Q&A Alongside Bmw'Minute Jose Guerrero At The New York Motorcar Introduce

Jose explaining the features of the concept i3 at the BMW i Born Electric Tour back inwards 2012

Having been inwards BMW's lawsuit lease e-mobility design for five years, I've been able to get to know many of the programme managers together with engineers working at BMW ane in North America. Jose Guerrero, Product Planning inwards add-on to Strategy Manager for BMW ane, is ane of only a few people at BMW of North America who has been a constant forcefulness inward the program over the years. That's the nature of the motorcar manufacture though. People deed most within the society, together with ofttimes fifty-fifty exit of absence to have got got on positions at competing OEMs.

So when I saw Jose'2d phone call on the listing for available interviews at this yr's New York Auto Show, I apace reserved a one-half lx minutes to sit downwardly downwards downwardly amongst him inward improver to utter nigh the i3 likewise the futurity of BMW i.

My i3'2d battery pack. It was removed from the machine inwards less than an lx minutes.

Future Battery Replacement

The showtime enquiry was tardily. There has been a lot of utter nigh recent comments past BMW'sec R&D master Klaus Froehlich. Froehlich was latterly interviewed past times Automotive News Europe together with asked if BMW would live offering a "more than than powerful powertrain" for the i3 or i8, inwards add-on to many took that every bit significant meliorate batteries inwards 1 instance they acquire available. Froehlich said: “I don’t intend a retrofit makes sense. When meliorate batteries are available, we could thence offering models with a longer gain or with the same reach entirely at a lower toll" inwards add-on to "replacing the batteries is rattling complex because they are integrated together with bonded into the chassis." This didn't create sense to me because I know that whatsoever certified BMW i service heart tin drib the i3'2nd battery as well as supervene upon i or more of the viii battery modules together with set the motorcar dorsum together inward a distich of hours. In fact, I've personally seen it done on my auto inwards less than a 24-hour interval. What would foreclose BMW from upgrading these modules amongst higher free free energy-density cells in one case they are available in a few years? Here's what Jose had to say virtually that:

The underside of my i3 with the battery pack removed.

"The strategy of BMW 1 has e'er been focusing on sustainability, recycling together with genuinely maximizing the exercise life of the machine. I hateful, kickoff of all the automobile won't rust. It'second made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic & aluminum as good as so we are looking at how exercise we maximize the machine for long usage. He didn't enjoin it'sec non upgradable, only rather that at this dot it doesn't seem to create sense. We really are investigating this inwards improver to if it'sec possible, inward improver to it makes financial feel, why non? This would live inwards trace amongst the BMW ane philosophy. We haven't said we aren't going to do it, but that it has to create sense. A BMW ane dealer tin tin create a consummate battery replacement inwards 3 to v hours likewise and so from a technical perspective it's clearly possible, we would just telephone call for to create sure it likewise makes fiscal sense. We are always getting asked, "Could you lot retrofit a navigation organization, or Comfort Access into a auto?" Yes, we could, just we'd guide to rip the whole auto apart. That isn't the case with amend batteries in 1 case they acquire available, it simply has to make sense. We are definitely investigating this, as well as so if it makes sense we'll arrive." Guerrero farther went on to say it's conceivable Froehlich may guide been misquoted or perchance inward that location was a translation issue because he for certain knows the batteries aren't "bonded into the chassis" every scrap the Automotive News Europe's grade indicated.

The Circuit

BMW i has late launched a novel online forum called "The Circuit". Would you lot similar to explicate why, inward add together-on to what exactly it is?

"We recognized these cars are different as adept as customers volition select questions that are unique to the ane make. We wanted to furnish a forum where BMW i customers could communicate amidst themselves, per centum information as well as as skillful enquire BMW questions direct. There is an entire department called "Ask BMW" where customers tin tin inquire questions together with acquire answers much faster than would select e'er been possible before. It'sec straight access to BMW 1 personal that was non previously possible. We'll post data regarding technical updates, upcoming events, likewise all official BMW i word. It'sec our goal to role the forum to ameliorate the BMW 1 ownership feel."

Hill Climb Assist

Late terminal twelvemonth BMW had stated the i3 with arrive at extender would choice out a software update inwards March which would add a novel characteristic called "Hill Climb Assist." This was supposed to prevent abrupt reduced mightiness tendency without alarm patch the REx was running together with to create the vehicle more than than capable of climbing long, steep hills at highway speeds spell inward accuse sustaining mode. Can yous verbalize a trivial expert-nigh this?

"This is something we are l-l so working on. First, permit me say the March 15th software update addresses portion of the job which was to return data to assistance the driver avoid reduced powerfulness inward these challenging driving weather condition. A large gripe which the owners conveyed to us was they didn't have got got whatever warning before the vehicle reduced power. We've corrected that with a warning which comes on earlier the vehicle enters reduced mightiness mode to warn the driver to modify their driving (basically that means to trim downwards speed) to hopefully prevent reduced power. Secondly, we've added a province of accuse display and then drivers tin run across the exact solid ground of accuse together with monitor it more than closely during these driving events. The the novel ground of accuse display is as well applied to the BEV i3s inward i instance they get the software update also.

An audible alert likewise this visual alert comes on when the state of accuse drops to 3.v%, warning the driver that reduced mightiness is possible, inwards add-on to giving them quaternary dimension to modify their driving to avoid it. You tin likewise run across the novel SOC display inwards the peak left corner.

As for the Hill Climb Assist characteristic, nosotros're yet perfecting it. For the past times iv months we had a grouping of i3 REx owners beta testing Hill Climb Assist software too the feedback nosotros got caused us to get dorsum as good as redevelop it, creating an 50-l more than robust version. We are right away testing a new version inwards improver to inwards 1 representative we're confident it is ready we will once again paw it to the beta examine grouping for existent world testing before nosotros unloose it to the general i3 earth. We are committed to getting this right together with feedback from actual i3 owners is critical."

At this signal I was shown a video of an i3 REx driving upward a steep mount climb at highway speeds inward the snowfall. I was told this auto had the novel software as good as they were testing it inward Vermont this wintertime on a closed road which was over 3 miles long, upward steep loma at highway speeds inward the snowfall. It should live noted that I am i of the people inwards the i3 REx customer beta try out grouping which tested the previous Hill Climb Assist software. I reported back to BMW that it was insufficient, also it was my recommendation to re-engineer it before it was released to the public. I'1 K happy BMW agreed together with face forwards to testing the electrical electric current version which I'k promised is more than than than robust. I'll written report on this novel software inward ane instance I have got it on my auto. It's non expected to take this new Hill Climb Assist software ready for the full general world for another one-half dozen months or so.

BMW i has a novel North American Manager. What changes should we await?

New Program Manager for BMW i

My last research was regarding the new Manager of Electric Vehicle for BMW of North America, Christine Fleischer. BMW 1 of North America hasn't had a permanent partitioning managing director since Jacob Harb left the mail service service dorsum inwards November. Prior to assuming the home at the helm of BMW i, Christine had been the BMW thou & Individual Area Manager for North & South America. I asked Jose what this agency for the futurity of BMW 1.

"Christine has right away started her novel concern part likewise we're all actually excited. During Jacob'sec time hither he was focused on the launch of the create as well we're straight inwards a different stage. Now amongst Christine we're focusing on continuing dealer grooming also building sales. We're through the early on adopter stage of i3 sales, as proficient as we forthwith postulate to attain the early on volume to continue to create sales. Dealer grooming is of import likewise we'll kicking the bucket on to offering this specialized grooming so our sales strength is prepared, inward add together-on to that'sec critical to guide hold the sales momentum nosotros've built. The whole team is excited to have Christine hither for the side by side stage of BMW ane."


The novel North American BMW 1 managing director, Christine Fleischer side by side to a 1M at the Canadian launch inward 2011. Photo courtesy of BMWBLOG