DETROIT — BMW is approaching the electrification of the automobile through what it calls Project i. And although its cars — including the battery-powered Mini E and the Concept ActiveE, which is an electric version of the BMW 1 Series Coupe the company introduced in Detroit this week — have made a splash, Project i has generally flown under the radar.
But, even in stealth mode , the research initiative could be influential on BMW’s future products.
Ulrich Kranz, who runs Project i, was in Detroit and offered some clarification. “When we established Project i two years ago, we had the pleasure to be free of any requirements other than to look at future trends under the umbrella of sustainability,” he said. “We quickly recognized that the growth of the ‘megacity’ was one of the world’s major trends.”
There are more than 20 megacities with populations of more than 10 million around the world (with Tokyo the most populous). Asia has more than any other region, but New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Lagos and London are also megacities. According to a BMW news release, Project i set out to “research and develop transportation strategies and new types of vehicles specifically to meet the needs of the world’s growing megacities.”
To get real-world information, Mr. Kranz said, “We went out and talked to city planners. And we visited potential customers living in megacities such as Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Shanghai. We lived a couple of days with them. We wanted to see not only what they said about their driving habits, but also what they actually did when they drove to work.”
The Project i researchers took special note of schemes to reduce traffic and emissions, including the congestion charging in London and other cities. BMW is also working with electric utilities on scenarios for electric-car charging, said Jim O’Donnell, president of BMW North America. “Some of the electricity standards are unique to every little town,” Mr. O’Donnell said. “That has to be addressed.”
Mr. Kranz said the research will not only aid future lightweight car designs, but also be useful for future sales and marketing campaigns.
In Detroit, Mr. Kranz gave reporters a close-up look at the Concept ActiveE, which he said would be a test bed for the megacity vehicle BMW plans to bring to market in the first half of this decade. There are 600 Mini E battery cars in worldwide test programs (450 are leased in the United States), and BMW will create a similar program for the ActiveE in 2011. “We haven’t made decisions yet on the volume or which countries will get test programs,” Mr. Kranz said.
Mr. Kranz said that the megacity vehicle, despite what the name suggests, would “not be a tiny city car. The feedback we’re getting is that people want a car with a trunk and four seats.”
But, even in stealth mode , the research initiative could be influential on BMW’s future products.
Ulrich Kranz, who runs Project i, was in Detroit and offered some clarification. “When we established Project i two years ago, we had the pleasure to be free of any requirements other than to look at future trends under the umbrella of sustainability,” he said. “We quickly recognized that the growth of the ‘megacity’ was one of the world’s major trends.”
There are more than 20 megacities with populations of more than 10 million around the world (with Tokyo the most populous). Asia has more than any other region, but New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Lagos and London are also megacities. According to a BMW news release, Project i set out to “research and develop transportation strategies and new types of vehicles specifically to meet the needs of the world’s growing megacities.”
To get real-world information, Mr. Kranz said, “We went out and talked to city planners. And we visited potential customers living in megacities such as Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Shanghai. We lived a couple of days with them. We wanted to see not only what they said about their driving habits, but also what they actually did when they drove to work.”
The Project i researchers took special note of schemes to reduce traffic and emissions, including the congestion charging in London and other cities. BMW is also working with electric utilities on scenarios for electric-car charging, said Jim O’Donnell, president of BMW North America. “Some of the electricity standards are unique to every little town,” Mr. O’Donnell said. “That has to be addressed.”
Mr. Kranz said the research will not only aid future lightweight car designs, but also be useful for future sales and marketing campaigns.
In Detroit, Mr. Kranz gave reporters a close-up look at the Concept ActiveE, which he said would be a test bed for the megacity vehicle BMW plans to bring to market in the first half of this decade. There are 600 Mini E battery cars in worldwide test programs (450 are leased in the United States), and BMW will create a similar program for the ActiveE in 2011. “We haven’t made decisions yet on the volume or which countries will get test programs,” Mr. Kranz said.
Mr. Kranz said that the megacity vehicle, despite what the name suggests, would “not be a tiny city car. The feedback we’re getting is that people want a car with a trunk and four seats.”
No comments:
Post a Comment