The new efficient hybrid sports sedan

First Images Of BMW 330e Plug-In Hybrid

We only have a look and a spec, but this may be the formula for the power hybrid.

0-60 in around 6 seconds (6.1 estimated, 250 hp in blended mode)
18 miles of EV range (my own guess is 22 estimated is nedc)

The only date we have is sometime before 2020. People are guessing 9 kwh and a turbo charged 3 or 4 cylinder engine. My guess is it will have a slightly smaller trunk, but not shrink as much as the fusion.

 

+1

I think its price, size, and weight of battery pack is all that is that is holding this back. The closest thing is the fusion energi, but ford looks like it mainly shoved a bigger battery pack in the fusion hydrid, then changed electronics and software. BMW seemed to design the 2016 with the battery in mind. Testing and pricing mean bmw may release the car soon, or .... as late as 2019. My guess is in 2017 before the tesla model 3.

Lg took about 5 years to make the volt battery 20% smaller. At that rate in 20 years it will be 60% smaller than the batteries going into cars at the end of this year. The 330e battery should be about half the size of a gen II volt battery, if they release it soon. They are doing the i series where they design the cars only as plug-ins, but that makes them more expensive because of low volumes.

 

I haven't seen one elr here, but lots of i3s and a couple of i8s. They can't make enough, so they are increasing production. The 3 series is the most popular entry level luxury car (142,000 in the US last year). If they can price the 330e around the same price as the faster 335i, it will sell and get plugged in. 20% of sales would be 28,000/year in the US alone, Europe plus China might be a bigger than the US.

IMHO the 6.1 sec to 60 6.3 seconds to 100kph is fast enough. The "fun" of electric acceleration and using about half the gas, will make up for the over a second faster 335i acceleration which can not often be used.

BMW Research & Development Boss Discusses Electric Cars

 

We have the fusion energi versus the fusion 2L ecoboost, which is a more compromised. I beleive the energi is less expensive than similarly equipped ecoboost models in many states after tax credits. The problem is that ecoboost accelerates and handles a lot better, and the trunk is much more usable. The fussion ecoboost is about 6.7 seconds to 60, the 6.1 of the 330e is plenty fast enough. The bmw 3L I6 turbo engine is a lot more expensive than the 2L I4 ecoboost ford engine, but the energi and 330e power train may be more similar in price maybe $1500 more for the bmw phev drivetrain over the ford energi. So yes I think bmw can pull off the pricing. The question is will they, and can they package it with a nice usable trunk. Ford sold 11,500 fusion energis in the US last year and you get to about 20,000 when including the c-max. I can definitely see this bmw with a better package selling over 20,000 /year in the us once they get production going, and with the success of the i3 I think it will be around 60,000 world wide.

 

I think the key is leases on cars like the 330e. It makes uncertainty about battery and maintenance costs go away. The tax credits are rolled into the lease. BMW was not doing the full roll up in leases, but they just started doing it right. You aren't going to get a 330e for $30K, a base 328i starts at $33K.

 

I don't think these 330e's will have poor resale value versus say a 335i. What we had on the initial leaf and volt were comically high resale values, which is is just poor accounting trying to make the cars look more profitable in the first years. I don't think nissan, or gm, or indeed bmw need to do this now. The i3 leases were initially a rip off (encouraging people to buy instead of lease), but they look to be lowering them to a more realistic level as they increase production of the cars.

 

telemo's source said next year. I don't think you really want a nicer phev, so you are probably not interested in a better implementation of the power hybrid. I think this will kill the idea of the Lexus power hybrids (gsh, lsh, rxh), and replaces that in bmw and mercedes (mercedes is coming out with a similar but smaller battery and more powerful engine C350e). GM and Honda have canceled their previous power hybrids).

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder on the looks for this car. I like it, and IMHO it is prettier than the competition - Lexus IS, mercedes C, etc.

 

oh, thought you were talking about the how the car looked. I have no idea about the video and photo production, but we have ...
Lexus removing the fuel door in post production of the bmw i3-rex in its ct200h video.
Nissan polar bear comercial
Chevy EVER commercials.

I think these car companies just are clueless when advertising a plug-in or a hybrid. So yeah its strange but not as bad as the competition.

Yes, although I work with bmw, the people I work with are not in the 330e loop as far as when it will ship.

Telmo in a post above quoted a publication that said 2016 with a 4cylinder engine. I know bmw has the car done, but we don't know if its happy with the battery or software. Gas 2.0 has it as a 2016 also but possibly a 3 cylinder engine.
The BMW 330e Is The First Proper Bimmer With A Plug - Gas 2