BMW i3

The appearance of the car was created by American designer Richard Kim ^[13] , all the work on creating the image of the company's electric vehicles was supervised by Benoit Jacob ^[14] under the general supervision of BMW chief designer Adrian van Hoydonka ( English Adrian van Hooydonk ) ^[15] .

A characteristic element of the car, emphasizing the lightweight body structure, is a “black belt”, extending from the hood, through the roof and “spreading” along the back door. The original windows, now expanding, then narrowing, cover the car on the side, and the front stands out with headlights framed by sidelights. A similar U-shaped taillights are inscribed in a shiny wide rear door ^[16] .

To reduce weight, the body frame is made of carbon fiber , a very strong and lightweight material. It is mounted on an aluminum frame in which the battery of batteries is built-in and on which the electric motor and chassis elements are mounted. The high rigidity of the carbon-fiber body made it possible to abandon the central pillar; swing doors open at the car towards each other ^[17] .

The four-model has passed the Euro NCAP safety tests . Of the shortcomings, a large load on the mannequin's chest was noted with a side impact on the pillar and mediocre neck protection when hitting the rear. Child protection recognized as excellent; during any tests, they remained in their seats and had minimal contact with interior elements. A very good protection of transitions during hitting was noted ^[18] .

With light collisions and contacts, most often occurring in the city, the body springs and returns to its original shape. Possible scratches and chips of paint do not lead to rusting. In larger accidents, the damaged part of the body is either replaced or cut out and a new fragment is glued in its place ^[19] .

A free-standing steering column and “floating” monitors (central and in front of the driver) create a feeling of space in the cabin. The absence of a tunnel on the floor will also contribute to this. With a thin frame, the front seats free up extra space for rear passengers. The design uses a tree ^{[K. 1]} , natural ^{[K. 2]} and synthetic ^{[K. 3]} fiber. Overall, 95% of car parts are recyclable ^[23] . The wide rear door and narrow side racks open a large opening in the trunk of 260 liters, which can be increased to 1100 liters by folding the backs of the rear seats ^[24] .

A feature of the model is that you can control the speed of the car with one pedal. As soon as the driver releases the “gas” pedal, the electric motor enters the recovery mode. At the same time, it creates a decent braking torque on the wheels and charges the battery. The driver presses the brake pedal only if even more braking force is needed. The accelerator pedal also has a neutral mode. If you loosen the pedal without letting go of it, then the electric motor goes into idle mode, and the car just rolls, not consuming energy ^[25] .

This model is one of the first cars on the market that is constantly connected to the information network using the built-in SIM card . This allows the navigation system of the car to plan the route of movement of the owner, taking into account the subsequent transfer to the bus, or metro, or walking. At the same time, in addition to city traffic, the battery level, included energy consumers (air conditioning or heater), ambient temperature, driving style are taken into account. The electric vehicle mileage calculated in this way is displayed on the map in real time. Immediately, the system will tell you the nearest charging stations and the availability of free places on them ^[26] .

All information about the upcoming movement route and vehicle condition is also available on the owner’s smartphone. The owner can remotely control the charging process, adjusting it taking into account consumption peaks, night mode, and the like, so that by the start of the trip the electric car is fully charged. In addition, it can be prepared for the trip by turning on, for example, a heater in advance ^[27] .

In mid-2017, the model received a series of small updates. The "black belt" now extends to the front pillars and the edges of the roof. The redesigned front and rear parts have slightly increased the width of the car, a chrome strip in the entire rear door additionally emphasizes this. Front and rear lighting have become fully LED . In the cabin, in addition to new color solutions, they began to install an increased resolution of the main display, its menu system was redesigned, voice control began to work better.

The system can now control the car’s steering wheel. As well as the traffic system in traffic, which not only maintains a safe distance to the vehicle in front, but also keeps the electric car in a given lane. Updated clutch control systems have improved directional stability, both with dynamic acceleration and intensive regenerative braking. Traction on slippery roads (rain, snow) has also improved markedly. New settings now allow soft and safely controlled drifts in sports cornering.

There was a sports model i3s with a more advanced and powerful electric motor and a specially tuned suspension. Externally, the model has a different, more aggressive form, front and rear bumpers with glossy black trim. The driver of the model can now choose a sport mode (Sport), which exacerbates the reaction to pressing the accelerator pedal and makes the steering more acute ^[28] .

The electric car’s power drive consists of a rear-mounted electric motor that rotates the rear wheels through a single-stage gearbox. The permanent magnet synchronous electric motor was developed by BMW specialists and manufactured at the company's factory. It weighs 50 kilograms, develops a maximum power of 125 kW (170 hp) and creates a torque of 250 Nm in the entire rev range ^[29] .

A more powerful and improved electric motor is installed on the i3s sports model: its control system is improved, new bearings are used in the gearbox, in general, the power plant of a sports car is 40% more effective than the standard one in separate operating modes ^[28] .

In addition to the lithium-ion batteries themselves, which are purchased externally, all other battery components are manufactured, and it is assembled at the BMW factory in Dingolfing . The layout, electrical connections of individual cells, built-in sensors for monitoring the status and control electronics were developed by company specialists ^[30] .

The battery consists of eight modules with 12 separate batteries in each. All of them create an electrical voltage of 360 volts and are capable of storing a maximum of 22 kilowatts of energy per hour, of which approximately 18.8 kilowatts per hour can be used. An electronic system controls the charge and discharge of each battery and ensures optimal conditions for its operation. The cooling system cools the battery in the summer and heats it in the winter to a temperature of about 20 ° C. It is assumed that the battery life will be equal to the life of the vehicle. In any case, the company gives it a guarantee of 8 years and 100 thousand kilometers ^[30] .

The battery weighs 230 kilograms, it is installed inside the power frame and is reliably protected from the environment and possible damage in the event of an accident. Three safety levels, including emergency shutdown of control and high-voltage circuits provide protection for the entire electrical system ^[30] .

Power electronics, providing the interaction of the battery and the electric motor, is also developed in the company. It includes an inverter that converts electric current to power the motor and provides 12 volts for the on-board network, a very complex recovery control unit and a battery charging system that allows you to “pump” 3 to 50 kilowatts of energy into it, depending on the capabilities of the charging station ^[30] .

You can charge the car from a conventional power supply, or by purchasing a special charging station that allows you to use the maximum possible current in the home network and reduces the charging time by about half. The design and power of the charging station depends on the region of delivery, and take into account the relevant voltage and current standards. You can also use the public DC fast charging station (50 kW), where you can recharge the battery to 80% of the maximum capacity in about 30 minutes, during lunch, for example ^[31] .

On request, the car can be equipped with the so-called Range Extender, which allows you to recharge the battery while driving. This is done using a small gasoline engine that rotates the generator . This design is located behind the car, next to the electric motor and does not affect the volume of the trunk. The engine starts automatically at the right time and recharges the battery, allowing an additional trip of approximately 100 kilometers ^[32] .

Starting in the summer of 2016, new cars began to be equipped with a more capacious 33 kWh battery. The increase in capacity was due to the replacement of battery cells with more advanced ones. At the same time, neither its dimensions nor its weight increased. So owners of previously released cars can replace the battery with a more capacious one ^[33] . In November 2018, the battery capacity was increased again. Now it is equal to 120 Ah or 42.2 kWh, which allowed an additional 30% increase in the mileage of an electric vehicle ^[34] .

The combination of a large wheelbase , a rigid aluminum frame and a high-quality chassis provide precise control and a high level of comfort when driving an electric car ^[36] .

In front of it, a MacPherson-type suspension is used, behind - an independent five-link. All parts of the suspension have a low weight, but sufficient rigidity. Thus, forged aluminum levers are approximately 15% lighter than steel ones ^[37] . Like other BMW cars, i3 uses an electric power steering, which accurately and smoothly transfers control actions to the wheels ^[36] .

The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), which is included in the basic package, includes the functions of an anti-lock braking system (ABS), cornering braking control system ( English Cornering brake control, CBC ), dynamic brake force distribution (DBC), assistance systems during emergency braking and assistance when starting on the rise. The button-activated dynamic traction control (DTC) mode provides effective control over the traction of the wheels, allowing the driver to use controlled slippage of the drive wheels to start driving on snow, loose sand or for particularly dynamic cornering ^[36] .

The special design is very light (less than 7 kg) and hard 19-inch wheels made of a special alloy are installed as standard. Large and narrow tires with a dimension of 155/70 R19 make it possible to achieve the required balance between rolling resistance, streamlining of a tire, its speed characteristics and grip ^[38] .

The i3s sports model has a specially tuned suspension underestimated by 10 millimeters with new springs, shock absorbers and 20-inch wheels and a track increased by 40 millimeters. The driver of such a car can choose a sports driving mode, sharpening the accelerator pedal and steering wheel ^[28] .

Carbon fiber for a plastic car body is made in the American city ​​of Moses Lake . The plant receives all the necessary energy from the local hydroelectric power station ^[39] . Further, the fiber enters the German city of Wackersdorf , where a fabric of different density is made from it ^[40] . Rolls of cloth are sent to BMW factories in Landshut and Leipzig for the manufacture of body elements ^[41] .

The heated sheet of carbon fiber is placed in the conductor and takes its shape. The size and complexity of the parts can be any. Making something like this from steel or aluminum is much more difficult. Then, the sheet is impregnated under high pressure with a special resin and, as it dries, after about 10 minutes, they acquire the necessary stiffness ^[42] .

All this happens at the new plant in Leipzig . By production there is no noise from stamping and sparks from welding. The bonding of the body frame from the parts is fully automated ^[43] . External plastic panels, made according to traditional technology by injection molding, are hung on the body frame. The finished body is painted, which gives it the necessary shine, protects against solar radiation and scratches. The paint and varnish workshop uses a dry compartment of excessively sprayed paint, so it does not have wastewater. A plastic body does not require anticorrosion treatment and a primer; therefore, the entire painting process requires four times less energy than a steel body ^[44] .

All plastic scrap remaining in the manufacturing process is completely recycled and reused for the manufacture of new bodies or for other purposes ^[45] . In general, the manufacture of a car and its components consumes half the energy and 70% less water than in ordinary factories of the company. Всё электричество для производства модели i3 в Лейпциге вырабатывается с помощью ветряных электростанций ^[46] .

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Олег Меньщиков. Ажиотаж . Первая встреча (рус.) . Авторевю (№22 2013) . Дата обращения 6 марта 2019. Архивировано 25 декабря 2018 года.