Electric Times, Is BBA No Longer Attractive?

“Your uncle is still your uncle” – Such an impulsive response is difficult to convince.

Let’s take a closer look at what new forces are doing when making luxury car models:

Snatching up the labels of smart, electric, and technology in design, pursuing identification and brand design language;

Materials, configurations, and interior furnishings hope to match BBA;

In terms of electric power, rely on high power to pursue acceleration, hoping to surpass the performance of luxury car models…

Faced with these measures, how have traditional luxury brands responded?

In BBA, BMW has always been the most active in promoting electrification and digitalization. Through model after model, BMW interprets its understanding of electric luxury. And BMW’s latest masterpiece is the new BMW i3.

The design of the new BMW i3 retains the double kidney grille, which is recognized at a glance as a BMW, while employing completely new aesthetic design principles that lead the trend.

The luxury of the new BMW i3 breaks free from the low-level aesthetic of layering, implanting sustainable and digital connotations into luxury, once again leading the trend of luxury.

The movement of the new BMW i3 is perfect control of electric drive, not limited to shorter zero-to-hundred acceleration times, but comprehensive driving enjoyment.

“The concept instilled by new automakers that ‘traditional automakers are just converting from oil to electric’ can no longer be maintained. The new BMW i3 is the counterattack by traditional luxury automakers.”

“The balance of design, luxury, and movement is exactly what BMW has done for over a hundred years. In the field of electric power, in the face of fierce competition from new rivals and old competitors, the new BMW i3 once again interprets its understanding of new-era luxury sedans.”

Recently, Electric Vehicle Observer conducted a test drive of the new BMW i3 in Beijing.

It’s Design, But More Importantly, It’s Functionality

Over-design has been prevalent in electric cars in recent years.

Many new automakers hope to use new design concepts such as split headlights and roof-mounted cameras to capture the user’s attention, which is understandable. But should the exterior of an electric car look like this?

The answer is obviously no.

“Exterior design of an electric car shouldn’t just be made to show off its differences. Returning to the origin of design, design should serve a purpose.” Especially for electric vehicles from luxury brands, designers face the challenge of integrating new electric elements while maintaining the brand’s established classic design elements and considering functionality.

The exterior design of the new BMW i3 is a perfect example.

“First, the exterior immediately recognizes this as a BMW electric vehicle. The sporty genes inherent in the new BMW i3 distinguish it from other electric cars.”

The design features such as the double kidney grille and the Hofmeister kink that have been used since the first generation 3 Series are retained in the all-new BMW i3. By empowering movement with the classics, the distinctive family style is retained while adding dynamic visual effects, achieving multiple goals with one step. Continuing the classics does not mean copying them, and the all-new BMW i3 interprets a different aesthetic of movement in the era of electric power through various breakthroughs and innovations.

On the front of the all-new BMW i3, a higher and more layered fully enclosed double kidney grille combines with the eyebrows of the left and right headlights to form a complete line, cutting out a sharp corner vertically, parallel to the same line that runs through left and right below, fully highlighting the aggressive and dynamic sports temperament. The lines on the left and right surrounds and the intelligent air intakes also converge towards the center with the same strength, further enhancing the atmosphere of sporty movement.

The “angel eyes” LED headlights, another classic BMW element, have also evolved and upgraded in the all-new BMW i3. While retaining the essence of the classic dual-circular lights, by combining the turn signal and daytime running lights into one slim “eye”, it creates a futuristic sense of technology and makes the “gaze” more condensed and concise. However, this poses some major challenges in engineering. To simultaneously meet the requirements of both visual effect and functionality, designers and engineers worked together and boldly innovated, ultimately presenting the brand new inverted L-shaped “angel eyes” headlights that meet collision safety standards.

Aerodynamic design is a key design element for enhancing the overall vehicle movement. The “shark gills” on the body of the all-new BMW i3 can effectively improve aerodynamic performance. BMW designers embedded the aerodynamic “shark gills” flow channel derived from racing along the vehicle’s side lines to create a feeling of poised to strike, in addition to the visual effects of movement senses. More importantly, it has a substantial effect of reducing turbulence and decomposing air vortex.In addition, the designer has added partitions to the “shark gill” duct in the best position inside through a large number of experiments, which can avoid damaging the car’s paint due to stones entering when passing through sandy roads, cleverly balancing daily practicality. Upon careful observation, there are no exposed fixed screws or connection points on the entire side vent, reflecting BMW’s relentless pursuit of details, superb car-making craftsmanship, and truly seamless integration of the “shark gill”.

The new BMW i3’s rear end gets rid of the constraints of traditional fuel-powered models’ exhaust pipes and adopts a flatter and wider rear diffuser in the original position, creating a more powerful and full visual impact, while helping air to pass through quickly and form a strong downward pressure, ensuring that the car body is always firmly “nailed” to the road during high-speed driving, providing the driver with an ultimate and enjoyable driving experience, once again giving practical significance to the design.

The new 19-inch aerodynamic wheels with a new look also create an exceptionally avant-garde futuristic feel for the new BMW i3 with their 3D appearance. The full-metal wheels apply a lighter aluminum alloy material, reducing the weight by about 15% compared to the previous generation, and the finely polished surface allows air to flow through quickly, combined with customized low rolling resistance tires, further reducing wind resistance and energy consumption.

Less is more. Guided by the principle of “efficiency first, sportiness second,” BMW insists on designing for functional service, with a vehicle drag coefficient as low as 0.24Cd. The exterior design alone showcases the essence of sportiness, taking dynamic performance to new heights.

This is the luxury of design, it is design, but it is also functionality.

It’s luxury, but also style.

Luxury should not be excessive.

True luxury should be a comprehensive luxury of tactile, visual, and auditory experiences, a heritage of craftsmanship accumulated over the years, and a relentless pursuit of customer-centric innovation. Therefore, the best at creating luxury are still luxury brands.

Dynamic tactile feel, dazzling visual impact, and immersive auditory experience, the three aspects are combined, this is the luxury presented by the new BMW i3.

The new BMW i3 adopts a new style and color matching streamline center console, presenting a visible and comprehensive upgrade of luxury style. The renewed “function island” design concept simplifies the strokes after physical buttons, bringing a new modern interior design style.The exquisitely designed new shift lever improves the shifting experience and creates a simple and atmospheric driving environment, while reserving more space for the central control area. The black high-gloss decorative strip used in the central control area is naturally streamlined, highlighting the low-key and luxurious visual appeal. The black high-gloss decorative strip on the dashboard can also avoid reflection, further ensuring driving safety, reflecting the meticulous care for consumers from the details.

In terms of interior materials, the new BMW i3 adopts the more environmentally friendly Sensatec 2.0 synthetic leather to wrap thickened seats, which are more comfortable. Behind the soft and comfortable seats of the new BMW i3, engineers integrated dozens of experiments and quality inspections on hundreds of components, and carried out secondary foaming treatment on the seat cushion and backrest according to Chinese consumers’ habits. Ultimately, consumers will enjoy seat length and backrest width that far exceeds those of the same level, as well as a sofa-like comfort and better safety.

The rear space of the new BMW i3 shows BMW’s uncompromising attitude towards comfortable space. The new BMW i3 has the same low floor as a fuel car, avoiding the common problem of electric cars of having a small stool. Passengers’ legs can be freely extended. Moreover, thanks to the ultra-long axis of 2,966mm, the new BMW i3 offers a spacious knee room of 116mm, and the unchanged internal height of 953mm ensures ample headroom. Extended seat cushions and a 27° seat tilt angle make the sitting position more ergonomic. In addition, the rear seats come with comfortable headrests as standard, providing excellent practical luxury for rear passengers.

In addition to the touch experience, the new BMW i3 also brings luxurious visual enjoyment.

Adhering to the BMW philosophy of “centered on the driver”, the new BMW i3 is equipped with an integrated suspended curved screen, which integrates a 14.9-inch touch screen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The display effect is delicate, creating an excellent digital luxury visual experience and becoming the core of the new BMW i3’s visual luxury. The curved screen also adopts a design that is tilted 6 degrees towards the driver, making the touch of the driver more natural and smooth.See the English Markdown text below, which preserves HTML tags and only outputs corrections and improvements:

The enhanced practicality of the new BMW i3 is also reflected in its infotainment system. As the first domestic vehicle model to adopt BMW’s iDrive 8.0 intelligent human-machine interaction system, the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant equipped in the new BMW i3 has also been upgraded, with breath-style light balls of different sizes and brightness used to provide more visual emotional expression capability. Based on a completely new interface layout and interaction concept, the coordination between the in-car displays has been further optimized for more diversified and user-friendly human-vehicle interaction.

Standard ambient lighting in 9 different variants creates a unique light sensation within the driving compartment. The newly added direct waterfall-style ambient lighting design allows light to flow down behind the front seats like a waterfall, delivering a powerful visual effect and showcasing the model’s luxury and style.

As far as sound quality is concerned, the new BMW i3 maintains its advantage.

A total of 17 speakers with a total power output of 535W from Harmon/Kardon and an equalizer with seven dimensions precision adjustment have been set up inside the vehicle, resulting in a 360-Degree immersive listening experience created by high-quality sound systems and a well-designed acoustic layout, as well as personalized sound settings that provide a luxurious experience akin to bespoke customization.

To ensure even better sound quality, BMW designers have redesigned the speaker layout based on the interior space of the i3, and added a subwoofer beneath the trunk cover to enhance low-frequency effects. This not only helps to propagate low-frequency sounds throughout the passenger compartment from the rear of the car but also further improves the bass performance through sufficient air vibration.

Noise insulation is an essential dimension of luxurious driving experience. In practice, noise-insulating materials are integrated into the windshield, roof, doors, carpet, and other components of the new BMW i3, resulting in an excellent noise-insulating effect and a quiet and private cabin. Coupled with its superior sound system, the overall luxury atmosphere has been greatly enhanced.

The new BMW i3 inherits the styling and taste of the BMW 3 series and takes it to the next level in terms of vision, touch, and sound, bringing together innovative inspiration, industrial aesthetics, and attention to detail. It avoids redundancy and excessiveness and is designed to meet the practical needs of customers with meticulous attention to detail and well-proportioned luxury.

It’s an EV, but also a Sports Car

No one can question BMW’s focus on the sporty attributes of its vehicles. So how does the new BMW i3 achieve a sporty driving experience?

The answer lies in the model’s “Golden powertrain combination” and solid mechanical qualities.

Firstly, the foundation of a sporty driving experience is a powerful driving force.

The answer to zero-to-hundred acceleration in 6.2 seconds is the all-new BMW i3. As a single-motor electric vehicle, the all-new BMW i3 is a leader.

In terms of power, the all-new BMW i3 has the “golden power combination” of the electric era, using the fifth-generation BMW eDrive electric drive technology, with a total power of 210 kW and a maximum torque of 400 N・m from the magnet synchronous motor.

The advantages of the magnet synchronous motor are manifold. First, it does not require rare earths and is more environmentally friendly. Second, the magnetic field of the permanent magnet motor is fixed, while the excitation synchronous motor can adjust the excitation current to adjust the magnetic field, and then adjust the speed. It can maintain very fast response speed no matter which power range it is in.

In addition, the all-new BMW i3 places the excitation synchronous motor above the rear axle, and the power can be directly output to the wheels through the transmission system. Compared with the front-engine/rear-wheel-drive of the fuel-powered 3 series, there is no central drive shaft, and the power transmission is more efficient.

Secondly, on the basis of strong power, excellent mechanical properties are the pride of the all-new BMW i3 as a sporty sedan.

To ensure more sports performance, the all-new BMW i3 adopts new technologies in chassis tuning and active body posture management.

In terms of chassis layout, the all-new BMW i3 has a lower center of gravity, 44mm lower than the 3 series, and a wider front and rear wheelbase, with a lower and more aggressive overall posture. By arranging front and rear anti-roll bars on the top of the front suspension strut in the engine compartment and on the chassis, the body rigidity is further improved.

The all-new BMW i3 is also equipped with DSC dynamic stability control system, including ARB anti-slip stability control unit, to efficiently work together to provide better traction and grip for the vehicle, effectively reducing understeer and other conditions. When encountering wheel slip, it can quickly adjust the body posture.

During the on-site test drive, we drove the brand new BMW i3 and experienced drifting, which was a great pleasure. With 400 N·m motor torque, the brand new BMW i3 can easily enter the steering transition state. By timely turning the steering wheel and adjusting the throttle, the driver can bring the vehicle back to normal driving state. Throughout the entire drifting process, the body posture of the brand new BMW i3 is perfect, easy to control, fully reflecting the driving fun. When driving out of the field, the front and rear suspension equipped with the innovative HRS hydraulic rebound damping technology of the brand new BMW i3 easily filters out small bumps, and together with the rear axle’s first adaptive air suspension, the vehicle body has a smoother and more comfortable driving experience when passing over speed bumps.

As BMW believes, it would be regrettable if “fast” is regarded as all the driving pleasure of electric vehicles today. The sporty characteristics of electric vehicles should not just be the collage of motor power or the acceleration time to 100 km/h. The reserve of power brought by electric power, combined with stronger power, can enhance the handling experience, which is the driving pleasure that electric vehicles should have.

The brand new BMW i3 undoubtedly scored highly in achieving more sportiness with electric power.

The Iconic Non-Compromising Model

The reason why traditional luxury car brands continue to thrive in the fuel car market is that they dare to face new challenges and make strong responses.

BMW’s performance on electric cars is another example.

The brand new BMW i3 is BMW’s latest masterpiece based on a new perspective on pure electric vehicles, which is completely different from traditional automakers’ “oil-to-electric” approach.

A significant feature is that the brand new BMW i3 and the fuel version of the 3 Series are different in size.

Compared with the fuel version, the brand new BMW i3 is longer, wider, has a larger wheelbase, and a greater distance between wheels, which is undoubtedly more suitable for the layout of the power battery pack and can carry more battery power. The brand new BMW i3 is equipped with a 70 kWh high-nickel ternary lithium battery pack, allowing the vehicle to travel up to 526 km on the CLTC standard, far exceeding the “oil-to-electric” models.

Some “oil-to-electric” models have to invade the passenger space and raise the cabin floor height in order to load more batteries, making the rear seat height insufficient, as if sitting on a small bench. However, when the brand new BMW i3 carries these batteries, it does not affect the cabin height space, and the rear seats are still comfortable and spacious.

Another significant feature is that the brand new BMW i3 inherits the rear-wheel drive driving pleasure of the fuel version of the 3 Series. Typical “oil-to-electric” models often choose front-wheel drive because the position of the front compartment after removing the engine is suitable for placing the electric motor, which is just connected to the front axle.In the spirit of uncompromising attitude, the all-new BMW i3 not only maintains the rear-wheel drive layout, but also designs and develops a new cast aluminum alloy subframe for electric cars. The car is equipped with an adaptive air suspension for the first time, allowing consumers to enjoy the classic driving pleasure of the 3 Series, and even more stability and comfort in bumpy road conditions.

Whether it is any form of driving, BMW adheres to the sports spirit and luxury characteristics in its genes, pursuing the driving pleasure of the model. The all-new BMW i3, with its line-up of inheritance, luxury and sporty electric models, is a model of BMW’s uncompromising spirit.

Of course, it is precisely in this process of never compromising and self-challenging that the all-new BMW i3 has achieved self-breakthroughs and presented a new classic of luxury and sports in the electric era.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.