BMW i8

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Test drive between Tesla Model S P85+ and BMW i3 filmed in Ultra HD featuring Christian von Koenigsegg.

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This 2 seater only goes about 20 miles on its 100HP electric engine so its (sub-Tesla 7 seat Model S) 0-60 in 4.4 is mostly a petroleum feature. But it does look very, very cool.  More videos here

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I’m still infatuated with the Chevy Spark EV. The Korean/American EV can be had for significantly under $20K or $200/month meaning it can be free after gas cost savings for big commuters. The practical little 4 seat hatchback can go around 80 miles on a charge and can be charged quickly using the same SAE DC  charger as the BMW i3.

There’s more!

It has more torque (over 400ft/lbs) than a Ferrari 458 Italia and can hit 60 miles per hour in 7 seconds flat.

Did I mention it is essentially free if you currently spend $10/day on gasoline?

The Spark EV starts its life in Changwon, South Korea where gasoline and electric sparks are built by GM Korea, which was once known as Daewoo. But the heart of the Spark comes from America. GM is building the permanent magnet motors in Maryland, and instead of LG batteries made in Korea (like the Volt) GM is using American-made batteries courtesy of B456 (formerly A123. I’m not making this up). For reasons we don’t understand, GM isn’t “doing a CODA” and shipping cars sans-drivetran to America for assembly. The plant in Maryland ships the batteries and drivetrain to Korea, GM Korea inserts it in the car and ships the completed unit back to the USA.

Anyway, here’s a great review. I have no idea how they keep these in stock. Chevy please send these outside of California and Oregon.  Money quote:

Power is supplied by a 560lb, 21.3 kWh lithium battery pack located where the gas tank is in the gasoline Spark. As with the Chevy Volt, GM is taking the cautious path to battery preservation equipping the pack with an active heating and cooling system. That’s a stark contrast to the Nissan Leaf which uses a passive cooling system. Thanks to the lightest curb weight in the group (2,989lbs), the Spark scores 82 miles of EPA range and the highest efficiency rating of any EV to date. Depending on the weight of my right foot, my real world range varied from 70-100 miles.

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We don’t often talk about hybrids here but the BMW i8 does a solid job of being electric and has looks to die for. Unfortunately the $150K price tag may also cost a human life.

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2 BMW i8s at a GAS STATION

Reuters got the numbers from the Los Angeles Auto Show

Luxury carmaker BMW has orders for nearly 10,000 of its i3 electric cars, the first of which were delivered in Germany last week, the company’s global sales chief, Ian Robertson, said at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

Robertson also said the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car due to be introduced in mid-2014 has sold out for its first year of availability. He did not say how many the company will sell in that first year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoQNX5WF1M#t=45

Being shown filling up is not exactly good PR for BMW who’ve already shown off the full sized carbon-fiber i8 in promos. This would be one of the first public sightings.  If you aren’t familiar with how the i8 works, it has an interesting 131 hp front electric engine and a rear 231HP engine that sends it hurdling forward with a 4.4 0-60.

Think further to go further. The intelligent plug-in hybrid system in the BMW i8 combines the benefits of an electric motor and a petrol engine into an extraordinary driving experience: highest efficiency and maximum dynamics are simultaneously possible. The electric drive, a powerful 96 kW (131 hp), is located on the front axle. The rear axle is driven by an authoritative BMW TwinPower Turbo 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with 170 kW (231 hp) of peak performance and up to 320 Nm of torque; combined with the electrical boost of the hybrid system, it guarantees typical BMW driving pleasure.

Together the pair accelerates the BMW i8 from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds*. And this with an enormous saving in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, as it uses just 2.5* l per 100 km and emits 59 g/km*.

Although I’m not a fan of the 131 EV engine (matches $19K Chevy Spark!) I do like the look of this thing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3JAtvsqfF8

via InsideEVs