It’s just been crowned the inaugural 2017 World Urban Car Award winner at the New York International Show, but does the BMW i3 94 Ah (yes, that’s the model’s proper name, thank you very much) deserve recognition? Without doubt, the answer is a resounding yes. The attention is well-deserved.
BMW i3
Some car companies have taken charge (pun intended) and faced the future head on with the acceptance that either we like it or not, electric mobility is here to stay, while other car manufacturers are still in denial. BMW is among the leading manufacturers of this movement towards e-mobility.
The 2017 BMW i3 is amazing to drive, clean, elegant, subcompact (allowing you to park and maneuver easily), and widely available.
Compared with the original i3 (which has a battery capacity of 60 Ah), the 2017 BMW i3 has a larger battery in terms of capacity (94 Ah/33kwh), meaning increased driving range, but its physical size stays the same.
BMW i3, 94Ah Battery
Another thing car enthusiasts are buzzing about the 2017 BMW i3 is the immediate response you get from the electric engine. It offers 150kW and 250Nm of torque, with both available anytime you want to use it.
One of the model’s biggest advantages lies in the way it is constructed. Underneath the 2017 BMW i3 is a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell. This feature helps the car maintain its high torsional rigidity but at the same time without putting too much weight.
The 2017 BMW i3 offers satellite navigation, automatic lights and wipers, and a rear-view camera among its standard features. Other features include a multimedia system that boasts of four speakers plus a digital radio, as well as an interior trim mostly made of recycled material, sticking to its eco-friendly routes.
The 2017 BMW i3 BMW i3 comes with the standard complement of safety features. These include six airbags specifically designed for a model that has slim as well as lightweight seat frames.
With the General Election fast approaching, Next Green Car compares the key motoring elements of each of the main parties’ manifestos.
In [this] policy comparison, we focus on green vehicle issues and advances in autonomous and connected technologies; subjects we cover day-to-day on the website. Ultra low emission vehicles, air quality, electric vehicle issues and autonomous driving plans are all covered.
Promoting electric vehicles is a key policy for all the main political parties
In the interest of neutrality, parties are listed alphabetically and cover both previously announced promises and those new elements revealed in the latest manifestos. The three main parties which have published their manifestos are included – other parties will be added when their manifestos are released.
Conservatives
Aim to lead the world in electric vehicle and autonomous vehicles
Almost every car and van to be zero-emission by 2050
Invest in smart grids for more efficient EV charging
Modest roll-out of Clean Air Zones as part of air quality plans
Although the Conservative manifesto is rather light on motoring-related announcements, as the party in power they have already implemented a number of clear policies relating to low and ultra low emission vehicles.
The headline policy is the ambition
“for Britain to lead the world in electric vehicle technology and use….” and for “almost every car and van to be zero-emission by 2050”.
To achieve this, the Conservative Party has already earmarked funding of £600 million by 2020, which will take the total investment since 2011 to £900 million, extending a policy that was initiated under the previous Conservative-Lib Dem coalition. Investment is also planned for ‘smart grids’ designed to make the most efficient use of electricity infrastructure through the use of Vehicle to Grid (V2G) technology….. Read more, Next Greencar
Labour
Return the railways back into public ownership
Work towards zero road deaths in UK
Maintain UK at forefront of the manufacture and use of ultra low emission vehicles
Retrofit diesel buses to Euro 6 standards
Labour’s key message is that the party
“will invest in a modern, integrated, accessible and sustainable transport system that is reliable and affordable.”
Road safety is an important element of the party’s transport agenda, with aims to work towards zero deaths on the UK transport network. The manifesto lays out a number of policies to
“encourage and enable people to get out of their cars, for better health and a cleaner environment.”
To achieve these aims, Labour’s main focus is to improve public transport and reduce fares. One central element of this policy is the aim to return the railways back into public ownership, a policy that has already gained much coverage since the manifesto launch. While there is less focus (and detail) on road vehicle technology in the document, the party is committed to maintaining the UK at the forefront of the development, manufacture and use of ultra low emission vehicles, and supporting the creation of clean modes of transport through investment in low emission vehicles…. Read more, Next Greencar
Liberal Democrats
Creation of a new Green Transport Act
Ban on sale of diesel cars and vans by 2025
Encourage manufacture and uptake of electric vehicles
Introduce ultra-low-emission zones and Clean Air Zones to ten towns and cities
In the Lib Dems’ manifesto, the party sets out a detailed set of measures to reduce environmental impact of transport, which would be implemented through the creation of a Green Transport Act. This would include an air quality plan to tackle air pollution, and support for manufacturers of low-emission and electric vehicles.
The plans include a diesel scrappage scheme, and a ban on the sale of diesel cars and small vans in the UK by 2025. All private hire vehicles and diesel buses licensed to operate in urban areas would have to to run on ultra-low-emission or zero-emission fuels within five years. The party would also reform vehicle taxation to encourage sales of electric and low emission vehicles….Read more, Next Greencar
The first five fleets have signed on to participate in Ford’s new plug-in hybrid van trial project in London, which is scheduled to get underway this Fall.
In total, Ford intends to test 20 vehicles over a 12-month period, prior to introducing the PHEV van on the European market (unfortunately, no U.S. version is planned at this stage).
Ford still has yet to reveal the all-electric range, but has stated that it will be enough for the majority of inner-city trips; which means to us that likely we won’t be all that excited about the offering when it finally comes to market.
Mark Harvey, Director of the Urban Electrified Van programme – Ford Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid
But then again, more EVs in the commercial space is never a bad thing.
The multi-million pound project is designed to explore how lower-emission plug-in hybrid electric vans could support cleaner air targets, whilst boosting productivity for operators in urban conditions – the toughest working environment for commercial vehicles.
The project, supported by Transport for London, features a 12-month trial of 20 new Ford Transit PHEVs that reduce local emissions by running solely on electric power for the majority of inner-city trips. Equipped with range extenders, the fleet is not limited by battery range, making them capable of the longer journeys that may be required by businesses and ‘blue light’ services.
The participating fleets represent a cross-section of city-based businesses which will integrate the Ford Transit PHEV vans into their day-to-day operations. Using a Ford telematics system, each Transit PHEV will collect data on the vehicles’ financial, operational and environmental performance to help understand how the benefits of electrified vehicles could be maximised.
Ford Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid – Police
The five fleets include the Metropolitan Police with two Transit PHEV vans: one marked for second response to traffic accidents and one un-marked as a forensic support unit. In addition, Transport for London will use three of the vans for freight duties.
Scotland’s geographical share of North Sea oil revenues was negative for the first calendar year on record in 2016, Scottish Government figures show.
The latest quarterly national accounts reveal the amount received in tax receipts fell to minus £338 million over the 12-month period.
When a geographical share of UK offshore and overseas economic activity is included, Scottish gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated at £159 billion during the year, or £29,554 per person, amounting to growth of 1.7%.
North Sea oil revenue has fallen to minus �338m, the latest accounts show.
Growth in onshore GDP was mostly driven by consumer spending, with positive contributions also made by government, capital investment and exports.
However, a widening of the onshore trade deficit due to the increasing value of imports had a negative impact.
Economy Secretary Keith Brown said the latest statistics
“highlight the challenges facing the Scottish economy”.
He said:
“Current headwinds relating to the oil and gas sector and Brexit uncertainty are continuing to weigh on growth.
“Despite this, recent business survey evidence shows positive signals for manufacturing and other sectors whilst Scotland’s onshore output per head continues to be higher than the UK average excluding London. This demonstrates that our economic fundamentals remain strong.
“The Scottish Government is taking action to support the labour market, particularly surrounding the oil and gas sector.
“Whilst the statistics also show that recent growth was mostly driven by consumer spending, we are doing all we can to support growth across the wider economy through initiatives such as our £500 million Scottish Growth Scheme to stimulate investment in new and early-stage businesses, and investing in our £6 billion infrastructure plan.”
During my recent trip to the Veneto region of Italy (Venice/Padua/Verona) I stayed in a hotel near Venice, in Mestre on the mainland. Most of Venice, of course, has no cars – just a lot of polluting boats.
Renault ZOE Car Sharing poster in Padua (Image: T. Larkum)
The mainland, however, is packed with cars like any European region. It was very disappointing, therefore, not to see a single electric car in the time we were there.
There was a single bright spot, during a day trip to Padua (Padova). I have previously reported on the Car Sharing Padova organisation there and its use of Renault ZOE electric cars.
I’m pleased to say that it’s still up and running. I saw an encouraging poster in Padua for Car Sharing Padova at an upcoming trade fair.
It did seem, however, like a small oasis in an electric car desert.
With the BMW i3, the world was introduced to a car developed to be not only emissions-free, but to bring the joy of driving to electric vehicles.
Suddenly, the downtown commute became far more relaxed and sustainable. Where not long ago there was engine noise, now power is delivered almost silently. Because sometimes the most powerful performances are silent.
‘The full impacts will take decades to play out, but once set in motion they could be hard to reverse’
The Earth could be 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the late 1800s in just nine years, according to new research which suggests the aspirational Paris Agreement target is unlikely to be achieved.
A paper in the journal Geophysical Research Letters said natural climate variations in the Pacific which change over a period of decades may have provided a “temporary buffer” to the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing extreme events such as heatwaves.
But this cycle, called the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), could be about to flip or may have already done so, sending temperatures higher for the next 10 to 20 years.
Under the Paris Agreement, the world decided to
“pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels”.
However, the researchers said the combination of a natural warming phase and human carbon emissions could see temperatures reach this point by 2026.
Last year, the hottest on record for the third time in a row, was 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than the average between 1850 and 1900, according to separate research by the Met Office and Nasa. That prompted Professor Gabi Hegerl, a world-leading climatologist at Edinburgh University, to warn that it was
“getting tight for avoiding dangerous climate change”.
The newly elected French president Emmanuel Macron is broadly pursuing the energy and traffic policies outlined by his predecessor, Francois Hollande. He is especially looking to promote electric vehicles (EVs) and aims for the last car with an internal combustion engine (ICE) to be sold in France in 2040.
London Climate March (Image: T. Larkum)
French daily newspaper Le Monde reported in the run-up to the election that one of Macron’s objectives is ‘to get out of fossil fuels’ and he therefore wants to expand France’s charging network. In order to ‘protect the health of the French,’ Macron also proposes to align the taxation of diesel with that of gasoline by 2022 and ‘to strengthen the European antipollution standards of new vehicles and controls in real conditions.’ These measures were already in place under Hollande’s government but Macron has additionally announced plans to introduce a bonus of €1000 for the purchase of a new or used ‘greener’ vehicle.
This extends further than the current bonus which is restricted to the purchase of a hybrid or electric vehicle. Apart from this, Macron wants to keep the existing bonus-malus scheme, which rewards the acquisition of clean cars and penalises those with higher fuel consumption. Ultimately, however, Macron’s aspiration is that there will be no more ‘sale of thermal vehicles’ in France in 2040.
As far as broader energy policy is concerned, Macron aims to increase the share of renewable energies in France’s energy mix to 32 per cent by 2030 and also to close the latest coal-fired power stations. By way of comparison, as early as 2016, renewable energy sources already contributed 29 percent to gross electricity generation in Germany. Macron was already committed to this project when he was the Minister of Economy in the cabinet of presidential predecessor François Hollande. In his term in office from 2014 to 2016, he passed the energy transition law for green growth (LTECV) and explicitly mentioned this several times during the election campaign.
Macron also aims to reduce the proportion of nuclear energy in France to 50 per cent by 2025, and the CO2 tax will rise to €100 per tonne by 2023. In total, Macron wants to invest €15 billion in ecology and power generation.
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