06-27-2007, 11:21 PM
[quote davester]Before you "diesel is better than hybrid" folks go to far, you should probably know that this car IS a diesel-electric hybrid, with regenerative braking and battery pack similar to the Prius, NOT just a diesel vehicle. That said, I would gladly trade in my BMW convertible for a BMW hybrid convertible (if somebody lends me the cash!).
This car is not a Diesel-Electric Hybrid. The power to move the car only comes from the diesel engine. The regenerative braking is used to lessen the load of the alternator on the engine. They use this energy to charge the battery. The management system trys to operate as much of the electrical system directly from the battery. BMW's theory is to improve efficiency by removing all the auxiliary drive components from the engine such as the water pump and power steering pump and have them operate electrically. I am not sure if the electric water pump made it into production. BMW claims this could improve efficiency up to 10%.They use a non standard battery to cope with the higher charge/discharge cycles.
BMW has stated they will not produce a Hybrid until the overall cost of ownership is significantly less than a diesel. This could just be a swipe at Toyota (Lexus).
This car is not a Diesel-Electric Hybrid. The power to move the car only comes from the diesel engine. The regenerative braking is used to lessen the load of the alternator on the engine. They use this energy to charge the battery. The management system trys to operate as much of the electrical system directly from the battery. BMW's theory is to improve efficiency by removing all the auxiliary drive components from the engine such as the water pump and power steering pump and have them operate electrically. I am not sure if the electric water pump made it into production. BMW claims this could improve efficiency up to 10%.They use a non standard battery to cope with the higher charge/discharge cycles.
BMW has stated they will not produce a Hybrid until the overall cost of ownership is significantly less than a diesel. This could just be a swipe at Toyota (Lexus).