Growing Pains for Electric Vehicle Manufacturers

One estimate says more than 600,000 EVs could be on U.S. roads by 2014, but that’s a speck in the rear-view mirror compared to the 140 million passenger cars Americans already drive. And, high vehicle costs combined with range anxiety makes many consumers leery to get off gasoline. So is the EV industry accelerating or running out of juice?
energyNOW! correspondent Lee Patrick Sullivan looked at the independent carmakers and big auto companies trying to charge up the transition to EVs and convince American drivers that going electric is really worth it.

Electric vehicles hold great promise for reducing both emissions and our dependence on foreign oil. Almost 30 percent of America’s energy use is for transportation, and almost all of that comes from oil, costing $300 billion per year. When compared to an Electric Power Research Institute estimate that running an EV costs 20 percent filling up a car with gasoline, and EPA’s estimate that EVs are half as carbon-intensive as gas-powered vehicles, the benefits of electric are clear.
But many potential EV owners are concerned about the higher up-front price of electric cars (despite them being cost-competitive or cheaper in the long term) and their limited range compared to gasoline-fueled models. Buying an EV can cost anywhere from $32,000 to $120,000, a tab somewhat mitigated by the $7,500 federal tax credit. And, most EVs get about 100 miles on a single battery charge, compared to 400 miles per tank for internal combustion engines. A recent study from Deloitte found that only 20 percent of U.S. drivers say they would buy an EV with a 100-mile range.
Perhaps no company embodies the EV industry better than Tesla Motors. Despite a successful launch of its Roadster model, the company was running on fumes until a Department of Energy low-interest loan enabled it to raise $600 million in private capital, build a massive factory, and launch its second vehicle, the Model S. “This is the first car that will have over 300 miles of electric range,” said JB Straubel, CTO and co-founder of Tesla Motors.
Several other notable EV manufacturers weren’t as fortunate as Tesla over the past year, however. Fisker Automotive had several delays in launching its extended-range EV, and both Modec and Think Automotive declared bankruptcy. Major automakers like Nissan and Chevrolet debuted their EV models this year, but have only sold half as many Volts and Leafs as expected.
These difficulties aren’t a surprise to Straubel. “It’s an extremely hard activity,” he said. “The tooling required, the investment, the years of engineering and validation, it’s all very, very difficult.”

BMW 3 series: More for less

BMW has aimed higher with its new 3 Series sedan, adding the luxury kitbag of its more expensive 5 Series while building on the appeal of the outgoing model.

The intention is to offer more for comparatively less, along with a sleek look, upmarket interior, a range of fuel-efficient, all-turbo engines - and, for the first time, optional XDrive all-wheel-drive.

Other firsts in class are the choice of a full hybrid model, a new personalisation programme and a full-colour head-up display, projecting information on to the windscreen in front of the driver.

The German carmaker has released details of the new car ahead of its public debut at the Detroit motor show in January.

It says the 3 Series has more space and comfort than before and is better to drive than its main rivals, the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

It will go on sale here next year. It is unclear if XDrive will be available in right-hand-drive.

The 3 Series is BMW's most important model, both in terms of numbers sold and as a flag carrier for the company's reputation for quality, reliability and desirability.
BMW says it will have eight versions of the 3 Series on sale in different markets by March that emit less than 120g per kilometre of CO2.

Towards the end of 2012, BMW launches XDrive four-wheel-drive versions and the ActiveHybrid 3 which is essentially a 335i with a 40kW electric motor.

Many of the new features introduced in the new 5 Series and 1 Series have made their way into the 3 Series, including eight-speed automatic transmission, stop-start, electric-assisted steering, four selectable driving modes and a multi-function screen driven by the iDrive console knob.

The new 3 Series has been under development for longer than almost any other BMW. It was first spied testing early in 2009.

Weight has been reduced by a claimed 50kg compared to the previous model and the drag coefficient is down to 0.26 thanks to improvements in the aerodynamics.

These tweaks include a streamlined underside, covers which create a diffuser effect at the rear and channels in the front bumper which reduce the turbulence created by the front wheels.

The new 3 Series also features a much stiffer body and an all-new chassis with a longer wheelbase (up 50mm to 2810mm), with wider tracks (up 37mm at the front and 47mm at the rear) to improve handling.

Overall length has increased by 93mm and there's more space inside.

The exterior design has been inspired by the 5 Series. The new car's lights, flusher radiator grille and L-shaped LED taillights represent the biggest changes.

Under the skin, the chassis gets an updated version of the company's five-link suspension at the rear and more aluminium in the front set-up for lower unsprung weight.

BMW says the new suspension improves on the car's handling by making it even more agile and stable but with better ride comfort.

All models get new electric-assisted power steering to cut weight and improve fuel efficiency. BMW claims it is just as accurate and has as much feedback as a conventional hydraulic system. However, its Variable Sport steering will be available as an option, as will Adaptive M Sport suspension with electronically variable dampers.

Glendale to monitor impact of electric cars

The first 100 people to buy an electric vehicle will get a $200 rebate from the city of Glendale in exchange for installing a special socket that will help measure the potential impact of more cars tapping into the power grid.

As plug-in electric vehicles become more popular, officials want to be prepared for the influx of energy use, so it’s requiring all BMW electric-vehicle owners to install a special socket that will measure the effect on the power supply, said Ned Bassin, assistant general manager of customer and support services at Glendale Water & Power.

“We expect in the future there will be a lot of electric vehicles,” Bassin said.
That could take a toll on the city’s energy system without proper planning, officials say.

“It’s like adding a whole home to our distribution system,” Bassin said.

Electric-car buyers that want to charge their car faster must hire an electrician to install a 240-volt socket, for which the city will be installing special meters to measure the energy use. But the meters need a special connection that the electrician will be required to install — typically at a cost of $200 — hence the rebate offer.

BMW 1-series ActiveE, an Autoweek Flash Drive Car Review

BMW's first series production electric car, the 1-series ActiveE, is coming in limited numbers to the United States in December. BMW says it will build no more than 1,100 copies of the car.

To be offered to customers on a two-year/31,000-mile lease similar to that of the earlier BMW-engineered Mini E, the zero-emissions coupe acts as a technological test bed for BMW's upcoming i3--a compact four-door hatchback previewed in concept form at the recent Frankfurt motor show. It's set to go on sale in 2013.

Unlike the two-seat Mini E, which relied largely on off-the-shelf electric-drive technology and was developed with the help of U.S. firm AC Propulsion, the four-seat 1-series ActiveE was conceived wholly in-house at BMW's Munich, Germany, R&D center. BMW worked closely with a series of system suppliers it says will play an important role in the new "i" brand and its initial i3 and i8 models. Many of the driveline components are unique.

The 1-series coupe was heavily modified to accommodate the ActiveE's electric drive system. Among the more significant changes is a new crash structure up front, an altered transmission tunnel down the middle of the steel floorpan, a reworked rear-end structure and a completely revised rear-axle assembly.

Power comes from an electric motor mounted at the rear, in the space usually taken up by the differential of the standard 1-series. Produced at BMW's Dingolfing factory in Germany, the brushless unit produces 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque the moment you depress the throttle--33 hp less but 24 lb-ft more than the Mini E's electric drive system.

By comparison, the 128i's naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder gasoline engine delivers 230 hp and 230 lb-ft of torque.

Electrical energy to run the motor is provided by three separate banks of lithium-ion batteries mounted under the hood, down the center line of the floorpan within the altered transmission tunnel and under the rear seat. Together they have an overall capacity of 32 kilowatt-hours and provide a peak current of 400 amps.

The battery cells hail from a joint-venture company created by Korean giant Samsung and German-based electronics specialist Bosch called SB LiMotive. The control electrics, the brains of the whole system, are located in the trunk. Cargo capacity is cut nearly in half, to just seven cubic feet.

In a move BMW says was prompted by lessons learned with the Mini E, the batteries receive liquid cooling to ensure constant performance in all climates. Recharging is via a plug-in socket located behind the traditional fuel-door flap. Using the 32-amp charger that BMW offers as part of the 1-series ActiveE lease deal, the company claims recharging takes between four and five hours on a standard outlet.

Drive is channeled to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

Despite the investment BMW has made into lightweight construction technology with its new i brand, the 1-series ActiveE retains an all-steel body shell without any aluminum or carbon fiber to help trim pounds. The standard rear bench seat was, however, exchanged for the seat used in the 1-series M coupe, which is claimed to save 11 pounds. Still, the new car's curb weight is put at a portly 4,001 pounds.