15 Votes

Hot News: BMW's Electric Car

dikarockz submitted on 5/4/2008 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 10:15:53 AM

26 user comments | Category: Spy News | Source: | SOURCE: dikarockz.blogspot.com

BMW is poised to give the go-ahead to a tiny Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) that will help to revolutionise city-centre driving.

The rear-engined city car could be called Isetta and will first arrive in American showrooms in 2012.

The project was created because of new Californian regulations (soon to be copied by 12 other US states) which require big car makers to sell between a few hundred and a few thousand ZEVs every year from 2012.

However, global sales of the new model are also likely, because BMW has decided that the concept will be ideal for sale in cities all around the world. Indeed, many European cities have already established low-emissions zones.

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Hi I'm dika.I'm friendly and cool...LOL...
— dikarockz (View Profile)

User Comments

Nice for BMW to go all in!!! Good Job!!! Now it's time to for Toyota to make that call!!! Glad it's happening now with other brands. Not like GM a company that created the Saturn EV1 and then shit the bed due to U.S. Politcal B.S.(called Texaco and Chevron)...curious to see how this will pan out again with these to giants when the product goes global in 2012. Don't pull the plug BMW!!!
— BigShow50 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 1:41:20 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

Wow, BMW decided to revolutionize the industry by talking about making an electric car. Should be priced around $30K because of legendary BMW handling of course.

I guess Zenn motors should look forward to a lawsuit for stealing BMW's idea before they knew it was theirs.

Toyota called a few years back, BMW's line was disconntected (too may lease defaults perhaps).
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9753537/
Before that, Honda and Toyota already had EV vehicles (RAV-4EV). The kicker is the EPA rated it on a cost basis equivalent to 111mpg avg.

Here's BMW's next revolutionary idea, unfortunately MDI has already copied it.
http://www.theaircar.com/acf/

BMW will kill this car when they figure out they can't make any money on it.
— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 2:54:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1

Huu76, you are such a LOSER!!!

BMW may not have invented the electric car but it looks like it may well make it successful around the world..

Go back to playing with your wind up TOYO/LEXUS toy cars and quit your WHINING...

BMW RULES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— FactsRule (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 6:09:17 PM | | Votes: 1

"Should be priced around $30K because of legendary BMW handling of course."

LOL
— KZ258 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 5:25:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4

Damn, the guys that hate BMW just keep reading more and more about them!!!!

I guess you could call it "BMW ENVY"...
— FactsRule (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 6:14:05 PM | | Votes: 1

factsrule,
I see you completely ignored the FACTS that I provided. Must be BMW blindness.

Must suck knowing Toyota has had for a few years what BMW is just thinking about now. Once again, BMW playing catch up while Toyota leads the way. That must really suck :)
— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 6:25:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3

Must suck knowing Toyota always loses to BMW whether it be technology, performance, innovation, and "gotta have it factor"...

Toyota/Lexus "tincans" are a dime a dozen no matter what label you slap on them...
— bmwman1963 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 7:37:55 PM | | Votes: 0

toyota didnt invent the electric car nor the hybrid, so i fail to see your point....i guess they also pioneered the automobile, and the wheel im sure also
— bmwdrvr (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 11:31:24 PM | | Votes: 0

What innovation is BMW going to announce next, electric liftgates and hatches?

Hybrids? Oh wait, they already did that (10 years after Toyota and Honda).
— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 6:27:34 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3

Inspiration and innovation as well as "The Ultimate Driving Machine" is what BMW always delivers to the auto market.

Toyota/Lexus = "YAWN!!!!"

Toyo/Lexus Tincans on wheels with a little navi in the center is supposed to be inspirational and innovative... LMAO!!!!!!!!!
— bmwman1963 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 7:45:13 PM | | Votes: 2

Numerous landmark and breakthrough technologies for the entire automotive industry debut on BMW. Here's a short list:

First 5-speed automatic - 1991 BMW E34 5-Series

First 6-speed automatic - 2002 BMW E65 7-Series

First traction control - 1987 Bosch Mercedes-Benz S-Class/BMW 7-Series

First drive-by-wire throttle - 1988 BMW 750iL

First dynamic stability control system/Electronic
Stability Program - 1996 BMW 7-Series/Mercedes-Benz CL-Class

First head airbags - 1997 BMW 7-Series

First HID lights - 1991 BMW 7-series
— maikoazu (View Profile)

Posted on 5/5/2008 11:48:01 AM | | Votes: 3

good to see toyota commited to building electric vehicles seeing how they came up with it first before everyone. Since I don't see any electric vehicles anywhere within 20 mile radius from my house it must mean that toyota completely chickened out of their commitment to building zev, just like how they backed out of their commitment to build highly reliable cars.

Watch toyota embarrass themselves when theyre forced by california to build more zev and actually commit this time around
— validus00 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 6:54:37 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

Toyota had researched zev vehicle for years. if you ever go to UC Irvine's national fuel cell laboratory, there are few toyota's fuel cell cars park there in the parking lot (in the form of Rav 4). I have seen them being driven around for a long time. ( i did some RFID research at UCI's engineering gate way, which is right cross that parking lot, and that was few years ago).

validus00, you have to understand there is a difference between be able to engineer a product and be able to engineer a market viable product. Take GM's electronic car for example. they had that car for at least 5 years. it moves, it stops, it works as a prototype. but with all the safety concern/price/maintenance, it may never see the light of day. I have no doubt BMW can make a zev right here, right now (take that hydrogen 7 as an example). but just because you can make it, doesn't mean you can massive produce it.

Honda's ZEV (FCX) has been around since year 1999, they had leased model (in japan) since 2002. they now have the FCX clarity, which is still not ready for massive production given the cost/maintenance/durability. Unlike changing a different sheet metal along with a new control panel interface and call it a new generation of whatever, a whole new power train would take as much as 20 years from research to massive production.

I recall reading something regarding vw hybrid diesel polo (or something) getting 75 mpg but aborted because it is not markable. Compare that to toyota's prius and you should know how big of chance did toyota took when they launch the prius in year 1997.

in conclusion. i don't think Toyota would embarrass themselves, in fact, as people become more educated, diesel's aura will slowly goes away as hybrid/fuel cell technology steps in.

lastly, despite the fact that i don't like toyota's cars, i do respect their vision and courage of this great company.

— ghosthunter (View Profile)

Posted on 5/4/2008 11:04:48 PM | | Votes: 1

That seriously looks like a SmartCar.
Why wouldn't they just put that car in their Mini line?
— adamsaf723 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/5/2008 2:46:06 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

New BMW Isetta? POssibly a NEV to bypass crash regulations and limit it to a NEV?
— speedmaster (View Profile)

Posted on 5/5/2008 1:03:04 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

bmwman,
All of that went bye bye along with the E46. Now BMW is just a marketing company geared towards posers who can't make lease payments.

Did BMW invent 3speed transmissions? Did BMW invent the wheel? Did BMW invent brakes? Did BMW invent window wipers? All rather important so stop living in the past then. What has BMW provided in the last 3 years besides turbo-chargers and irrelevant car segments nobody asked for?
Besides, all those technologies were taken from other industries. Congratulations, very innovative.
Why not mention ABS, LED lighting, plastic body panels, GPS, crash dummies, knee airbags, infrared pre-collision, lane departure, face-alert recognition, 4x4 and AWD, backup cameras, backup audio warnings, nightvision etc?

The Prius is already zero emissions if you drive it in the city. I suppose BMW's skateboard is a ZEV too.

adams,
It's an Aygo.
— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/5/2008 8:15:26 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1

huu76, you might need to do a little more research using your World Book encyclopedias. Try trading in your 70's editions for the 90's and maybe you can make a comment that the rest of us might recognize as intelligent instead of yadda, yadda, yadda....
— FactsRule (View Profile)

Posted on 5/5/2008 8:33:11 PM | | Votes: 3

huu76 seemed to forget that bmw was the first to introduce regenerative brakes, adaptive headlights, comfort access, xenon headlights, steptronic transmission, to list a few

prius a zev?? do you even know what a zev is?? go look it up kiddo
— validus00 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/5/2008 11:35:27 PM | | Votes: 2

Huu76,

Actually window wipers were invented by a woman, not sure if she worked for BMW or not... :)

You have already hung yourself by making the statement that BMW created irrelevant car segments that nobody asked for, because that is the sign of a truly innovative car company. Those "irrelevant car segments nobody asked for" have drawn mass appeal and I'm quite sure your favorite car company toyo/lexus will come up with a copy and try to compete.

By the way, like validus00 stated, since when did the prius become a zev?

Most of your comments have no relevant or fact based info. Just so you know, ZEV mean "zero emissions vehicle".. Last time I checked the prius still used petrol and I don't think toyo has been so "innovative" that it has a patent on how to remove all emissons from a petrol based vehicle.

— bmwman1963 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/6/2008 12:08:31 PM | | Votes: 2

And huu76, don't give me the "zev if you drive it in the city" plug for the prius.

ZEV means zero emissions period. My aunt has a prius and it rarely uses just the batteries, so there goes your ZEV based prius...
— bmwman1963 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/6/2008 12:48:58 PM | | Votes: 2

validus,
Ever heard of the 1998 Prius? Regenerative braking was invented long before the Prius, but guess who introduced it to the auto industry. Not BMW.

You might want to read this, you won't be happy that BMW misinformed you about regenerative braking.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=115127

bmwman,
The only relevant car segment created in the last decade was the crossover (or Sports Activity anything if you're BMW). Guess who invented it.

When the Prius runs on electric mode only, it's zero emissions. Hence why I said when you drive it in the city. Your aunt must go over 40km an hour in the city then. PZEV would be more accurate, but no other mass market car out there has this ability, no what what legendary handling it supposedly has.
— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/6/2008 10:07:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

hah, i guess i was "misinformed" by bmw about regenerative brakes then. but if toyota has been so successful with the technology then shouldn't we see them on other toyota models besides the prius, your so called "zero emissions vehicle"?

certainly don't look for them in the utter failure called is-f rofl
— validus00 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/6/2008 10:29:28 PM | | Votes: 1

It's quite interesting that you just happen to have an aunt that you can refer to when the Prius is mentioned.

Care to tell me any details of the interior? Stuff you'll only know if you've actually sat in one?
— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/6/2008 10:09:31 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

I ask because I doubt you're the type of person who'd touch anything (not even out of curiousity) unless it had a propellor on it.
— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/6/2008 10:10:14 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

This is the 'electrifying' sort of Isetta BMW should be going for! It will 'blow away' the Smart ForTwo! http://www.tuvie.com/sev-space-efficient-vehicle
— Voyager (View Profile)

Posted on 5/8/2008 5:00:24 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

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Hot News: BMW's Electric Car

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