Text Translation
“Lifting a kettle for a fill” road test
Thanks to the characteristics of electric motors, the explosive acceleration of 0-100 km/h is no longer exclusive to high-end sports cars. However, after breaking the threshold of speed, a new problem arises. “Dumb fast” electric cars are plentiful, but those with agile and responsive handling are rare.
Long range and fast acceleration are not the only evaluation standards for electric cars. However, after driving many electric cars, I’ve discovered that they are essentially very similar in nature. This is a kind of perception that is difficult to describe in words, like when you sit in the cabins of an Audi RS3 and a BMW 1M Coupe, you can feel the soul of both cars without listening to their sounds.
The goal of the BMW i3 is to change everyone’s perception of electric cars. As long as it’s a car built by BMW, regardless of whether it’s a gasoline-powered car or an electric car, it will inherit the “blue sky and white clouds” concept, and ensure the soul of the driving experience always soars.
What’s the plan for 2022?
To provide enough power, material stacking is almost the only way for all electric cars that focus on performance.
No matter who makes it, the most distinctive feature of an electric car is its emphasis on aerodynamic drag coefficient, battery capacity, motor torque, and the unforgettable 8155 chip.
To build an electric sports car with fast acceleration in 2022, the core issue is how large the motor and battery capacity can fit into the car cabin. This could be seen as catching the traditional automakers off-guard.
In the era of gasoline cars, the engine was the core competitive advantage of every automaker. In the era of electric cars, supply chain management is the core competitive advantage of automakers.
This is a challenge faced by traditional automakers, such as BMW; however, it has also given them a way to break through.
Mature supply chain management only lowers the entry threshold; stacking the motor and battery materials is a necessary but insufficient condition, and the core still depends on the driving experience.
Excellent electric cars still need to be easy to handle, especially for high-end race tracks. The word “sense” is a mysterious one, but when it comes to playing with cars, that’s what you crave – that subtle feeling.
How to Please Users?
The BMW i3 is based on the BMW 3 Series. One of the most interesting things I’ve found is that when the electric motor replaces the internal combustion engine, the engineers changed the layout to a rear-wheel drive setup.
Don’t they say that “there’s no luxury without rear drive”?
According to the official statement, the weight distribution ratio of this car has also reached 50:50, a number that BMW is proud of. Also, it comes with rear air suspension, and the price you need to pay is only 349,900 yuan, which is cheaper than the 7 Series that previously had rear air suspension.In the era of electrification, BMW is not subtracting, but balancing the cost and importing more desirable features, even achieving “over configuration”.
So what?
Performance itself is a concept of the more the better. When I haven’t even sat in the cockpit, I suddenly have such an idea: in the era of electrification, BMW does not gain more favor by range, intelligence or acceleration. Of course, it has what it should have. After reaching the threshold of an electric car in everyone’s mind, what it wants to achieve is an unarguable leading advantage in a certain field.
That field is handling.
Become Familiar Strangers
First of all, the zero to one hundred acceleration runs a 6.2-second, which is faster than the 7.3-second petrol version of the BMW 3 Series, which is also expected.
Looking at the motor, the maximum power of the BMW i3 has reached 210kw, and the maximum torque has reached 400N.m, exceeding the data of the BMW 330. At the end of the parameter, the romance of handling is the source of happiness.
A whole team is working to make an electric car play more like a petrol car.
The automobile industry has developed for a hundred years. Electric vehicles may be a relatively new thing, but for performance, there is actually a very mature evaluation system. So when BMW builds electric vehicles, as a top-level player in the field, its product awareness and brand image have actually determined the development of the forward track.
We used to say that BMW’s engine and ZF’s 8AT are the “golden combination.” Now that the gearbox is gradually fading out, the BMW i3 still has a golden combination in terms of performance–the fifth-generation BMW eDrive power drive system and excited synchronous motor.
If you have ever owned a 3 Series, or have ever been impressed by the experience of driving a 3 Series, when you start the BMW i3 and step on the accelerator, the familiar feeling immediately comes back. From the change in speed, the response force of the pedal, to the coordination between the sound and speed of the motor, they all replicate the experience brought by the petrol-powered BMW car at the pixel level.Compared to conventional gasoline cars, there is an additional layer of kinetic energy recovery that immediately kicks in when you lift your right foot on the accelerator pedal.
The BMW engineering team did not focus solely on energy efficiency at the expense of passenger comfort to extend the car’s driving range. Rather, they ensured the utmost comfort even if it meant sacrificing a bit of energy recovery. Compared to the more aggressive “B-mode,” “D-mode” provides a smoother driving experience that makes energy recovery an integral part of the driving process, akin to idling. This is a crucial aspect of the car’s luxurious driving experience.
High-end electric vehicles are driven by both outstanding performance and quality.
With a chassis 44mm lower than the 3 series and wider front and rear wheel tracks, coupled with its adaptative air suspension system on the rear axle, driving the BMW i3 feels more like that of a 5 series car than a replica of the 3 series, in terms of its sophistication.
Despite its weight exceeding 2000kg, when the accelerator pedal is pressed hard, the vehicle accelerates even faster than a BMW 330, giving the sensation of a massive beast unleashed. The driver is firmly pressed against the seat back as the electric motor emits an exhilarating sound in response to the soaring speed. Anyone who dares to press the accelerator pedal hard won’t hesitate to acknowledge that it’s just right.
When turning the steering wheel, the impressive body posture makes it easy to forget that this is a BMW i3 that weighs over 2000kg.
In the era of gasoline vehicles, the easiest way to improve performance was to reduce weight. But in the era of electrification, instead of decreasing weight, the vehicle’s weight is inevitably increased. Nevertheless, BMW has found a way to make the car’s steering just as comfortable as gasoline cars’. It goes to show that when faced with innate challenges, technology can compensate for any driving quality problems. The heavyweight handicap that would otherwise hamper control of the vehicle becomes insignificant, as technology revolutionizes the market and shapes consumers’ understanding of the performance of electrified vehicles. This might be another way of manifesting the “big power to surprise”!
A Gift from the Era
What has been most impressive is their unwavering pursuit of product comprehension.
This might be our biggest takeaway after spending time with the BMW i3.# All Vehicles Are Designed for The Purpose of Transportation
After all, everyone hopes for a better experience.
The experience is not just about the numbers of the acceleration, especially when the electric technology was limited and the operations face significant obstacles. Through their efforts, the BMW engineering team made i3 the biggest highlight of this period.
Of course, the market is uncertain, and both traditional automakers and new players have their strengths. This era has given every team that focuses on building electric vehicles an opportunity. It is a time for the users to experience a significant shuffle. Better hardware and more advanced technology and faster iterations will continuously enhance the experience. The ticket to the new era belongs to every brand that pursues quality, and BMW i3 has already earned its first.
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.