BMW HAS TODAY REVEALED new details for its Vision
EfficientDynamics concept ahead of the car’s official unveiling at the
Frankfurt Motor Show next month.
Showcasing a blend of the German carmaker’s current and future
technologies, BMW describes the Vision concept as a “symbol for the
future of sheer driving pleasure”
The technology-laden Vision concept is powered by a diesel-electric
hybrid system, featuring a conventional 1.5 litre 3-cylinder
turbo-diesel mated to a pair of electric motors.
The combination achieves a total output of 265kW and a startling 800Nm of torque.
The mid-mounted diesel engine, developing 122kW and 290Nm of torque,
is joined by electric motors positioned at the front and rear axles,
improving weight distribution and effectively making the Vision concept
all-wheel-drive.
The rear electric motor, positioned between the diesel engine and
the double-clutch transmission, produces 25kW and 291Nm of torque, but
can deliver short bursts of power up to 38kW.
Up front, the second electric motor produces 50kW and 219Nm of
torque in standard mode. For a 30 second period it can increase output
to 83kW, and for 10 seconds, a 103kW burst can be had.
The Vision has been developed to run on electric power alone (50km range), diesel only (645km) or a combination of the two.
Connected to Europe’s standard mains power outlets (220V, 16Amps),
the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept’s lithium-ion battery packs needs
only 2.5 hours to achieve a full charge, and 44 minutes if a more
powerful source is used.
A six-speed dual-clutch transmission - a new economy-focused version
of the transmission used in current BMW models -handles gear shifting
duties.
The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept boasts performance figures
on par with the current generation M3 Coupe, with BMW claiming a top
speed of 250km/h and the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8 seconds.
In keeping with its environmental credentials, BMW also claims the
Vision concept is capable of achieving fuel consumption figures of 3.76
l/100km, with CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.
This betters the most fuel-efficient cars currently available in
Australia, the new Toyota Prius and the MINI Cooper D (a BMW brand),
both achieving 3.9 l/100km, and splits the pair for emissions: the
Cooper D manages 104 g/km, the Prius 89 g/km.
The astonishing styling of the Vision EfficientDynamics concept has
been dictated largely by the drive for superior aerodynamics. A drag
coefficient of just 0.22 aiding the car’s fuel efficiency.
By comparison, the new third-gen Toyota Prius achieves a drag coefficient of 0.25.
Measuring 4600mm long, 1900mm wide and 1240mm tall, the Vision
concept - built on an aluminium and polycarbonate chassis - weighs in
at a relatively sprite 1395kg.
The Vision concept’s exhaust system features a (which BMW has been working on with NASA for some time), developed - as
the name suggests - to convert thermal energy in the exhaust into
usable electric power.
An energy management system is also featured, using rain sensors and
information downloaded to the sat-nav system to forecast driving
conditions on the trip ahead and prepare the car’s power supply for the
task.
Source: http://www.themotorreport.com.au
