BMW ActiveE Launches Next Week

The time has come for German manufacturer BMW to put some facts behind the words it has been throwing around in recent years, regarding its plans for a brighter, cleaner future. According to information leaked by the German Car Forum, BMW is preparing to launch the production version of the ActiveE model as soon as next week,

The path for a full market introduction of the ActiveE or its successor, probably a vehicle from BMW's future I range, will take pretty much the same shape as the one of the MINI E (hopefully, the ActivE will not reach the same dead end as the MINI seems to have reached).

The car will be deployed for testing purposes in the US, UK, Germany and China, where it will be leased, just like the MINI E, to various customers for evaluation and research purposes. The tests will be supported through various channels, including a forum, a BMW EV Mobile app and more.

Presented a little over a year ago, the ActiveE is in fact a 1 Series coupe body wrapped around an electric drivetrain. The car is powered by a new synchronous electric motor, which develops 170 bhp and a maximum torque of 250 Nm of torque. Acceleration time has been estimated at 9 seconds or less, while the top speed has been electronically limited to around 145 km/h (90 mph).

The electricity is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack developed together with SB LiMotive, which can be charged by a conventional power outlet at public charging stations or at a special wall box. In Europe, the battery can be fully charged in three hours (50-ampere outlet), while in the US the charging time can be as much as 4.5 hours (32 ampere continuous).