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      02-06-2014, 05:45 PM   #1
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F30 3 Series eDrive Plug-In Hybrid Begins Testing

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F30 3 Series eDrive Plug-In Hybrid Begins Testing
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BMW looks to be expanding its eDrive plug-in hybrid offerings, with a 3 Series plug-in hybrid model now spied in testing. The X5 eDrive plug-in hybrid has already been testing since last year.

This prototype wears an obvious 'Hybrid Test Vehicle' sticker, but also shows a second fuel cap cover on the front left fender, covering the electric socket for charging.

As for specs? It's likely to use the same engine and technologies from the X5 eDrive, which features a turbo 4 cylinder engine outputting 171hp, paired with an electric motor providing 95 more horsepower.

The X5 eDrive travels up to 70 MPH (120kmh) on electric power alone and has a maximum range of 19 miles (30km) on electric power alone. Acceleration from 0-62 MPH takes under 7 seconds. The 3 Series being smaller and lighter should have even better performance figures.

F30 3 Series eDrive Plug-In Hybrid




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      02-06-2014, 05:51 PM   #2
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Interesting
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      02-06-2014, 06:02 PM   #3
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Jason: Any news on an all-electric F22 to replace the ActiveE, or is BMW no longer doing any electric vehicles that aren't part of the "i" brand?
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      02-06-2014, 06:43 PM   #4
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How does this fit in with the ActiveHybrid 3?
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      02-06-2014, 06:51 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matski View Post
How does this fit in with the ActiveHybrid 3?
30-40% less power, so it won't nearly be the powerful 335i-rivaling beast that the AH3 is. But it'll have a plug and be able to allow many people to commute with zero gas consumption.

I think it answers what many critics of the AH3 want (better fuel economy, longer electric range), but it also might no longer match up with what current AH3 owners want (a performance hybrid)
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      02-06-2014, 07:08 PM   #6
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I wonder how this will stack up against the upcoming small Tesla model

I'd still prefer an ActiveHybrid 3 which is a beast in itself.
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      02-06-2014, 07:14 PM   #7
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if bmw can make a standard car into a plug in hybrid, I cannot see why they cant make a i8 in to a petrol ///M car
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      02-06-2014, 07:30 PM   #8
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Yummy! ActiveHybrid 3 fan over here.
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      02-06-2014, 11:02 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdong View Post
I think it answers what many critics of the AH3 want
+1

I would actually consider paying extra for this new plug in hybrid vs. AH3 I would consider only if its lease rate is cheaper than 335

A key win in my eyes is the all electric up to 75mph and possible single passenger HOV lane access, as well as a tax credit
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      02-06-2014, 11:20 PM   #10
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Will this come to the states?
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      02-06-2014, 11:44 PM   #11
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Expect all of the new hybrids from BMW to make it to the USA...the EPA fuel economy rules pretty much dictate that. The federal tax credits depend on the size of the battery, so the plug-in hybrids won't get anywhere near as much as an all electric. And, that credit expires, based on the number of vehicles sold by the car company (unless Congress changes things - anything's possible).
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      02-07-2014, 12:48 AM   #12
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Love my ah3!!
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      02-07-2014, 08:51 AM   #13
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Personally, while this is interesting, I think the future is high-tech diesel and eventually, fuel cells. I'm already getting 36mpg in my 335i 8AT on the highway, and the new 528d is supposed to have a 6-cylinder diesel with even higher MPG.

The one thing that bothers me about hybrids is the additional weight, the amount of electricity and time it takes to charge them up, and what to do with the toxic-material batteries when they're no longer usable. Tesla yaks about having charging stations all over the country, but that's years away; my employer has an area in one of our main campus' parking lots that has solar cells for a roof, but a limited number of spaces. For urban and near-suburban commuting, they make sense - but then there's the question of where the additional power for charging comes from.

Unless the additional infrastructure to add more power to the grid is done with wind or solar, we're probably generating more emissions at the power plants than hybrids supposedly would eliminate. What happens when everyone comes home in the evening and plugs their hybrid in? We already get "brownouts" from air conditioning and electric stoves/ovens, etc., in the summertime.

Also - where do people who live in apartments plug in their cars? Do they run a 200-ft extension cord out their door or window? Until there's a way to produce clean additional electric power for charging with a convenient infrastructure, hybrids are not going to be all that practical or popular if you consider the bigger picture. Battery technology still has quite a ways to go yet, but eventually there'll be a better solution.
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      02-07-2014, 09:00 AM   #14
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This car will arrive with the LCI refresh in mid 2015.
The BMW 320e.
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      02-07-2014, 09:46 AM   #15
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I don't think this car is perfect for everyone, but it would suite my life style great! I live 5 miles from my office, and I never get above 55 mph on the entire trip. I could theoretically never use the gas engine on my day-to-day driving. When I would need to travel farther, the car turns into an hybrid that will likely get great mpg.

It's hard to fault it from my perspective. Look for me at your local dealership purchasing one soon after they come to market.
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      02-07-2014, 10:20 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOTT26 View Post
This car will arrive with the LCI refresh in mid 2015.
The BMW 320e.
Makes sense and thanks for sharing.

I think this car will behave more in-line with what I expected the AH3 to be.. more short trips gas-free, more efficiency, etc.

My AH3 has been a great car so far, but I don't think I'll make the move to a 320e. I definitely don't want to take a step backwards in performance or driving dynamics. The 435i Gran Coupe seems more my speed for late 2015.
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      02-07-2014, 10:29 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SJ00 View Post
if bmw can make a standard car into a plug in hybrid, I cannot see why they cant make a i8 in to a petrol ///M car
Most things aren't impossible. Of course they could extensively re-engineer the car, it might not even be that extensive. But look at the changes that are necessary to go from standard to plug in hybrid, and also the volume of 3 series cars that they do sell.

I agree with the sentiment that the i8 would make a beautiful looking M car, I just wonder at what price, and what volume.
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      02-07-2014, 10:37 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SamS View Post
Makes sense and thanks for sharing.

I think this car will behave more in-line with what I expected the AH3 to be.. more short trips gas-free, more efficiency, etc.

My AH3 has been a great car so far, but I don't think I'll make the move to a 320e. I definitely don't want to take a step backwards in performance or driving dynamics. The 435i Gran Coupe seems more my speed for late 2015.
That's exactly what I mean. When I bought my AH3, I demanded a performance sedan (0-60 in 5s, faster than my ECU-tuned Audi A4 2.0T), but within those criteria i was also willing to pay any amount extra for better gas mileage, as an environmental goodwill gesture.

The "320e" would not fit that bill for me. Its performance estimates place it slower than a Japanese minivan.


Quote:
Originally Posted by roundel335 View Post
Personally, while this is interesting, I think the future is high-tech diesel and eventually, fuel cells. I'm already getting 36mpg in my 335i 8AT on the highway, and the new 528d is supposed to have a 6-cylinder diesel with even higher MPG.

The one thing that bothers me about hybrids is the additional weight, the amount of electricity and time it takes to charge them up, and what to do with the toxic-material batteries when they're no longer usable. Tesla yaks about having charging stations all over the country, but that's years away; my employer has an area in one of our main campus' parking lots that has solar cells for a roof, but a limited number of spaces. For urban and near-suburban commuting, they make sense - but then there's the question of where the additional power for charging comes from.

Unless the additional infrastructure to add more power to the grid is done with wind or solar, we're probably generating more emissions at the power plants than hybrids supposedly would eliminate. What happens when everyone comes home in the evening and plugs their hybrid in? We already get "brownouts" from air conditioning and electric stoves/ovens, etc., in the summertime.

Also - where do people who live in apartments plug in their cars? Do they run a 200-ft extension cord out their door or window? Until there's a way to produce clean additional electric power for charging with a convenient infrastructure, hybrids are not going to be all that practical or popular if you consider the bigger picture. Battery technology still has quite a ways to go yet, but eventually there'll be a better solution.
There's some good points here and some misinformed points. First of all, remember that hybrids/electrics excel at city fuel economy, while diesels are best at highway cruising. Note that on my commute route in California, a 2014 328i loaner got 20mpg on average over a week. I had a 2013 135i for a month, and that thing got 14mpg with its DSG. But the AH3 can regularly achieve 23-24mpg commuting down this route.

Electric cars are already starting to make sense in a lot of markets, especially in California. At my work, there's over 20 electric spots per building, and they are all powered by renewable forms of energy. Telsa's supercharger network is supposed to be solar powered and hence energy-neutral as well.

Note that electric vehicle charging actually draws power at a lower rate than air conditioning units for the most part. Furthermore, much like how a Nest thermostat works with the electric company for off-peak charging, most electric cars have software that varies the charging rate based off peak and off peak hours, at your choosing. Not to mention most people at home will charge their cars at night, which is off-peak for air conditioning anyway.

Indeed people who live in apartments cannot viably have an electric car. That's why I have not bought one yet. The only thing that works for me is a decent plug-in-hybrid, where even if I don't manage to charge my car at work, at least it won't be a brick.

As far as toxicity of batteries, honestly cars are one of the best recycled items, and hybrid cars have the most advanced energy management controllers than anything else on the market. They carefully control their charging and their batteries will outlast the lifetime of the vehicle (unless you're a retard like the Nissan Leaf battery pack vendor), and at the end of useful life, car parts tend to be recycled. I'd argue that poorly controlled laptops and cell phones waste a TON more lithium by overcharging / over discharging battery packs, giving Li-ion the impression that it lasts a year before capacity tanks.
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      02-07-2014, 11:30 AM   #19
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After what jdong has experienced with his AH3, I'm driving my AH3 (7,950 miles total-to-date) more to see if his problem is an one-off event. The 435 Gran Coupe looks the part and I have always preferred 5 doors over sedans. My only disappointment thus far with the 3-series has been the hard and creaky plastics on the lower areas of the interior (more noise when cold).

My VW Golf TDI has much higher quality plastics and detailing than the BMW 3 series. The doors and switchgear feel more robust in the VW group products as well.

To save costs, BMW should have upgraded those bits when you choose an upgraded interior trim package.


Quote:
Originally Posted by SamS View Post
I definitely don't want to take a step backwards in performance or driving dynamics. The 435i Gran Coupe seems more my speed for late 2015.
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      02-07-2014, 02:11 PM   #20
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Still love my AH3 after 10 months.
I'd like to see the AH3 go in the direction of the new Porsche Panamera, where they upgraded the battery pack to 9+KWH from the original 1+ and made it plug-in rechargeable, and doubled the electric motor HP so that one can now drive much further under electric only, but still enjoy the performance of the car.
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      02-07-2014, 09:26 PM   #21
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Very interesting, although I assumed a plug-in Hybrid 3 series wouldn't appear until the next gen 3 ( which could still be the case). This could definitely be a candidate to replace my Volt when my lease is up. I wonder if it has multiple modes (Ev, hybrid, charge, hold, etc.). With regard to performance keep in mind EVs often perform better in real world situations than their numbers suggest. I do hope they will offer it in an M-sport line as that is one thing I really liked about the AH3...it wasn't relegated to a special greenie style. Believe me when I say that once you've gone electric...it is hard to look back.
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      02-18-2014, 09:54 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SamS View Post
I think this car will behave more in-line with what I expected the AH3 to be.. more short trips gas-free, more efficiency, etc.

My AH3 has been a great car so far, but I don't think I'll make the move to a 320e. I definitely don't want to take a step backwards in performance or driving dynamics. The 435i Gran Coupe seems more my speed for late 2015.
Yes, definitely more green with the bigger battery and smaller ICE. If this was the 28i version of the engine I would be more enthusiastic than with the ~20i equivalent tune. But I will have to give it serious consideration when my current lease is up. I will have to extend my lease a few months anyway to get the LCI F30.
But of course there is always the M235i and F80 to consider.
It's just hard to justify an M3 with my current driving - primarily suburban commuting. I just hope the 320e can be had with DHP.
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