We arrived to a professional welcome, and after a few minutes we were ready to drive. I had driven an i3 before, and so this was to convince my wife that electric cars work.
BMW i3 Test Drive (Image: T. Larkum)
We took off like a rocket. The quiet and responsiveness of electric cars is uncanny, and the i3, as a lightweight 4 seater, is particularly nippy. We are used to automatics, but with petrol cars there is always a bit of a lag for automatics to kick in – not so for an electric. High torque delivered straight to the road makes for an exhilarating ride, and the low centre of mass from the underslung batteries gives marvellous handling.
BMW i3 Test Drive: Interior (Image: T. Larkum)
The car is a little small for our family, so we shall look at alternatives, but I was delighted that, having driven an all-electric plug-in for the first time, my wife could clearly see that this was a real car which could really work and save us money. Next stop is the Nissan Leaf.
The new Tesla electric car, unveiled yesterday by the company’s wunderkind CEO Elon Musk, is the by far its fastest model, and has a range of new smart functions.
Some were left disappointed that The D – which is actually called Model S P85D – is essentially an upgraded version of Model S electric sedan.
Rumours of a self-driving car may have been a little off the mark, but The Model D does introduce certain autonomous vehicle capabilities.
Here are the five best reasons to be excited for Tesla’s new supercar.
It’s really fast
This is Tesla’s fastest car ever, and actually one of the fastest sedans ever, electric or otherwise. The Model D’s dual motors enable it to hit 60 miles per hour in just 3.2 seconds.
That acceleration is as fast as a McLaren F1, and even faster than a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.
Tesla has built an honest-to-god electric sports car. Elon Musk told USA Today:
“It’s like having your own personal roller coaster.”
Safety first
Autopilot, as Tesla have quite succinctly named it, is the Model D’s brain.
It uses a forward mounted radar, a camera and 12 sensors with a sight range of 16 feet all of which are connected to the streering, brake and GPS.
Tesla Model D Autopilot
This Model D brain improves safety, as well as giving the driver some treats that we’ll get into shortly.
The car can detect and avoid pedestrians, and will also brake to avoid collisions with vehicles up in front.
Musk said the sensors can “see a small child, or even a dog” even when it’s at full speed.
Volkswagen is presenting four new models at the Paris Motor Show which begins today (2 October). Along with the XL Sport concept car – a highlight in terms of its drive system, efficiency and aerodynamics – the new Passat GTE makes its debut in Paris with a plug-in hybrid system. Rounding out the Volkswagen presence at the motor show are the world premieres of the Golf Alltrack with all-wheel drive and a distinctive off-road look and the new extremely sporty Polo GTI.
As a follow-up to the Golf GTE2, Volkswagen is now presenting the Passat GTE3 in Paris. The plug-in hybrid comes with a 1.4-litre TSI engine (115 kW / 156 PS) combined with an electric motor (85 kW / 115 PS) which is supplied with energy by a lithium-ion battery. Fusion of the two drive units generates a system power of 160 kW / 218 PS and enables a driving range of over 1,000 km.
In all-electric driving, it can cover over 50 km. The plug-in hybrid drive has a maximum torque of 400 Nm. The car’s eco-friendly and efficient NEDC fuel consumption is 2.0 l/100 km and 13.0 kWh/100 km – CO2 emissions are less than 45 g/km. The front-wheel drive car with a 6-speed dual clutch gearbox accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 8.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of over 220 km/h. In its all-electric driving mode, a top speed of 130 km/h is possible. The Passat GTE can be ordered in the Estate or Saloon version.
The all-new Volvo XC90 has made its Paris Motor Show debut.
The first Volvo XC90 was launched way back in 2002, but now Volvo has finally taken the wraps off the all-new XC90 model. The large premium SUV is due on sale in the UK in spring 2015 with a starting price of £45,785 for the D5 AWD Momentum model.
On display at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the second-generation SUV is dripping with the Swedish manufacturer’s technological know-how and will become of one the safest, most hi-tech and most economical SUVs on the market when first customer deliveries begin in April.
With longer, taller and lower dimensions than the current model, the new Volvo XC90 will be the first all-new car to emerge under the brand’s current Chinese ownership. It faces off against rival premium SUVs like the BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg and Mercedes M-Class.
A new 390bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain will also be offered in the XC90, which combines the 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor. Despite being the most powerful variant it’s also the most efficient thanks to CO2 emission of only 60g/km. Its closest rival, the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, only manages 79g/km.
Following the successful launch of the ‘i’ sub-brand, BMW is now expanding production capabilities in anticipation of electrifying its conventional fleet of vehicles.
Two new production lines building electric motors and the lithium-ion battery packs that supply them with energy have been commissioned for the German carmaker’s Dingolfing plant. More than 200 additional staff are expected to operate the lines, which are said to cost “a high double-digit million euro amount” over the next five years.
It’s an essential expense for BMW, which has plans to offer plug-in hybrid versions of models ranging from the 7 Series limousine to the X5 SUV to the humble 3 Series, its best-selling car. The company has expertise in building electric hardware for the i3 and i8 in-house; the next step is to integrate the technology in its high-volume vehicles.
The technology will arrive under the ‘eDrive’ banner, with electric motors mated to highly efficient turbocharged gasoline engines, delviering outstanding overall fuel economy and the ability to travel reasonable distances solely using electric power. BMW’s incipient plug-in hybrids are also likely to be fast, developing in excess of 250 hp from their two power sources.
While the BMW i8 supercar (review) was BMW’s first plug-in hybrid, at $136,000 it is exclusive. Standard ‘eDrive’ plug-in hybrids will be more affordable, and although a slight premium is expected, they will broadly match gasoline-only models in price. Hardware for both the ‘i’ and ‘eDrive’ models will be built on the same lines, with the X5 eDrive the first of the new breed to arrive in 2015.
BMW is well placed to capitalize from consumers who are increasingly aware of the benefits of plug-in hybrid technology and are already loyal to the brand. It will, however, face competition from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo, all of whom are preparing for widespread electrification of the their model lines.
So analysts and car company leaders see a steady decline for sales of diesels here in Europe – diesels that have commanded half of the new-vehicle market for decades. We are heading into the age of the hybrid and the plug-in hybrid. That realization in Paris was without question, surreal.
The most important new Volvo in quite some time has made its first auto show appearance, with the second-generation XC90 debuting at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.
The new XC90 remains a three-row crossover for 2015, although it ditches the first-gen model’s top-end, turbocharged six-cylinder in favor of a single twin-charged, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. By pairing that with a plug-in-electric powertrain, the king of the XC90 range, the T8 TwinEngine, will offer up 400 horsepower. So yeah, performance should be brisk.
Also appearing on 2015 XC90 will be an entirely new, Apple CarPlay-compatible infotainment system with a big, vertical touchscreen display at its heart. Based on the videos we’ve seen, the new system looks responsive, feature-laden and quite attractive.
Audi R8 e-tron plug-in hybrid (Image: Poblete) Audi R&D boss confirms all-electric version of new 2015 R8, plus plug-in hybrid model is possible, too
Audi’s head of technical development, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, has confirmed that the new R8 supercar, due next year, will be offered as an all-electric e-tron model with a range of 250 miles. A plug-in hybrid variant, using a development of the powertrain from the Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4, is also under consideration.
The new R8 will use a slightly stretched version of the Lamborghini Huracan’s aluminium and carbon-fibre chassis, and come with a choice of V8 and V10 engines. However, the e-tron version has been a pet project of Hackenberg’s ever since he took over his new role in June 2013.
The first R8 e-tron concept appeared in 2009, and was originally slated for a 2013 launch, but the project was canned by Hackenberg’s predecessor Wolfgang Durheimer. Hackenberg revived the project and set a target of 400km (250 miles) before it could be sold to the public. Clearly, that target has now been reached.
And his plans don’t stop there, as a version of the Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4’s plug-in hybrid powertrain could also be fitted to the new R8. The Lambo’s system uses a V10 engine and three electric motors to produce 897bhp, power all four wheels and deliver a pure electric range of 30 miles.
Hackenberg told us:
“You can make it with less power, too. The [Asterion] chassis isn’t the same as the R8, but the powertrain fits, so a plug-in hybrid is definitely a possibility. The hybrid system is an engine, gearbox, electric motors and power electronics. It’s a package; it’s just a case of making it fit.”
Member States now obliged to ensure minimum coverage of refuelling points for EU-wide mobility
New EU rules have been adopted today to ensure the build-up of alternative refuelling points across Europe with common standards for their design and use, including a common plug for recharging electric vehicles. Member States must set and make public their targets and present their national policy frameworks by end-2016.
“Alternative fuels are key to improving the security of energy supply, reducing the impact of transport on the environment and boosting EU competitiveness”,
said Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, commissioner for transport.
“With these new rules, the EU provides long-awaited legal certainty for companies to start investing, and the possibility for economies of scale. EU Member States requested flexibility in deploying the infrastructure. It is now up to them to develop the right national policy frameworks.”
Up to now, clean fuels have been held back by three main barriers: the high cost of vehicles, a low level of consumer acceptance, and the lack of recharging and refuelling stations. This is a vicious circle. With the new “directive for the deployment of the alternative fuels infrastructure”, Member States will have to provide a minimum infrastructure for alternative fuels such as electricity, hydrogen and natural gas, as well as common EU-wide standards for equipment needed and user information. Access to liquefied natural gas (LNG) for inland barges and maritime ships will provide a realistic option to meet challenges on lower emissions, in particular stricter sulphur emission limits in sensitive areas.
The directive sets a regulatory framework for the following fuels:
Electricity: The directive requires Member States to set targets for recharging points accessible to the public, to be built by 2020, to ensure that electric vehicles can circulate at least in urban and suburban agglomerations. Targets should ideally foresee a minimum of one recharging point per ten electric vehicles. Moreover, the directive makes it mandatory to use a common plug all across the EU, which will allow EU-wide mobility.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): Natural gas/bio-methane vehicles offer today a well-developed technology, with performances and cost equivalent to petrol or diesel units and with clean exhaust emissions. Natural gas use in trucks and ships can substitute diesel. For the development of LNG for road transport, Member States have to ensure a sufficient number of publicly accessible refuelling points, with common standards, on the TEN-T core network (see IP/13/948), ideally every 400 km, to be built by end-2025. The directive also requires a minimum coverage to ensure accessibility of LNG in main maritime and inland ports.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG): The directive requires Member States to ensure a sufficient number of publicly accessible refuelling points, with common standards, to allow the circulation of CNG vehicles, both in urban and sub-urban areas as well as on the TEN-T core network, ideally every 150 km, to be built by end-2025.
Hydrogen: The directive aims at ensuring a sufficient number of publicly accessible refuelling points, with common standards, in the Member States who opt for hydrogen infrastructure, to be built by end-2025.
In addition, the directive requires that clear information is given to consumers about the fuels that can be used by a vehicle, using standardised labelling in vehicle manuals, at dealerships and on the recharging and refuelling points. It also aims at providing clear information to users to compare alternative fuel prices with conventional fuel prices. Moreover, Member States must ensure that information about the geographical location of publicly accessible recharging and refuelling points is made available in an open and non-discriminatory manner.
More powerful plug-in hybrid version of V6 diesel to get first showing in Audi A8 e-tron, then rolled across the range
Audi will add a second more powerful e-tron drivetrain to its model range using the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel, appearing first in the Audi A8 e-tron.
The new model follows the smaller A3 e-tron Sportback, which uses a smaller 1.4-litre engine paired to an electric motor. The new set-up will be used to power larger models in the range, and Audi’s board ember for technical development Dr Ulrich Hackenberg confirmed that the A8 would be the first car to get the tech.
There were no details on the size of electric motor, but Audi did confirm that the new system would have 368bhp and up to 700Nm of torque. The manufacturer also confirmed that it would have an all-electric range of 30 miles.
The new system will be presented at the beginning of 2015, before going into production. It will then rolled out across other cars in the range. Dr Hackenberg told us. “The 3.0-litre e-tron will be used in different cars. The plugin hybrid is an exciting combination.” That means it’s likely to turn up in things like the Q7 and A6, too.
Dr Hackenberg also revealed that the the A8 e-tron should boast some impressive figures when it does arrive. “It will go under the 100g/km barrier, especially in Europe,” he explained.
