BMW has spilled the beans on some of its plans for the future and one of the things it has talked about is the hybrid powertrain of the 2 Series Active Tourer plug-in hybrid.
BMW unveiled its 2 Series Active Tourer plug-in hybrid prototype at the Miramas proving grounds. The car packs a three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine driving the front wheels, a high-voltage generator mounted in the front structure and an electric motor sending its power to the rear wheels.
This is different from what we have seen in the BMW X5 xDrive40e and the BMW 330e models. As the 2 Series Active Tourer has been built upon a different platform, there was a need to come up with a different solution and so the engine is mounted transversally instead of longitudinally.
At the front, the hybrid packs a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine making 136 HP and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque. The power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed Steptronic transmission – similar to what you may have noticed in an i8 – but the 1.5-liter engine is powering the rear axle instead.
BMW has also fitted an additional high-voltage generator that helps the engine out by delivering an additional 15 kW (20 HP) and 150 Nm (111 lb-ft) of torque. When the generator isn’t helping out, it provides electric power for the high-voltage battery.
The automaker has put an electric motor located above the rear axle that uses a two-speed transmission and power electronics. This one sends 88 HP and 165 Nm (122 lb-ft) of torque only to the rear wheels.
This combination of technologies provides the 223e Active Tourer with the power to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 6.5 seconds.
The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer plug-in hybrid prototype can cover up to 38 kilometres on electric power alone, accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in around 6.5 seconds and will achieve average fuel economy of approximately two litres per 100 kilometres.
The company further revealed that its 2 Series Active Tourer plug-in hybrid prototype comes with the same Driving Experience Control switch found in the conventionally powered model variants. The Comfort and Sport settings and Eco Pro mode can be activated at the push of a button.
With Eco Pro mode engaged, drivers can also make use of the coasting function, while energy efficiency is further boosted by precisely gauged power control for electrically operated convenience functions, such as the air conditioning, seat heating and heated mirrors.
Furthermore, the driver is able to adjust the responses of the drivetrain management using the eDrive button on the centre console. There is a choice of three settings: AutoeDrive, Max eDrive, and Save Battery.
BMW says that it hasn’t fixed the pricing of the production version of its 2 Series Active Tourer with plug-in hybrid drive but says that prices at launch will be in the range of existing engine variants with comparable power outputs – just as they are for the electrified versions of the BMW X5 and BMW 3 Series. This means that customers do not have to pay a high premium for the technology.
