Global Crisis

The 2012 Paris Auto Show is underway and BMW has once again trotted out the concept i3, albeit with a new interior. There aren't much changes to the interior, just different materials and colors and the outside is still the same as we've seen for over a year now. With the launch of the i3 about a year away, I suspect we won't get our first glimpse of the real production version until after the New Year, probably at one of the early 2013 Auto Shows. While Paris didn't reveal anything new about the outward looks of the car, BMW did put out a nice display of the CFRP body shell and drive module, take a look:

Bimmerpost was the first to get a decent shot of an i3's dashboard. While much is still covered and the dashboard is obviously not in finished trim, you can see a lot of what BMW has kept and what they have changed from the concept i3. Compare this new photo with the concept i3 below:











BMW is keeping the gear shift know on the steering column. That oval 'Q' looking knob is the gear selector. If you push it forward you put the car in drive and if you pull back all the way you put it in reverse. I guess somewhere in the middle is neutral, there must be a distinctive click or resistance when you pass neutral or it would be difficult to know when you have placed it in neutral. The start/stop button is also on the steering column.

The two main instrumentation panels appear to be similar in size and location as the concept, and if you expand the picture to the right it looks like the display on the drivers instrument cluster is very close to what the concept i3 display looked like. It is fuzzy, but you can clearly see the main display is just about exactly what the concept display showed. You can see the current speed in the center, surrounded by an oval which displays the level of energy you are either using or gaining with regenerative braking. On the left is the outside temperature and on the right is the amount of miles you have driven on the current trip. Along the bottom there is line that represents the battery charge level with the estimated remaining miles you have before needing to plug in. If indeed I am correct about the oval circle encompassing the speed indicator, and all that is displayed is an amount of bars to show you if you are using or recapturing energy, then I will be disappointed. I want that to be represented in a numeric value for me to see like watt hours per mile. Five bars doesn't tell me anything about how much energy I'm using or how much I'm gaining by driving down a long hill. I'd like to see the actual energy flow in real value, not just bars please. I do like this small simple display unit though, and expect the production one to be all screen, unlike the one in the photo that has more painted surface than screen.

Now to the center stack console and here is where it gets a little dicey in my opinion. I'm not a fan of what I see in the picture. In fact it reminds me of the center stack console of my late 90's Honda Civic. I'm not going to go all out and slam it yet because the best feature, the large display screen is covered and hidden from view. However I can't help but look at what is visible, compare it to the concept i3 console and wonder what went wrong. They kept the tray to hold items between the controls and the display which I think is nice to have, but the button arrangement, vents and knobs remind me of something from the past, not the future of personal mobility. I loved the simple, modern, streamlined look of the concept i3's dash and I guess I was hoping for more of that look. I'm not giving up yet though because most of the dash is still covered and who knows, this might not even be the real production dash. The steering wheel was borrowed from a 3 series so perhaps what we see is only partially correct, however I have to believe what we see here is mostly what we'll get.

I know production cars never quite live up to the concept form. Designers can do wild things when they are making one car, and often some of the aspects of the things they dream up don't translate to making an affordable production vehicle, so changes are made. I doubt the manufacturers say "Yeah this concept is gorgeous, too nice for the public in fact so let's ugly it up a bit". I just really liked the look of the concept i3 interior (more so than the look of the exterior)and hope BMW manages to bring as much of it to the production version as possible.

In the video above Dr Jörg Pohlman, managing director of  SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers speaks to Altair ProductDesign about the company's partnership with BMW. BMW partnered with SGL Group to form SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers to manufacturer the composite materials with would be used on the i3 and other future BMW vehicles.

The extensive use of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics is a cornerstone of BMW i's plans on producing low weight, efficient electric vehicles. However BMW clearly has plans to integrate more and more composites into the production of their gasoline and diesel vehicles also to improve efficiency. Because of their 49% stake in SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers Dr Pohlman believes BMW is leading the automotive industry in the use of composites and is in fact three to five years ahead of any of their competition in this area.

The CFRP passenger cell of an early version of the i3 undergoing internal crash test simulations

Auto Motor Sport just put up a new video of an i3 caught doing hot weather testing in Spain. You can check it out here: BMW i3 Hot weather Testing video

Autocar recently posted the latest pictures of an i3 during what is described as hot weather testing somewhere in Southern Europe. It would seem from the pictures the car had some kind of mechanical failure because they appear to be trying to recharge or 'jump' the 12 volt battery.

The car is still very well disguised and even the interior shots show they have everything covered to prevent anyone form getting real images of what they are working on, but a couple things do stand out. The steering column is long and really comes a long way from the dash, just like it does in the concept i3. The car also has basically the same display panels as the concept i3, with a small rectangular display on top of the steering column and a larger display in the center stack, however both had a fabric cover over them. After seeing changes in the body style in all the test cars for over a year, now every new set of spy photographs show the same thing, so I think it's safe to say they have the final production form decided. With the car 12 months away from it's rumored launch, I suspect they would have to have that set in stone by now so they can begin to get the production molds/stamps ready.

This is the first time I've seen a picture of the hood open. It shows what looks like a small storage area or 'frunk'. I've been told there will be some storage space under the front hood, but that it will be a small compartment. What I'm not sure about is whether the REx version will house the engine up there though, in which case the REx option would eliminate any storage space you may have in the frunk. It's also clear to see from the pictures the headlights are not production, and just there to make the test car street legal. The one thing I found particularly interesting in the photo I posted on the top was that it looks like the car may have a B-pillar. That is something I wasn't expecting as the concept didn't and the BMW program managers seemed to proudly talk about how the car was so easy to get in and out of without the need for a B-pillar. It's hard to tell and what I'm interpreting as the possible B-pillar may well be the weather stripping from the coach door seal so I'm going to hold off an saying the car does have a B-pillar until I get better photographic proof. You can click on the picture to enlarge it and tell me what you think.

BMW i just posted a new concept i3 video that shows how the i3 will integrate into the owners day by coordinating charging needs with available public charging infrastructure that is along the route the person will be traveling for various appointments in the day. It doesn't reveal anything specific, but it does show you what BMW is thinking about for the car.
Perhaps more details information will be available at the Born Electric World Tour events.   

The Concept i3 on display in Rome

I recently did a post to announce the BMW i Born Electric world tour. Now that the tour has begun, John Voelcker of Green Car Reports asked me to to a story on the tour for GCR. There isn't to much details yet about what exactly was discussed, but we know the tour is more than just a venue to display the i3 and i8.

Stacy Morris of BMW i told me there will be different content in each of the stops, custom tailoring the discussions and workshops on how BMW i will integrate with that particular city. The New York tour stop is in November and you can bet I'll be there! You can read the entire GCR article here.

Ever since the i3 was first announced BMW has been promising the car will be a 'revolutionary' type of automobile. From the new Life Drive architecture to being the first series production car to employ such extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics, plus the fact that it will be the first battery electric vehicle BMW sells, it's been obvious the goal has been for the i3 to break new ground.


However little has been said about what might be one of the most unique features the car will have; it may very well be the first car ever sold that actually drives itself! The i3 is rumored to have the following:

Adaptive cruise control with stop and go: The car will maintain a consistent distance from the car in front of it, slowing up and accelerating as it does. It will even come to a stop and accelerate once again as the lead car does.

Passive Front Protection: The i3 will detect a possible collision whether it be another vehicle, object or pedestrian and alert the driver. If the driver doesn't react to avoid the collision the car can apply the brakes itself and stop to avoid the accident.

Traffic Jam Assistant: While driving 27 mph and slower, the i3 will basically drive itself by combining the adoptive cruise control and the ability to stay centered within the markings of the lane you are in. The driver will need to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel as a safety feature.

 Parking Assistant: The i3 will parallel park itself. This isn't as groundbreaking as Traffic Jam Assistant because it is offered by other automakers, but it's good to see it there also.

Whether or not the Traffic Jam Assistant makes it to the production i3 remains to be seen. I'm sure NHTSA is going to want to really take a look at this and BMW's lawyers may even have some kind of disclaimer for the customer to sign before the system is activated. I assume some people wouldn't want to use this out of fear of it malfunctioning. Personally I'd love to have it in my i3. I can see myself using it in stop and go traffic, and even on my trips into New York City. I'd like to think it will relieve some of the stress of city driving with congested streets and frequent slowing down and then speeding up. I'd like to hear what you think so please leave a comment. Are you ready for a self driving electric vehicle yet?

Can the interior of a car be bigger then the exterior is? That seems to be the case when I talk to people that have seen and driven in the 2013 BMW i3. I'm not talking about the concept i3 that has been floating around for about 8 months now, I've had the opportunity to speak to people that have driven in a real one during testing.

Just a couple weeks ago I spoke to BMW board member Ian Robertson at the New York Auto Show. Ian was there to make a speech and introduce the new BMW lineup showcased at the show. Right before he was to go on stage for the speech, I just about bumped into him so I introduced myself and we spoke for a good ten minutes. After we spoke for a while he recognized me as the MINI-E pioneer that drove the most miles and he asked how I liked my ActiveE so far. He then told me he recently drove an i3 and promised I would not be disappointed. He sighted the life-drive architecture and floor mounted battery as being responsible for the great performance and the optimization of space in the passenger compartment, allowing the car to feel much larger than what it actually is. Ian isn't the only person I've heard that from either. Also, since the battery is mounted so low and is completely flat, the interior has no transmission tunnel at all and allows the floor to be flat straight across unlike any passenger car that I've ever seen. This, along with the 'bench style' front seats will allow the front passengers to enter or exit the car from either side with ease.

The i3 is also taller and wider than any other car in its class and will have a lot of glass(although not as much as the concept i3 that has glass doors and roof!) providing great outward vision in all directions. This also adds to the feeling of openness. So it seems smaller is bigger with the i3, I hope to get the opportunity to see first hand sometime soon!

Even though the i3 is only 8 inches longer than a MINI Cooper, the interior is much more spacious