Exclusive Interview with Dr. Klaus Draeger, BMW Board Member and Head of R&D
Detroit Auto Show gave BMWBLOG the unique and exclusive opportunity to interview Dr. Klaus Draeger, BMW AG board member and Chief of Research & Development. We sat down with Herr Draeger to discuss about the future of BMW i, carbon-fiber, front-wheel drive vehicles, three cylinder engines, and other interesting topics.
BMWBLOG: What is the future of CFRP (carbon fiber) for BMW?
Dr. Klaus Draeger: The first series of carbon fiber will be used for the construction of the complete body of the BMW i3. Currently we already have some experience with carbon-fiber: we are using carbon fiber on the roof of the M3 and on other parts of the M products, like the crash beam of the bumper, but in terms of production, we will see it in BMW i3 and i8.
Let’s have a more detailed look at the i3. We started to understand e-mobility with the MINI E project. The basic understanding behind this project was related to how many km per day do customers drive, in terms of desired range, how they use the car, how often do they recharge, if are they concerned about the range, and so on. In a nutshell we found out that they’re using it basically like they use a normal MINI or a normal BMW 116i: driving it daily, in Germany, for about 38-40 km, and each single driver driving roughly between 8-10 km.
The technology we use on the MINI E was basically more or less standard technology – we used the standard lithium-ion cells which are in most of the laptops and other electronics or electric motors.
2012 Honda Civic pricing and specifications
Honda Australia has announced pricing and specifications of the all-new Honda Civic, which is mentioned to characteristic advanced engineering, enhanced handling and value for money.
Honda Australia Director Mt Stephen Collins mentioned, “The iconic Civic nameplate is an Australian favourite. The ninth-generation Civic has undergone significant engineering development, with increased fuel effectiveness, smoother dealing with, enhanced driving dynamics, a smarter cockpit and Honda’s ECO assist technique.
“We are confident our clients will agree that the Civic is a brilliant package and delivers excellent worth for income. The Civic will be in dealerships in early March.”
The new Civic will be available in three variants – Vti-L, Sport and Hybrid.
The VTi-L will be powered by one.eight-litre i-VTEC engine creating 104kW and 174Nm of torque whilst the Sport gets a 2-litre i-VTEC engine establishing 114kW and 190Nm along with enhanced fuel financial system.
The Civic Hybrid also gets far more energy with a 1.5-liter i-VTEC powerplant mated with Honda’s newest Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), making 82kW and 172Nm. The upgraded IMA unit develops more power below challenging acceleration. One more benefit is that the technique is in a position to recharge the lithium-ion battery making use of the engine as well as regenerative braking technological innovation.
Video: Chevrolet Volt Super Bowl XLVI ad features Aliens
General Motors has just released its Super Bowl XLVI commercial for the Chevrolet Volt for the massive game on Sunday.
Titled ‘Aliens’, the 30-second spot reveals the curiosity about the Volt and its electrical powertrain extends to extraterrestrial beings from galaxies far, far away.
Click right here for a lot more news on the Chevrolet Volt.
Refresher: The 2012 Chevrolet Volt is powered by 16-kWh, ‘T’-shaped lithium-ion battery that powers the electrical drive unit, which allows it to drive 40 miles on battery energy alone. The technique puts out 149-hp and a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft, permitting the Volt to go from -60 mph in about 9 seconds, hitting a best speed of 100 mph. The battery can be re-charged by plugging into a household outlet and takes 4 hours to recharge on 240 volts, and about 10-12 hrs on a common 120-volt outlet. The Chevrolet Volt also carries an 84-hp one.4 4-clyinder engine that allows the five-door, FWD sedan to travel extra miles whilst averaging a fuel-economy of 50 mpg. A totally charged battery and complete tank of fuel will let the Volt to travel 379 miles. The 2012 Chevrolet Volt gets an EPA estimated 93 miles per ’gallon-equivalent’ when driving underneath electric power only, 37 mpg when in gasoline mode and over the lengthy phrase it is estimated to get 60 miles per gallon in combined gasoline-powered and electrical-powered driving. Rates for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt start off at $ 39,995 but with a full federal earnings tax credit (which variety from $ to $ 7,500), the Volt can expense a total of $ 32,495.
GM misses Chevy Volt sales goal in 2011, Jan. 2012 also sluggish
Revenue of the Chevrolet Volt dropped sharply in January with GM only promoting 603 units. Blame for the drop in sales goes to the damaging publicity the Volt has received from a government safety investigation.
January 2012 turned out to be the worst month for the Volt considering that August, exactly where it was only delivered to 302 clients. During the fourth quarter of 2011, GM averaged month-to-month sales of one,259 units.
Verify out more news on the Chevrolet Volt.
GM executives say that they are unable to gauge the demand for the Chevrolet Volt until finally Might or June due to the availability staying tight and some dealers still receiving their 1st batch.
In 2011, a complete of 7,671 Volts had been sold, way brief of GM’s 10,000 goal.
Nissan e-NV200 Concept: world debut in Detroit
Based mostly on the NV200 small van, Nissan’s e-NV200 Concept combines an electric powertrain to a versatile and spacious cockpit.
About the same size as the Mazda5, the Chevrolet Orlando and the Ford C-MAX, the e-NV200 Notion is motivated by an 80-kW electric motor that pumps out 207 lb-ft of torque. The lithium-ion batteries are mentioned to supply a driving array similar to the Nissan LEAF’s, which signifies about 160 km.
Unsurprisingly, the e-NV200 Concept shares a lot of styling cues with the LEAF, like the front charging port door and the sweeping headlights in addition, the present car is painted in the exact same Aqua Blue colour as the LEAF in the course of its own auto-display unveiling.
Actual globe testing of the electric NV200 is currently underway, with trials at present in Japan and London. Feedback from this testing will support the brand tailor their EV vehicles to various markets and uses, as Nissan figures there is mass production potential for the vehicle. In late 2013, the NV200 is scheduled to hit the streets of New York as a yellow taxicab.
Meet the $312K PG Elektrus: A fancier Lotus Elise based Tesla Roadster
Even even though production for the Lotus Elise/Exige are being ceased, it looks like individuals are even now locating a way to use their bits and pieces. And this formula may sound quite similar, but what we have here is an all-electric sports activities roadster.
But this is not the Tesla Roadster. Nope, that ended production not also lengthy ago. This is the PG Elektrus. It’s nearly an up-to-date rendition of the Tesla roadster except far more pricey, uglier, and lighter—thanks to a carbon fiber body.
Produced in Germany by producer PG and Michael Fröhlich, the PG Elektrus employs an electrical motor mated to a lithium ion batter. But the genuine neat component is that apparently the PG Elektrus capabilities a solar panel on the trunk that absorbs sunlight and converts it into electrical power to aid charge the battery. Or at least, that’s what the business supposedly claims.
The electrical motor is also explained to generate the equivalent of 272hp and 258 lb-ft of instantaneous twist. The magical 60 comes up in less than three seconds for a top run of about 186 mph. PG says the Elektrus is capable of up to 217 miles in standard circumstances.
Only 667 Elektrus’s will be made for the hefty cost of $ 312,400. So if electric sports activities autos are your fancy, time to bust the piggy financial institution.
VW E-Bugster Concept Could be Built, if You Want It
VW had two big debuts at the this month’s 2012 Detroit Auto Show, the 2013 Jetta Hybrid and the E-Bugster concept. While the Jetta Hybrid is already slated to be introduced this fall, there is a chance that the E-Bugster concept could also be produced as the third variant of the Beetle, after the upcoming Beetle convertible.
Autocar recently spoke to the E-Bugster’s designer, Mark Lichter who stated “This is a serious proposal for a speedster Beetle and I am sure it will come for production. We just need to find the business case.”
Lichter found inspiration for the concept from his own 964 Porsche 911 Speedster. He also stated, “A Beetle Speedster is the perfect car for the US.”
The E-Bugster concept looks almost identical to the production Beetle, but with three inches chopped off the roof and slightly tweaked front and rear fascias. The concept was powered by a 114 horsepower electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.
