Official BMW ActiveE thread

[malloryk]

Clippy, it's "farther"

Someone at my work got one! Pulled up to my EV parking spot this morning and there was a BMW Active E charging there. I've never seen one. It's beautiful! Now we have 3 Leafs, a Tesla and the Active E. And 4 EVSEs! Which is perfect because one person owns one of the Leafs as well as the Tesla. If we get more EV drivers here, we'll have to start sharing.

 

[Valdemar]

It goes further (or is it farther) on a 100% charge.

Not sure if Carwings can be trusted here but looks like I still had about 12 miles of usable range after my cumulative 92.8mi commute on Saturday with 2 adults and 2 kids in the car, about 60 of which were on a freeway going 60-65 and I also used the A/C for about 20 minutes, 75F weather. I did charge 2 times during the day because I had an opportunity to do so. I'd say the AE's range benefit is a moot point, but other than that congrats!

 

[Clippy]

Clippy, it's "farther"

Thanks! It's also not sitting in Vacaville for an hour doing nothing (but watching the car, lot and lots of car break-ins around there).

Not sure if Carwings can be trusted here but looks like I still had about 12 miles of usable range after my cumulative 92.8mi commute on Saturday with 2 adults and 2 kids in the car, about 60 of which were on a freeway going 60-65 and I also used the A/C for about 20 minutes, 75F weather. I did charge 2 times during the day because I had an opportunity to do so. I'd say the AE's range benefit is a moot point, but other than that congrats!

The car is a pig. I mean that in a good way. I did one of my usual 10 mile runs this am. In my Leaf I can get between 6-7 miles/kwh. In the BMW I got 3.8 (!!!!!!) I figure it's the weight. But think ahead. If I can do 3.8-4.0 with 1200 lbs of extra fine Corinthian Leather and batteries, what will the i3 do?

I don't do numbers, especially around things like Climate Change and how far I can go in a car. The climate just is and my car either does it or it doesn't (I think G-d likes it that way). As I used to say when I actually left the house to work (so far Zero Times this decade) "Unaccounted for variables are the bane of any well-ordered theory."

Since we talking CarWings....

This trip requires me to charge in Vacaville for an hour. I arrived at my destination with 8 miles flashing on the guess o meter. On the return trip I had 6 miles left but went an extra 7 miles. I figure it was the winds.

The BMW seems (<-----------Please note) to have the ability to just make this trip without having to pull off the freeway and answer emails for an hour.

And my wife loves it.

Secret VSP confession, I like the Leaf better, but the BMW is more honest (can something be "more" honest?) We were told upfront we were beta testing, expect break downs (Push the "SOS" button, get a tow--BMW Assist) and the next car will be better. It is weird--e.g., there's a "Cigarette" lighter covered plug in the tiny boot. Must have been there for some test equipment or some such. The Leaf was sold as a finished product with a 100 mile range.

Want to kill the electric car? Keep telling everyone you see the Leaf is the perfect car for them and if I can do it so can (read must) you.

 

[DaveEV]

This trip requires me to charge in Vacaville for an hour.

Too bad the L3 in Vacaville isn't working yet. Instead of an hour you'd only have to stop for 5-10 minutes to pick up more than enough charge.

 

[Clippy]

This trip requires me to charge in Vacaville for an hour.

Too bad the L3 in Vacaville isn't working yet. Instead of an hour you'd only have to stop for 5-10 minutes to pick up more than enough charge.

QFT.

When I brought the car home last April and saw the out of order L3, covered with Peanut Butter I knew there would be some problems. (Note: I prefer the L2 downtown on the other side of the freeway. It seems removed from what appears to be Ground Zero for car break-ins--the two Park and Ride Lots and the MoviePlex.)

As I try to tell my non-EV friends, what happens at the end of the range is as important as the range itself. In fact, none of this would even be an issue if that L3 worked.

If Nissan can (MUST) get their L3 house in order, the Leaf will be a very, very cool car to have for a long time. If not, it's a three-season NEV for me.

I see little diff between a quick L3 charge and flipping the switch for a small BEVx.

I rather like the L3 stopping more. I've already seen things and been places because I was trying to "stretch it" that I wouldn't have with a "regular" car.

There I go getting all OT, weepy and missing my droogs.

 

[GRA]

There I go getting all OT, weepy and missing my droogs.

Does this mean we should call you Alex? :twisted:

 

[Valdemar]

...
Want to kill the electric car? Keep telling everyone you see the Leaf is the perfect car for them and if I can do it so can (read must) you.

Unfortunately there are not too many real BEV options other than the Leaf for most who is even thinking about going all-electric, and it looks like there won't be for another couple of years. There is the Volt of course but it is expensive and not "pure" he-he.

 

[Clippy]

There I go getting all OT, weepy and missing my droogs.

Does this mean we should call you Alex? :twisted:

No, but I was listening to the glorious ninth by Ludwig Van on the aforementioned trip....

Still looking for my "Made in the DDR" license plate frame for the E.

 

[Clippy]

...
Want to kill the electric car? Keep telling everyone you see the Leaf is the perfect car for them and if I can do it so can (read must) you.

Unfortunately there are not too many real BEV options other than the Leaf for most who is even thinking about going all-electric, and it looks like there won't be for another couple of years. There is the Volt of course but it is expensive and not "pure" he-he.

Yes, you are right.

The Volt, the Prius Plug in (which makes me mad just thinking about it--makes me cheer for GM) and the rest (Here on Steinmetz's Isle?), the BEV may end up being the victim of the "Good Enough Mobile."

 

[surfingslovak]

Still looking for my "Made in the DDR" license plate frame for the E.

Is this in reference to the Leipzig factory? Thank you for your trip report BTW. The dealer let me take the demo for 3 hours, and I came away confident that I can get energy economy of 5 miles/kWh on the freeway if needed. The car is clearly less efficient than the Leaf, but I'm unconvinced that it's the weight. The terrain is pretty flat in South Bay. Higher drivetrain losses and greater rolling resistance are a possibility. It's unclear to me how and when the TMS operates, hopefully it's not sapping range. I was on the fence about the ActiveE, but I think I'm going to do it. Believe or not, I started to get into the whole one-pedal driving paradigm at the end of my extended test drive. It's pretty neat, but it will take some time getting used to.

 

[Clippy]

Still looking for my "Made in the DDR" license plate frame for the E.

Is this in reference to the Leipzig factory? Thank you for your trip report BTW. The dealer let me take the demo for 3 hours, and I came away confident that I can get energy economy of 5 miles/kWh on the freeway if needed. The car is clearly less efficient than the Leaf, but I'm unconvinced that it's the weight. The terrain is pretty flat in South Bay. Higher drivetrain losses and greater rolling resistance are a possibility. It's unclear to me how and when the TMS operates, hopefully it's not sapping range. I was on the fence about the ActiveE, but I think I'm going to do it. Believe or not, I started to get into the whole one-pedal driving paradigm at the end of my extended test drive. It's pretty neat, but it will take some time getting used to.

Yes. I can't get to Europes until later this year but about the only reasons I can think of to go is to visit an Army chum of the spousal unit and see the BMW plant.

Running around town today netted me this display, so I think I could do better than 4.0 on a regular basis, if I tried. It included a couple of freeway on-ramp bursts.

A word of warning. BMW people must think this thing is something special (or they want to steal my hood). I had a guy in a BMW SUV something or other actually lean out his window in traffic to try to get me to talk about this thing. (With a 6 and 8 year old in the back, that wasn't happening).

 

[davewill]

... Yes. I can't get to Europes until later this year but about the only reasons I can think of to go is to visit an Army chum of the spousal unit and see the BMW plant. ...

I want to see VWs transparent factory, if I'm going to see an auto plant in Germany:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/vws-transparent-factory" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5WGLWNllA[/youtube]

 

[Clippy]

I want to see VWs transparent factory, if I'm going to see an auto plant in Germany:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/vws-transparent-factory" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thank you a bunch for this! Oh My Gawd! That is so cool. OK. That does it. Prague, Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin. Travelocity, HO!

 

[Herm]

The car is clearly less efficient than the Leaf, but I'm unconvinced that it's the weight. The terrain is pretty flat in South Bay. Higher drivetrain losses and greater rolling resistance are a possibility.

Does the BMW use roll-flat tires?.. big no-no for an electric car.

 

[surfingslovak]

Does the BMW use roll-flat tires?.. big no-no for an electric car.

They do! Do you think that energy economy would improve if these tires were swapped out for something else?

 

[TomT]

At slow city speeds, it might. At higher freeway speeds, not so much. Run-flats have very hard sidewalls so they might not be as high rolling resistance as you might think...

Does the BMW use roll-flat tires?.. big no-no for an electric car.

They do! Do you think that energy economy would improve if these tires were swapped out for something else?

 

[surfingslovak]

At slow city speeds, it might. At higher freeway speeds, not so much. Run-flats have very hard sidewalls so they might not be as high rolling resistance as you might think...

That's interesting. The anecdotal comments I have heard so far, would indicate that the ActiveE is more efficient at highway speeds, but less efficient at lower speeds when compared to the MINI-E . This would be consistent with your comments as well. Note that I did not have much trouble getting energy economy comparable to the Leaf on the freeway. It was the test drive around the block that yielded awfully low miles per kWh ratio.

 

[TomT]

Tire rolling resistance in pretty much a constant. Thus, at lower speeds, it is a higher percentage of the total drag then it is at higher speeds when wind resistance takes over.

At slow city speeds, it might. At higher freeway speeds, not so much. Run-flats have very hard sidewalls so they might not be as high rolling resistance as you might think...

That's interesting. The anecdotal comments I have heard so far, would indicate that the ActiveE is more efficient at highway speeds, but less efficient at lower speeds when compared to the MINI-E . This would be consistent with your comments as well. Note that I did not have much trouble getting energy economy comparable to the Leaf on the freeway. It was the test drive around the block that yielded awfully low miles per kWh ratio.

 

[DaveEV]

Tire rolling resistance in pretty much a constant. Thus, at lower speeds, it is a higher percentage of the total drag then it is at higher speeds when wind resistance takes over.

The extra 8-10 lbs a run-flat weighs compared to it's regular counterpart certainly doesn't help city driving, either.

 

[surfingslovak]

The extra 8-10 lbs a run-flat weighs compared to it's regular counterpart certainly doesn't help city driving, either.

OK, it looks like BMW is installing ContiProContact all-season runflats on East Coast cars. Each tire weighs 7 pounds more than the regular ContiProContact. I'm still looking for the tires they are installing on West Coast vehicles.

ContiProContact SSR 205/55R16 91H SL RunFlat (stock)

tire weight: 27 lbs
max load: 1356 lbs
max inflation: 51 psi

ContiProContact 205/55R16 91H SL (replacement)

tire weight: 20 lbs
max load: 1356 lbs
max inflation: 51 psi