 2011 and a next generation hybrid based on its global compact car platform from 2012. As announced at the Detroit Motor Show, Michigan will be the focal point of its electrification strategy with the company planning to invest $450million in the state (see article).
• General Motors: You can’t talk about GM these days without mentioning the Chevrolet Volt, to be known in Europe as the Vauxhall/Opel Ampera, which uses a petrol engine to generate electricity for its electric motor. The car will go on sale before the end of the year for $40,000; and a Cadillac range-extended model is also planned (see article).
• Mitsubishi: Having enjoyed success with its’ i-MiEV electric vehicle on home turf, Mitsubishi has established a partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroen to bring the car to Europe in the form of the Peugeot i0n and Citroen C-ZERO. Last week it also announced plans to help build 1,000 charging stations across Japan (see article).
• Renault-Nissan Alliance: Perhaps no other automaker has been as focused on electric vehicles as Renault-Nissan. Not only will the company deploy the 100mile all-electric range LEAF this year (see article), but it is working in partnership with Better Place to deploy a Renault electric vehicle as part of a plan to boost infrastructure around the world; and it is partnering with AeroVironment to build a home charger.
• Tesla Motors: Super-car performance from an electric car – if you didn’t think it was possible, then the Tesla Roadster is active proof that it can be done. Now the company is on a roll having secured DOE funding for its Model S saloon car (see article).
• Think Global: In many respects Think is the greatest reminder of how far electric cars have come. Having been sold by Ford in 2003 and undergoing bankruptcy proceedings in late 2008 it has since bounced back with partial ownership of US battery company Ener1 and plans to introduce the two-seat Think City, which will sell for less than $20,000 (with a Federal tax credit), in the US later this year.

Add to this list the likes of Toyota with its plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles (see article); Chrysler which has ambitious electric car rollout plans now its merger with Fiat is complete; Honda with the exciting CR-Z Concept (see article); and even Audi with electric e-tron vehicles (see article); and it’s clear that the electrification of the automobile is under way.

So is the revolution here?

Del Boy Trotter was famous for saying “this time next year Rodney, we’ll be millionaires.” Indeed enthusiasts of electric cars could be accused of similar misplaced optimism after so many false starts.

However, now serious government investment through loans, grants and tax credits, coupled with a host of green energy programmes, is paying off, and while the implementation of infrastructure to charge these vehicles remains a major stumbling block (albeit one that is being addressed, slowly) it seems that… this time next year… there will be plenty of electric cars to choose from.

Faye Sunderland

While Japanese manufacturers have focused on hybrid cars in the US, German car makers have placed the early emphasis on diesel models – and with some notable success.

During December, Audi, Volkswagen and BMW all reported strong sales of their diesel models. By the end of the year, TDI models accounted for 43 per cent of Audi Q7 sales and 53 per cent of A3 sales – that far surpasses Audi’s original expectations that TDI models would make up 18-20 per cent of the sales mix for the Q7 and A3 lines.

Meanwhile, one third of customers opted for a diesel BMW X5 model during December – the X5 sold 3,513 models in total, up 22.3 per cent compared to the previous year.

Finally, Volkswagen’s clean diesel TDI models accounted for more than 20 per cent of the company’s total December sales in the US at 4,378 units – this includes the Jetta, Jetta SportWagon, Golf and Touareg TDI models which collectively sold 41,278 units over the course of the year.

BMW is set to join the fleet line-up of the UK’s largest car club, Streetcar.

The car club has announced it is to almost double its fleet within nine months, adding BMW 1 and 3 Series vehicles from January 2010 to its range of Volkswagen Polos, Golfs, Tourans and Transporter Vans. It is expected that the firm will increase the number of vehicles in its fleet from 1100 to just less than 2000 by September 2010.

Streetcar as impressed by BMW’s eco-credentials, after independent research showed that the carmaker had the lowest average CO2 emissions of any premium car manufacturer for the second year in a row. Courtesy of its award-winning EfficientDynamics programme, BMW records a UK fleet average of 159.4g/km based on all BMWs sold in 2008.

As Brett Akker, Streetcar’s co-founder explains: “These moves are part of our radical expansion plans for 2010 and will create a more dynamic service to suit our increasingly diverse customer base. Now we have something to suit every occasion, budget and member; from the student to the city professional to the business opting to replace their pool car scheme with a more cost-effective alternative. We believe our growth will enable more and more people to consider giving up a car, a trend which we’ve already seen increasing dramatically over the past six years.”

Streetcar has become an increasingly popular alternative for those who need occasional use of a vehicle. Membership has more than doubled in just over 12 months to 75,000 and is expected to rise to 250,000 by 2012. The scheme boasts over 1000 locations across seven cities; London, Brighton, Cambridge, Southampton, Guildford, Maidstone and, most recently, Oxford. The number of locations is to increase to 2,000 during the course of 2010.

One regular Streetcar customer Jesse Koti comments: “I am delighted that Streetcar is introducing BMW to its range. Driving a luxury car will make our trips an even more pleasant and enjoyable experience. Streetcar has just become an even more attractive alternative to owning a car in the City.”

The new BMW models will be available 24/7 for rent by the hour, day, week or month. Members will be able to reserve a car online (www.streetcar.co.uk) or over the phone, as little as 30 minutes in advance, and use remotely activated smartcards to unlock the vehicle.

BMW is putting its real world road testing of its famous Hydrogen 7-Series on hold, due to a ‘lack of infrastructure and high conversion costs,’ AllCarsElectric.com reports.

However the carmaker is not abandoning the technology and is to continue its development of hydrogen engines and liquid hydrogen fuel systems will continue, a company spokesperson told the web publication.

After more than 2 million miles of testing, BMW is to end trials of the Hydrogen 7 Series after a two-year global test of 100 examples of the sedan by early next year.

BMW focused its hydrogen research around developing an internal combustion system using liquid hydrogen, while others like Honda and its FCX Clarity use a compressed hydrogen fuel tank which feeds a fuel cell to produce electricity.

Although BMW’s method had its merits, for one, it would allow the continuation of the combustion engine while facilitating the need for cleaner running. However costs and of this method proved high while fuel efficiency was disappointing. The tank in the Hydrogen 7 chilled the gas to a liquid at -253 degrees (rather than compressing it to around 800 bar as others have done), a process that takes around a third of the energy in the tank to achieve. The Hydrogen 7-Series needed 29.4 litres to run 100km while its range stood at no more than 200km.

BMW is to focus its resources on hybrid and battery technologies instead.