September 14, 2009

One of the stars on the Frankfurt Motor Show has been unveiled by BMW. Their Vision EfficientDynamics concept car fuses supercar performance with frugal hybrid economy figures.
 
Featuring a unique powertrain which combines a three-cylinder turbo diesel engine and two electric motors the Vision EfficientDynamics is capable of BMW M3 performance but with a fraction of that model's CO2 emissions and far greater fuel economy.
 
BMW have drawn on their recent experience in Formula One to make their new concept car as aerodynamic as possible, featuring exo-skeletal style bodywork. 
 
The three-cylinder turbo diesel engine and two electric motors offer BMW M3 performance but with a fraction of that model's CO2 emissions and far greater fuel economy. The concept car boasts an anticipated 356hp and 800Nm of torque offering true supercar performance. However, the vehicle has been designed to be able to go as low as 75.1mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
 
The vehicle's impressive performance figures improve further when it runs solely in hybrid mode. When taking the sources of electrical energy generation into account the CO2 emissions of the BMW VisionEfficientDynamics drop to a staggering 51g/km.

The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics has a range of 31 miles when driving on electric mode alone. When combined with the diesel engine this extends to a total possible distance between fill-ups and charges of 431 miles. Using a conventional domestic power source at 220 V would see the vehicle being fully recharged after 2.5 hours. Access to a slightly more powerful 380 V sees the charge time fall to 44 minutes.
 
The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics highlights a number of technologies that will appear on BMWs of the near future. BMW's Air Curtain system that channels air through a front valance with the air exiting ahead of the front wheel is fitted. The Air Curtain system's exiting air flow effectively deflects air from entering the wheel arch and causing turbulence thus
improving all round performance.
 
The bodywork of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics also takes styling cues from the marque's involvement in Formula 1. The exo-skeletal appearance of elements of the design mean the vehicle cleaves through the air with the least possible resistance. The drag co-efficient is 0.22 - the lowest figureof any BMW road car. The subtle folds of the bodywork that sit proud of the passenger cocoon create downforce without the need to have large spoilers.
 
The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics also showcases BMW's Thermo Electric Generator currently fitted to the exhaust system of test cars and being developed for production. This works on the principle of the Seebeck effect, which uses a difference in temperature between two metal based semi-conductors to generate an electrical current. This system alone generates enough charge to power some of the cars auxiliary features.
 
The car also boasts a number of technologies that will appear on BMWs of the near future. BMW's Air Curtain system channels air through a front valance with the air exiting ahead of the front wheel is fitted. This system effectively deflects air from entering the wheel arch and causing turbulence, channelling is away from the wheel, improving all round performance and handling.
 
In contrast to many other hybrid cars  BMW Vision EfficientDynamics doesn't tip the scales as a heavyweight it uses a host of lightweight materials as part this concept car. The chassis and suspension are made entirely from aluminium while the roof and the outer skin of the doors are made of a lightweight polycarbonate glass. This material also comes with special properties that allow the glass to darken in sunlight to keep the cabin temperature at the desired level.  The result of this is that the vehicle tips the scales at just 1,395kgs.

With the BMW Vision EfficentDynamics the Bavarian motor giant offers motorists guilt free supercar power and freedom from road tax!

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