BMW Cuts Off Toyota, GM and Ford in California: HOV loophole

[evnow]

There are a variety of reasons but among them is the fact that a HEV actually gets better mileage and produces fewer emissions in stop and go traffic than in higher speed cruising... In other words, the opposite of the HOV.

But giving HOV access is not about having high efficiency while driving on freeway. It is one way to encourage people to buy HEVs.

Just the way people are encouraged to buy houses by making interest payment on mortgage tax free - unlike rent.

 

[TomMoloughney]

"I would like to see incentives to auto makers for high efficiency on pure electric as this encourages better design and not 5000 pound tanks with huge packs that simply waste more electricity and make no more sense then gas guzzlers."

Than you should love the i3! It has a greater electric range, is faster and handles better than anything that doesn't have a Tesla powertrain, only weighs 2,756lbs, and will be the most efficient EV on the road when it launches this year!

 

[surfingslovak]

What stickers should BMW i3 w/small ICE receive? Green, white or something else?

White. Anton, the author of this article, is a local EV enthusiast, investor and a Volt driver.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Than you should love the i3! It has a greater electric range, is faster and handles better than anything that doesn't have a Tesla powertrain, only weighs 2,756lbs, and will be the most efficient EV on the road when it launches this year!

There is so much BS out there on range that I would be extremely skeptical of anything until it could actually be tested.

But, assuming the weight is right, it has a chance with enough aerodynamic efficiency. The only drawback is battery size, which I believe will be smaller than LEAF.

 

[TomMoloughney]

Than you should love the i3! It has a greater electric range, is faster and handles better than anything that doesn't have a Tesla powertrain, only weighs 2,756lbs, and will be the most efficient EV on the road when it launches this year!

There is so much BS out there on range that I would be extremely skeptical of anything until it could actually be tested.

But, assuming the weight is right, it has a chance with enough aerodynamic efficiency. The only drawback is battery size, which I believe will be smaller than LEAF.

Yep, totally agree Tony. We need to take everything with a grain of salt until actual customers get to drive them. I hope to have the opportunity to drive an i3 well before launch and you can bet I will report on my observations.

 

[surfingslovak]

BMW- "efficient loophole dynamics" That's what they are all about, loopholes and compliance cars.

I think I understand where you are coming from. I was not a fan of the hydrogen-burning prototypes BMW was touting not long ago. There are plenty of teething issues, and much will depend on the execution and final pricing, but I like the i3 so far. It's very well conceived, and could provide a real and valuable option on the EV market. Although the ActiveE falls into the "electric tank" category, it's really fun to drive and draws a lot of attention. I'm probably not alone saying this, but I would keep it, if I could. Personally, I see the i3 as a much more evolved iteration of the city runabout idea, which the LEAF represents as well. Hopefully, it will be as fun to drive as the MINI-E. That should make quite a few people happy.

 

[TomMoloughney]

BMW- "efficient loophole dynamics" That's what they are all about, loopholes and compliance cars.

I think I understand where you are coming from. I was not a fan of the hydrogen-burning prototypes BMW was touting not long ago. There are plenty of teething issues, and much will depend on the execution and final pricing, but I like the i3 so far. It's very well conceived, and could provide a real and valuable option on the EV market. Although the ActiveE falls into the "electric tank" category, it's really fun to drive and draws a lot of attention. I'm probably not alone saying this, but I would keep it, if I could. Personally, I see the i3 as a much more evolved iteration of the city runabout idea, which the LEAF represents as well. Hopefully, it will be as fun to drive as the MINI-E. That should make quite a few people happy.

As someone that drove a MINI-E 73,000 miles I can attest to it's fun-to-drive ratio. It was a blast to drive. In fact, Michael Thwaite a roadster owner also leased a MINI-E and he would frequently tell me how much he preferred driving the MINI-E to the Roadster and he and his wife would fight to drive the MINI-E. That being said, I have talked to quite a few people that have driven pre-production i3's and they swear it's faster, handles better and is more fun to driven than the MINI-E was. We'll see...