BMW is expected to take the wraps off its Concept ActiveE, a new plug-in electric version of the 1-Series Coupe, at the 2010 Detroit Show in January. According to the information known so far the vehicle will be produced in limited units and will be offered as a lease vehicle to customers within the next two years.
BMW Concept ActiveE comes with the standard model’s internal-combustion engine, which was completed with a new synchronous electric motor specially developed for this vehicle. The vehicle has an output of 125kW or 170hp and a maximum torque of 250Nm or 184 lb-ft.
It should be noted that the vehicle is pretty heavy 1,800 kg or about 3,970 pounds, though there are a number of weight-saving measures. The Concept ActiveE comes with a pair of lithium-ion battery packs developed jointly by BMW and SB LiMotive. The car’s lithium-ion batteries can be recharged by a conventional power outlet at public charging stations or at a special wall box. In North America, using a high-current (32 ampere continuous) residential wall box, the charge time is expected to be around 4.5 hours.
According to BMW their new all-electric 1-Series is able to reach from zero to 60km/h (37mph) in less than 4.5 seconds, while 100km/h (62mph) is accelerated in less than 9 seconds. The maximum speed of the vehicle is electronically limited to about 145 km/h or 90 mph.
