A little over a year after the presentation of the Vision EfficientDynamics [ED] concept study at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, and following a month-long tease of what turned out to be an early prototype mule with the body of a 6-Series of the plug-in hybrid on the ‘Dontblogaboutthis’ website (see pictures below), BMW has officially confirmed plans to build a production version of the eco-friendly sports car.
“There was a widespread desire to put the car on the road, and the realisation of this desire is moving considerably closer,” the Bavarian firm said in a statement. And by this, BMW means it will have the Vision ED on the road and ready for sale in 2013.
“By developing a sports car based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept study for serial production, the Munich-based premium automobile manufacturer underscores its position as a global leader in the production of sporty vehicles with exemplary efficiency,” said BMW.
Set to stand out as a technological tour de force, the production model will keep the 2+2 seater concept’s innovative plug-in hybrid system. We’ll remind you that the Frankfurt show car combined a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo diesel producing 120 kW and 290 Nm of torque, located behind the back seats, with two electric motors.
The first electric motor is positioned between the diesel engine and the 6-speed double clutch transmission, delivering a continuous output of 24 kW and 290 Nm, and up to 37 kW momentarily. The second electric motor is located in the front of the vehicle and churns out a continuous output of 59 kW and peak torque of 220 Nm. It can produce 82 kW for up to 30 seconds, and, for a 10-second “burst,” 102 kW.
According to BMW, the system’s overall output is rated at 241 kW. This allows performance figures at the level of a sports car – think M3 – with 4.8 seconds for the 0 – 100 km/h sprint, while returning city-car efficiency with an average fuel consumption of 3.76 l/100km and a CO2 emission rating of just 99 g/km.
The Vision ED is fitted with a lithium-polymer battery housed centrally in a longitudinal chassis element that can be fully charged at a conventional power socket within two and half hours. BMW says the use of electrical energy alone permits zero-emissions motoring with a range of some 50 km, while a 24-litre diesel tank extends the total driving range up to 700 km.
BMW didn’t give a price for the production model but it is expected to be the most expensive car in the firm’s range.
