I just received the September issue of the
BMW ON (BMW Owners News) magazine and it contains a four page (with photos) interview with Dr. Christian Ebner, the Project Manager for the BMW C Evolution electric scooter. There were a few things in the interview that I hadn't heard before and found interesting, so I will mention them here. Dr. Ebner said that BMW has been working on electric concept models for some time, but the current version of their electric scooter has been under development since 2010. They have 5 working prototypes and have saved a lot of money by using the batteries and other electric equipment from the BMW i3 automobile. However, the scooter uses three of the Li-ion battery storage modules, while the car uses 8. The scooter's speed is electronically limited to 72 mph and has a realistic 62-mile range from the 8 kWh battery pack "
according to the vehicles' weight and rolling resistance".
One thing that caught my attention is that the article says that: "
There are regulations in dealing with voltages above 60 volts DC - known as "high-voltage" - in an automobile environment, such as protection, isolation, warnings, and so on." (I wonder if that is why the Zero is still operating with 57 volts?) Dr. Ebner goes on to say that: "
This vehicle is also the first powered two-wheeler that has been developed according to ISO 26262 (a well known standard for functional safety and reliability established by the automotive sector), which is unique in this segment".
BMW is proud to have developed an energy recuperation technology system that is activated by closing the throttle, unlike other scooters on the market. "
The machine itself does all the work automatically. For example, one of the energy recuperation points is the throttle grip. When you release this grip on the BMW C evolution, the e-motor actually "simulates" engine torque, which feels to the rider like conventional engine braking, so as soon as you release the throttle you have a degree of deceleration that you wouldn't normally have on an electric vehicle, but which also has the advantage of regaining energy for the battery." Dr. Ebner goes on to say: "
The other area where regeneration is also carried out is during braking. When brake pressure is sensed on the front and rear brake lines by the levers being activated, the power electronics detect this and the e-motor builds up drag torque, which not only aids the braking effect but also recuperates energy." (All this sounds kind of familiar to me.) BMW says its "simulations" have shown that the range of the BMW C evolution can be extended by approximately 15%. The scooter contains an informational display in the cockpit that has a graph which illuminates on the right side when energy is being used and a graph on the left side of the display that shows when energy is being fed back to the battery. "
We believe that this will make riders think more sustainably and perhaps even change their riding style!"
The interview concludes Dr. Ebner stating that "...
there is no denying that the C evolution is an exciting new chapter in the history of the brand. It's a special kind of electric scooter that follows the BMW Group's sustainability strategy and we hope that it will become a long-term part of the model range."
There was no hint in the article when the C evolution might actually be mass-produced by BMW and offered to consumers, nor what its price might be.
For more information on the BMW C evolution, visit:
www.bmw-motorrad.com/c-evolution.
