Challenges for BMW hybrid cars

From BMWBlog .com – To find out more interesting BMW news and stories, visit their site here.

Right now, there is quite a number of competition in the hybrid car industry. Let’s see what the rumored BMW i100 will be facing if it indeed goes into production.

Toyota has their best-selling Prius which is fuel efficient but still relies on its internal combustion to make the front wheels work. They also have a hybrid system that allows the car to rely on its electric motor only in around 30 or so miles per hour with a start/stop technology which direct power to the front wheels. For urban speeds like 45MPH, you can’t run on battery alone anymore because it does not a big enough battery for this kind of driving condition.

Chevrolet has their Volt which uses its engine as an electric generator to power the wheels. Dubbed to be better than Prius, the only fallback in this vehicle is the fact that it never drives the wheels directly from the internal combustion engine which does not make it feasible for very long distances.

So what does the rumored BMW i100 and the future BMW hybrid fleet has to offer? Well the advantage of being a plug-in hybrid that can be used perfectly in urban and suburban areas. On electric motor only, it can speed up to 50MPH. The power grid allows the car to be charged overnight, and store enough power to function in its day use. For most people in urban areas, the BMW hybrid is pretty practical.

But there are constraints. Urban traffic will be a problem.  Pollution taxes will also be huge because of the battery technology. Huge families where they need their cars to work overtime is an unseen factor. Safety regulations will also be harder to meet.

However, BMW’s i100 rumored vehicle still remains to be an exciting leap for BMW their goal of being the largest electric car manufacturer in the world.

Source: BMW Blog