Daily Archives: July 10, 2017

BMW 530e PHEV review: An electric car revolution

530e PHEV, BMW, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment

AS ELECTRIC cars become ever-more mainstream this BMW 530e is the latest example of new technology becoming normal.

BMW 530e is another example of how normal electric cars have become

BMW’s new plug-in hybrid version of the already-successful 5-Series could revolutionise the electronic market, especially among business drivers. Plug-in hybrid vehicles work by combining a petrol engine with an electric motor and battery.

That means the car can run on electric power for around 30 miles before the engine kicks in. Alternatively, both the engine and electric motor can work in tandem with the electric one running the car at lower speeds or under light acceleration, switching to or working with petrol when more performance is required.

It takes a sharp eye to even spot that this 530e is the plug-in hybrid version of BMW’s 5-Series saloon, introduced earlier this year. Only details like a blue tint to the grille, blue lining to the BMW badge on the alloy wheels and the eDrive logo on the rear door pillar, as well as the giveaway charge point flap behind the nearside front wheel, mark out this as the ultra-low emission 5-Series.

The car is the new plug-in version of the already popular 5-Series

The plug-in hybrid takes the 5-Series to new efficiency levels, which isn’t surprising as it’s the first rechargeable one. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and 83kw electric motor combine to produce 252bhp, returning an average fuel economy figure of 141.2mpg, though that number is entirely dependent on how much time the car runs on electric rather than petrol, and the emissions figure is 46g/km.

That’s important for company car drivers because anything below 50g/km means lower monthly tax bills. It is also eligible for a £2,500 government grant off the purchase price. The battery helps performance too, giving the 530e a 0 to 60mph acceleration of 6.2 seconds. It is electronically limited to 146mph.

There are three driving modes for how the battery and engine work. In the Auto eDrive setting, the car decides whether to use electric or petrol based on how hard the driver is pressing the accelerator and the car’s speed.

Below 60mph and when not accelerating too hard the battery is employed. Push harder or get to higher speeds and the car switches to petrol. It’s essentially like a regular hybrid, such as Toyota’s Prius.

Read more: Express

The U.K. Wants to Lead World in Driverless and Electric Vehicles

Autonomous Driving, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment

The U.K. government plans to invest more than 800 million pounds ($1 billion) in new driverless and zero-emission vehicle technology as it seeks to boost its economy while leaving the European Union.

Investment in research and new recharging infrastructure is intended to make Britain a “leader” in electric and autonomous vehicles, Queen Elizabeth II said in a speech marking the state opening of Parliament in London on Wednesday. The technology may be worth 28 billion pounds to the economy by 2035, the government estimates.

In order to deliver on that goal, the government will:

  • Extend mandatory vehicle insurance to cover the use of automated vehicles
  • Set a target for almost every car and van to be zero emission by 2050
  • Allow government to require motorway service areas and large gasoline stations to install electric vehicle recharging points
  • Require a set of common standards for charging points so they can be used widely across all vehicles
  • Invest 200 million pounds in researching and testing driverless car infrastructure and 600 million pounds during the course of this Parliament in supporting the ultra-low emission vehicles, sums which had been previously announced

The measures were welcomed by businesses, which had been concerned that Prime Minister Theresa May’s focus on withdrawing Britain from the European Union would push issues like air pollution down the agenda.

“It is encouraging to see the government’s desire to make the U.K. a leader in new industries and enhance its role on the world stage,”

said Nick Molho, executive director of the Aldersgate Group, an alliance of business leaders, politicians and non-profit groups that’s pressing the Treasury on environmental policies.

Read more: Bloomberg