BMW’s head of development, Dr Herbert
Diess, explains why challenging ‘i’-car technologies will be central to an
expanding product range – and why fuel cell vehicles could become mainstream
products in certain regions.
“We think that in a few years’ time there
will be a supply network for hydrogen,” he confirms. “There are regions where
you will have to have emissions-free cars and the only emissions-free cars are
electric cars or fuel cell cars. So that’s why we think we might need fuel cell
cars in some regions. We don’t know when – that will depend on when the
infrastructure’s available – or to what extent the big companies will invest in
products. Regulations will play a major role, too. We don’t see it as our
mainstream but we have to be prepared because it could happen. The likelihood
is there.”
A
signature feature of BMW i cars is the “black belt”. On the BMW i8, it emerges
in a “V” shape from the bonnet and extends back over the roof into the rear
section of the car, where it frames the center section of the rear apron.
Diess stresses that investment in fuel
cells would not be a substitute for the template laid down by the i3 and, soon,
the i8: “We believe in electromobility more than in fuel cells because it’s
working – those cars [EVs] are becoming brilliant. If you transfer in the
tested for the new vehicle setup and then to establish system stability – and
upward of 15 test mules. When it comes to having a performance hybrid car that
stretches its EV capabilities, engineer Breitfeld says that nearly 30% more
mileage is needed to wring out all the systems to the liking of the team
responsible for testing. The lengthier validation phase for the i8 was run in
parallel with construction of the production facility for the i models in
Leipzig, Germany. And all this was put in motion well before the frozen i8
running prototype was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011.
During validation testing – including the latter two phases of finalizing full dynamic
prototypes and testing under all possible conditions – roughly 60 test cars in
next-tofinal i8 bodywork were used. Besides BMW’s facilities such as Miramas in
southern France, testing of all aspects took place in China, north of the
Arctic Circle and in the USA.
High-performance
sports car engines and is the highest of any engine produced by the BMW Group
This slightly altered testing regimen with
China and other perhaps seemingly less demanding climes was needed due to the
widely varying requirements for hybrid and EV homologation in the various
markets intended for the i8. Charge voltages vary widely, as does the
infrastructure for charging stations, quick charging and the like. There is
also the challenge of making certain that in restrictive societies, such as
communist China, all the beneficial software apps in BMW i’s ‘360° Electric’
program can deliver on their promises to clients. As is now somewhat the norm
for these ambitious, global EV projects, the i8 and its particular breed of
powertrain were tested hard in temperatures at or beyond the extremes of -40°C
and +40°C. This is of particular pertinence today due to the massive cost
benefits of buying such vehicles in typically very expensive markets with
extreme climates such as Norway, where buyers of even the i8 may be able to
avoid the enormous luxury taxes imposed on such sporting cars. In short,
there’s a lot more to consider than normal with these greener projects that
also wish to maintain a company’s sports car reputation. The experts on hand in
Southern California were repeatedly huddling up to discuss the feedback from
all of the testers, and the facial expressions indicated a real urgency to
address all that may be even slightly lacking. There is work to be done still,
and the i8 software tweaks will continue indefinitely.
Painted
surface elements on the instrument panel, door trim and center console add the
finishing touches to the cutting-edge ambiance. The likewise optional Halo
equipment line brings a pervasive aura of luxury and sustainability to the
interior of the BMW i8
Project head Breitfeld concludes, “We have
tested everything on the i8 to every extreme you can imagine and beyond. There
were many sleepless nights in this quicker development schedule and there will
continue to be more, to be sure.” technology that will be available by the year
2025, say, these will be hugely attractive cars. By January this year, we
already had an order book for 11,000 i3s without many customers having driven
them, and without it yet being introduced to the USA. So we think that electric
cars will make their way – ours and others.”
