BMW releases the electric One

Not just some far-fetched concept car, the ActiveE electric 1 Series will go into production this year, with a test fleet of over 1000 vehicles to be trialled in the USA, Europe and China by select customers.

Its driving heart consists of three large lithium-ion battery cells feeding an electric synchronous motor that develops 125kW and 250Nm, enough to get the car from 0-96km/h in just nine seconds, according to claims.

This is not a car for Autobahn fans, however, with the top speed having been limited to 144km/h. BMW has not yet disclosed the car's range between charges.

To ensure that the ActiveE still possesses the dynamic qualities you'd expect from BMW, engineers placed the components in such a way that the centre of gravity is still low and a 50:50 front:rear weight distribution is still achieved.

This packaging has not interfered with cabin space either, BMW claiming that all four occupants have the same head, leg and shoulder room as they would in a standard BMW 1 Series Coupé on which the ActiveE is based - not that there was much cabin space to rob in the first place! They have stolen some boot space though, the ActiveE offering just 200 litres.

This BMW has been engineered so that when the driver takes his foot off the accelerator pedal the motor becomes a generator and feeds the electricity created from kinetic energy back into the vehicle battery, while at the same time braking torque is created, slowing the vehicle down. This recuperation of energy can increase the range by up to 20 per cent.

What's more, for the first time in a BMW Group electric vehicle, the ActiveE features an 'intermediate position' for the accelerator pedal that results in the car's own kinetic energy being used to move forward, without consuming energy from the batteries. In essence it is a 'gliding' mode.

The ActiveE is not dependent on a specific energy source and so can be charged using 32-ampere wallbox in five hours, or overnight from a conventional domestic socket. This allows greater flexibility allowing the car to be charged wherever there is an electricity supply.

While this is not a mainstream vehicle on sale to the general public, the knowledge and insights gained from the field trials of the BMW ActiveE will be fed back for the future development of the Megacity Vehicle, due to go into production in 2013.