Featured BMW cuts model range due to WTLP test

Remove the word looms from the title.

 

Wow! Are they handing their potential market share over to Toyota and the Chinese, perhaps?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

The NEDC does not report PHEV fuel consumption like the EPA does. Here, we get separate figures on the window sticker for EV and hybrid/ICE operation. There is only one figure that combines them together in Europe. So an inefficient car will get a better number has the EV miles pulls up the average.

The EPA did this for the first year of the Volt, and it soon became obvious that individuals' usage of the car made such figures unconnected to the real world.

So if the new test posts the EV and ICE separately, they might not see any advantage in offering a PHEV. Or the test is just being used as a scapegoat for some other reason.

 

I would portray that stuff as rumor mill, not bmw official.

BMW may be pausing some phevs for minor redesigns. Note BMW, The Nissan/Renault/Mitsubishi group, and Tesla each shipped over 100,000 plug-ins last year as did 3 chinese companies. I doubt BMW is going to retreat in plug-ins, but they may modify the plug in mix.

The X5 phev is doing especially well. The 3 series likely needs a bigger battery as does the i8 (it is coming in the i8 roadster).

 

see this is what i don't get. so so epa on gas & (13/14 miles turning on weather) electric, as opposed to the Outlander's over 21ev range.
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PHEVs don't sell by little things like that alone. Mitsubishi has been dragging out importing the outlander to america for a long time, while bmw seems to at least be trying in the american market (mistsubishi+ renault + nissan plug-in sales last year were only slightly ahead of bmw alone world wide).

Outlander phev in the first 2 months did 623 in 2018 US sales, the X5 phev 857, but expectations for the outlander where much higher as it costs less than half as much after the tax credit. I think if ford does a good escape phev it will further hurt the outlander phev as will a redesigned rav4 hybrid. BMW can do better, but X5 phev is sucessful, and I can see in 10 years with a good redesign and higher gas prices this being the main version bmw would sell.

 

BMW to unveil a series of electric concept vehicles in 2018

It seems the death of the bmw plug-in from a blog in the UK is really a simply false narritive.

They put about 100,000 on the road in 2017, and may take a breather before going higher, but we have 12 BEVs and 13 PHEVs on the drawing board, some like the i3 may be both so my guess is it really is 19 models with 6 being bevs with a range extender option. The first BEV only is the ix3 which is a small electric SUV. The next concept to be built is the i4 sedan or coupe which bmw claims will have over 550km-700km of range (this may be nedc or wltp, and is not likely epa, inside evs speculates epa will be 211-270 miles). The i4 may be a 3 series or 5 series size, probably a tesla model 3 competitor, and maybe a range extender option with a shorter range pack. The ix3 is promised as a 2020 model. BMWs battery supplier Samsung SDI appears to be behind LG chem which should have a suitable battery this summer, and Tesla/Panasonic which has a suitable battery but manufacturing problems that would probably prevent bmw buying them until next year.

I'm sure bmw has already disassembed a tesla model X, and chevy bolt and has a good idea of how to package and cool the batteries better than the i3 does today. My guess is the i3 dies when the the i4 and ix3 come out, but may be reborn in a total redesigned phev (maybe back to 20kwh battery, better 3 cyclinder range extender (geared in on the highway), steel and aluminum instead of carbon fiber to drop the price, normal 17" wheels and tires instead of bicycle tires). The i8 likewise may die with a bigger batteried phev sports car replacing it, perhaps 14-20 kwh instead of 7.1 and a 4 cyclinder engine.

The bmw 530e (the phev) costs the same to the consumer as the 530i after federal tax credit, while losing only 3 cubic feet of truck space to 15 cubic feet. That seems like the death of the more expensive 530d diesel in many places as the phev will have similar highway mpg once the battery runs out, and better performance.