Greentech Lead in America: IEEE announced that automobile
major BMW will display its first all-electric vehicle, the ActiveE, at the IEEE
International Electric Vehicle Conference.
The ActiveE is the first one hundred percent electric BMW to be placed in
customer hands. With output of 170hp and maximum torque of 184lb-ft from a
standstill, BMW ActiveE accelerates from 0-60mph in under nine seconds. Newly
developed lithium-ion batteries facilitate a driving range of up to 100 miles
on a full charge, according to media reports.
Julian Weber, head of Innovation Projects E-Mobility within project i, BMW
Group’s EV think tank and product line, is slated as one of the IEVC’s keynote
speakers. As a member of the BMW engineering team, Weber has worked in Process
Consulting and Experimental Vehicle Build. He also previously served as manager
of Purchasing Strategy and Innovation Management North America located in
Spartanburg, South Carolina.
“This presentation shows how BMW has prepared for years to ensure this
challenge will eventually become a success story in sustainable mobility.
Showcasing their new technology and being a part of the inaugural IEVC is a
great way to show the world the innovations taking place at BMW,” said Lee
Stogner, chair, IEEE Electric Vehicle Initiative.
The BMW ActiveE is the BMW Group’s second step in the company’s three-phase
development plan leading to an emission-free, electric BMW in series
production. Within the framework of project i, the BMW Group is carrying out
research and development work on the development of electrically powered
vehicles.
The result will be the BMW i3, which will be released in
late 2013 and is designed be a sustainable mobility solution primarily for
congested urban areas. The drive components and battery technology that will be
used in the BMW i3 are being tested in the BMW ActiveE.
BMW Manufacturing will make available a 5 Series sedan with start/stop
technology and the 7 Series Active Hybrid for use in a ride-and-drive event at
IEVC.
Â
Nearly nine out of ten plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs)
sold this year will include a basic telematics package, and that percentage
will grow to 94 percent by 2017. Annual revenue from worldwide sales of
electric vehicle telematics will total $1.4 billion by 2017, says the clean
tech market intelligence firm Pike Research.
The telematics package, giving the driver the ability to
check on the battery and the rate of charge, serves as a lifeline of sorts to
help alleviate concerns over the limited range of electric vehicles (range
anxiety).
Pike Research’s report, “Electric Vehicle
Telematics,” forecasts basic telematics packages that offer simple data
connections for emergency services, breakdown calls, charging station
locations, and diagnostics/vehicle monitoring will be standard features on most
PEVs by 2017.
editor@greentechlead.com