BMW has gone the length of officially disputing the notion that the upcoming launch of the ActiveE will be smaller than the MINI E field study. In fact based on our understanding the idea is to offer at least the same number in hopes that many of those MINI E customers would move over to the Active E.
Official Release: Recent published reports have incorrectly stated that the size of the fleet of BMW ActiveEs that will be deployed during the BMW Group’s second-phase field trial in the US will be limited to 200 vehicles. While the exact size of the fleet has yet to be confirmed, it will be at least as large as the MINI E fleet which is currently in operation. There are 450 MINI Es on the road in the US right now. They are being driven by a dedicated group of individuals and select fleet users.
With the Geneva Motor Show wrapping up BMW has created a highlight reel or sorts that details the new 5er Hybrid, Active E and 335is models. Worth watching as a recap of much the reporting we’ve been doing over the past week about the show.
Now that we’ve had some time to digest the week that was, we thought we take a look back at not only the BMW stand at the 2010 NAIAS but also the entire show. So for your Sunday view pleasure, we’ve compiled all of our photography from Detroit in the slideshows below. Enjoy.
With NAIAS behind us it’s time to look back on the show and what was released. For starters this was the public debut of the ActiveE 1 Series, Z4sDrive35is, an upgraded 135i with the new inline six N55 and Dual Clutch Transmission as well as the US debuts of the 740i and 535i GT. For the full wrap-up we’ve taken it upon ourselves to bring you every second of video from BMW’s press conference. If that wasn’t enough, we’ve also included our full gallery of images and video from the two days. Enjoy.
The North American International Auto Show in Detroit will see the World debut of the BMW Concept ActiveE and BMW Z4 sDrive35is, as well as the North American unveiling of the twin-turbocharged inline-6 engine version of the BMW 740i and 740Li Sedans and the six-cylinder turbocharged version of the BMW 535i Gran Turismo.
BMW Concept ActiveE
BMW Concept ActiveE is the latest electric vehicle project under BMW Group’s initiative to produce vehicles that explore solutions to minimize environmental impact while preserving the dynamic driving experience for which BMW has long been known. The BMW Concept ActiveE will follow the all-electric MINI E as the second large-scale electric vehicle test program to be conducted in the hands of interested customers.
The ActiveE is the BMW brand’s first consumer electric vehicle and as you’d expect features some pretty interesting tech. The engine uses a lithium-ion battery pack for instance that was co-deveoped by SB LiMotive. For weight distribution the electric motor is actually located in the rear axle (eliminating one of the biggest complaints of the MINI E).
The synchronous electric motor delivers 125 kW/170 bhp and the maximum torque of 250 Nm / 184 lb-ft is available from standing.
Another big difference from the MINI is the way the ActiveE charges. The new system enables the lithium-ion battery pack to be recharged by a conventional power outlet at public charging stations or at a special wall box. On the European grid, the battery pack can be fully charged at a high-current power outlet (50 ampere) in as little as 3 hours. In North America, using a high-current (32 ampere continuous) residential wall box, the charge time is about 4.5 hours.
As BMW as found with the MINI E, North American winter temperatures can cause poor battery performance for those in colder climates. Because of this the ActiveE features a new stable temperature regulation function optimizes the battery pack’s performance in those situations.
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We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
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Sections: ActveE, Official News Mar 8th, 2010 No Comments 
