BMW ActiveE
The BMW ActiveE was a demonstration electric car based on the BMW 1 Series small family cars. It was the second vehicle after the Mini E to be developed under BMW Group’s Project i. The electric drive system was the latest addition to BMW’s EfficientDynamics programme. The US Environmental Protection Agency official range is 151 kilometres (94 mi), with an energy consumption of 33 kW·h/100 miles, and the agency rated the ActiveE's combined fuel economy at 2.3L/100 km (102 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent).
| BMW ActiveE | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Also called | BMW 1 Series ActiveE |
| Production | 2012 (1100 built) |
| Model years | 2012 |
| Designer | Chris Bangle (BMW 1 Series) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Electric Vehicle |
| Body style | 2-door coupe |
| Layout | Rear-motor, rear-wheel drive |
| Platform | BMW 1 Series (E82/E88) |
| Related | BMW 1 Series (E87) |
| Powertrain | |
| Electric motor | 168 hp (125 kW) |
| Transmission | 1-Speed Electric Drive |
| Battery | 32.0 kWh lithium-ion battery |
| Electric range | 151 km (94 mi) (EPA) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 14 ft 4.2 in (172.2 in; 437.4 cm) |
| Width | 5 ft 8.8 in (68.8 in; 174.8 cm) |
| Height | 4 ft 8 in (56.0 in; 142.2 cm) |
| Curb weight | 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Mini E |
| Successor | BMW i3, BMW i8 |
The four-seater, rear-wheel drive ActiveE was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2010. Deliveries of the ActiveE for field testing in the U.S. began in January 2012, after the Mini E trial ended. A total of 1,100 vehicles were planned to participate in the program worldwide, with 700 allocated for the U.S. trial and 35 to a trial in China. Participants in the Mini E trial had priority to lease the new electric car. Production began at BMW's Leipzig plant in July 2011.
After the field trial of the Mini E, BMW took reservations for drivers, who BMW calls "Electronauts", in mid-2012. The field trial of the ActiveE started in early 2012. BMW stopped accepting reservations for the ActiveE, and has leased out all of their ActiveE cars. The lease details were similar to that of the Mini E lease details, a two-year limited lease with free maintenance. The lessee had to complete online surveys and take their ActiveE into their local BMW dealership for analysis and service periodically.
Once the ActiveE program ended, all ActiveE cars were taken off of the road. Lessees returned their ActiveE vehicles to BMW, and were not able to purchase them. The cars were donated to tech schools or museums for analysis and disassembly, as well as for display purposes.