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Another data point in the conversion of our transportation fleet from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles to Electric Vehicles (EVs):
Electric vehicles are making up an ever-increasing percentage of BMW's sales, both here in the US and worldwide, according to a statement released by the company on Friday. In April in the US, the BMW i3, i8, and X5 xDrive 40e accounted for just under 15 percent of all BMW passenger vehicle sales—a combined 2,572 cars out of a total of 17,786 cars sold last month.
More than half of BMW's EVs have been sold here in the US, which, along with Scandinavia and the UK, is the company's best market for hybrids and EVs. BMW's electrification strategy is a two-fold affair. There's the i sub-brand, which currently features the i3 city car and i8 sports car (two of our favorites here at Ars), and it's believed that a third i model is in the works, a crossover called the i6.
The company is also building hybrid versions of some of its regular vehicles, including the 330e, X5 xDrive40e, and now a 740e as well.
In recent news BMW also announced a joint fast-charger network with Nissan.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday May 18 2016, @02:26AM
What infrastructure would be appropriate for charging away from households, such as in/near Wal-Mart parking lots? "Fast" charging? Battery swap?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Wednesday May 18 2016, @02:33AM
"Fast" charging of course.
The longer you car is charging, the more time you spend shopping.
I also don't like battery swap because you just know that they will give you one with 100k miles on it, right after you replace your battery in 7 years.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 18 2016, @02:49AM
Battery swaps wouldn't work like that.
You wouldn't buy one and then swap it out on your next recharge.
You'd sign up for a service contract that either sold you prepaid battery swaps (like prepaid cell phone minutes) or a monthly subscription that guaranteed you at least X number of swaps. But you wouldn't ever feel like it was "your" battery any more than you feel like a rental car is "your" car.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday May 18 2016, @06:52PM
Renault addressed that problem already: Buy the car frame, but lease the battery.
Need a new one? Swap it, it's not yours.
Long trip? Swap for charged ones as you go, it's not yours.
Worried it might be old? who cares, just swap it again.
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Wednesday May 18 2016, @02:59AM
In which case you replace it again until the battery is good. And the car system will then diagnose if the battery is good enough before hitting the road.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Wednesday May 18 2016, @04:35AM
Like buying a brand new set of welding gas tanks.
Isn't that a letdown on your first exchange?
Getting into welding? Check the pawn shops for welding tanks first!
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by halcyon1234 on Wednesday May 18 2016, @02:48AM
A fleet-level, nation-wide charging network. They would need a five-nines level guarantee that their fleet can be fueled anywhere, anytime, 24/7. In-house charging stations won't cut it (Walmart would have to maintain it, trucks could only fuel at a Walmart, etc).
It's a massive project, and tax dollars aren't going to pay for it upfront. Can you imagine trying to get something like the Interstate system approved by the government in today's day and age? Never. So if someone said "Hey Walmart, if you kick in $1 Billion towards building this across North America, you'll get back $50 billion in savings and tax credits over the next X years"... bam, it'll happen
Original Submission [thedailywtf.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by Whoever on Wednesday May 18 2016, @04:57AM
The government already kicked in $100M for a nationwide charging network. [wikipedia.org] It was more successful than Solyndra (although it ultimately sold its assets for $3.3M), but Blink DC chargers are very unreliable.