In the race to find a suitable high-efficiency, low-emission drivetrain, BMW has gone all-in: The company announced today that it will spread the plug-in-hybrid tech from its future-powered i8 spaceship-mobile across all of its models. And the 3-series is the first in line, built on the plug-in drivetrain shown above.
BMW vows that, going forward, it will offer plug-in-hybrid versions of its “core-brand models,” beginning with a 3-series prototype to be unveiled in Miramas, France. That 3-series will feature “a four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor,” though BMW did not provide details on displacement, battery size, or expected power output. While the company says it will offer numerous plug-in versions, it’s not putting all its eggs in this sole basket, calling plug-in tech “one key lever” to bring CO2 emissions of high-performance cars down below the target of 100 grams per kilometer.
The automaker says this type of drivetrain can retain “the driving pleasure and driving dynamics of a BMW.” BMW describes its eDrive system as a modular, scalable setup, building high-voltage battery modules for cars as different as the i8 and the upcoming X5 eDrive on the same assembly line. The statement released today promises future lithium-ion battery systems with capacity “greatly in excess of current hybrid systems,” predicting an all-electric driving range of up to 62 miles.
We’ve known for some time that BMW is working on a plug-in-hybrid X5, pairing a 24o-hp 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with a 95-hp electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission, and rumor has it that the company is preparing an X3 with the same drivetrain.
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