I spy the future of electric cars
WHEN BMW announced that it would be dabbling in electric cars under its “i” sub-brand, the world sat and up and took notice of this approach by a brand perhaps more revered for building drivers’ cars than zero emission models. It is all rather relative as sustainability still ranks highly in many a manufacturer’s strategic plans, and the Bavarian marque seems to have a two-pronged approach in its arsenal.
Launching later this month, the i3 and i8 will in essence satisfy two ends of the market spectrum. The i3 will compete in the C-segment hatch environment dominated by the Volkswagen Golf, while it will also take on its only electric rival to date, the Nissan Leaf. At the more performance oriented end, the i8 will take the fight to the establishment that is the Audi R8, Porsche 911 and the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz AMG GT.
Casting our attention to the i3 hatch, we tested the range extender variant, which retails at R595,000 (R525,000 for the base model), which is slightly higher than the Nissan Leaf, which retails at R475,600. Boasting a passenger cell constructed mostly of carbon fibre reinforced plastics, the i3 tips the scale at a relatively paltry 1,195kg in the interests of efficiency and this has also allowed the designers to dispense with the B-pillars that would add unwanted weight, all the while allowing for the use of coach doors that are rear hinged and thus ease rear quarter access.
Styling does elicit some attention with many alluding to the fact that the front-end design looks as though it is inspired by a baby hippo in the way it manages to look more cheerful than kitsch. Proportionately, the vehicle looks relatively compact but it has a surprisingly spacious inte- rior with excellent leg and headroom, thanks to the omission of the centre tunnel that would otherwise house the propshaft. Boot space measures 260l (1,100l with the rear seats folded).
The eDrive technology comprises an electric motor and lithium-ion batteries with an energy capacity of 18.8kWh. System output equates to 125kW and 250Nm, which is sent to the rear wheels. This translates to a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.2 seconds and an electronically limited 150km/h top speed. Located on the rear axle just under the boot floor, the electric motor and battery pack are strategically placed to maximise interior space. The range extender is essentially a two-stroke engine that works solely as a generator to recharge the batteries, which dispels the range anxiety that comes with driving an EVonly vehicle. This allows for a range estimation of 300km — however, a more realistic figure of 160km was achieved during our test tenure.
The oddly-sized wheels measuring 155/75/20 and 175/65/20 front and rear respectively were chosen to both elevate the ride height to accommodate the 230kg battery pack and also to minimise unnecessary drag, which in turn has a bearing on the range estimate. While one can easily recharge the battery via the household mains — which takes a rather arduous eight hours, Eskom load-shedding woes notwithstanding — an iWallbox can be installed at your home at a cost of R25,000 and reduces your charging time to three hours. Should you be pressed for time, then you can drive to your nearest i dealership for a fast charge of 30 minutes that gives you about 80% of battery charge.
Trading the i3 for the i8 is something of a paradigm shift. The latter is a low slung, carbon fibre hewn hybrid sportscar that is arguably as good to drive as it is to look at. I feel that my attempt to eloquently describe the model’s design would prove rather futile, so I will simply let the pictures do the talking.
The way it garnered attention wherever it went simply speaks volumes. Motorists and onlookers alike were tripping over each other to get a closer look and snap a picture or two via their camera phones. Under those futuristic design lines lies something of a technological marvel.
As mentioned, the model features a carbon fibre monocoque, but the use of the exotic material also extends to the doors, which have an aluminium outer skin. The digital instrument panel, for instance, uses magnesium mounting points to reduce unsprung mass.
As it stands the i8 tips the scales at 1,485kg, which is good by sportscar standards, but perhaps it is how this translates on the road that truly impresses.
It is powered by a 1.5l TwinPower turbocharged, threecylinder engine similar to that in the Mini Cooper, but tuned in this instance to make a staggering 170kW and 320Nm (the most powerful engine power per litre in the company’s history) and further augmented by two electric motors, one on either axle, to produce 96kW and 250Nm from standstill and give a combined system output of 266kW.
You could easily drive this
Motor News spent some time with the new BMW i3 and i8 electric vehicles in SA this week