Comments on: BMW and the "H" Word

By: Vance Richards

Vance Richards — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 05:26:19 +0000

I get the feeling that this is a great place to learn everything about cars, trucks and vans. It's a valuable resource and time is one our side.
I'm trying to slow down, enjoy the drive. Can't keep the lanes blocked.
a4 printed folders

By: thomatt12

thomatt12 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:15:16 +0000

It is good to know that BMW is also thinking of ways to help save the environment. Hybrid cars will be a great way to start!

By: domboy

domboy — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:24:52 +0000

"2. Diesel engines are heavy, hybrid technology is heavy -> "

I'd say the added weight from hybrid components in this vehicle wouldn't much, since it's a mild hybrid and doesn't have batteries or a really large motor.

By: Andreas

Andreas — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:11:42 +0000

acually there's nothing wrong. Just a few things to look at:
1. Diesel has a good MPG, adding Hybrid technology is not so rewarding as with petrol. A 30% increase for petrol cars is much easier to sell than a 8.5% climb for diesel ones....
2. Diesel engines are heavy, hybrid technology is heavy -> you need to redesign the suspension -> high cost, long development time (summer, winter testing, tens of tousands of miles testdrive)
3. Diesel is noisier in the first place, electrical engines produce also a noise, you need to add a lot of dampening
4. all these adds cost to the vehicle, and usually we don't want to pay a lot extra.

By: sdsdsd

sdsdsd — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:08:24 +0000

I WANT THE 1-SERIES HATCHBACK TO COME THE US IN ANY FORM, HYBRID, DIESEL, PETROL, I DON'T EVEN CARE WHAT FUEL IT RUNS ON OR EVEN IF IT RUNS AT ALL THE 1-SERIES HATCHBACK IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE AND IT'S A BMW

SINCE IT'S THEIR LOWEST MODEL, IT WON'T EVEN HAVE iDRIVE, ANOTHER PLUS :roll :roll :roll

I'd love a diesel version the most, with an automatic, sunroof, and NO IDRIVE

Manual transmission hybrid would also be nice IMO

ps I'd also like the MBZ diesel wagons to return to the US

By: domboy

domboy — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:43:08 +0000

Acutally, I think I’d prefer a simpler “mild-hybrid” such as this. Capacitors instead of batteries is a really good idea… they shouldn’t need to be replaced…

By: question minded

question minded — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:02:17 +0000

assuming cost could be kept under control, whats wrong with combining electric hybrid tech and diesel tech? best of both worlds?

By: Andreas

Andreas — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 08:23:03 +0000

The volunatrily Targets are CO2 Emissions. These Emission are linear to MPG. So the smart Car CDI (common rail direct injection Diesel) has 90g/km CO2 while the Prius has 104g/km CO2. Even the VW Polo Bluemotion Diesel has only 102g/km CO2 and has a comparable size to the Prius. Since MPG drops with added weight (Battery!) hybrid technology drops MPG first, before the benefits finally rise the MPG. So the European Mantra “Diesel is as good as Hybrid” still is valid in certain areas.
The BMW mild hybrid has no battery. They use so called super caps (super capacitors) to temporally store electrical Energy genereated during braking. This energy is used to restart the ICE. So basically you save the gas wasted normally during ideling at stops. So its no Hybrid, since hybrid means combination of two means of engine power(ICE and electrical for instance). The 1Series does not have a electrical enginge to drive.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:55:20 +0000

Hyrbrids really seem to be the wave of the future. I am so inthused about them I actually want a career working on them. Yet, the only thing that I have come to be concerned about is, how are the batteries disposed of?…especially the multiple ones underneath the interior?

By: MANTICORE

MANTICORE — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:58:28 +0000

The future is the hydrogen car, but not what is known already,im talking about the hydrogen car that takes its energy from a tank of pure water and with the help of electrolisys produces hydrogen that is used for propulsion+some solar panells and regenerative braking. This i think is the way to go.