Beijing, Shenzhen selected for ActiveE consumer trials

Drivers in Beijing and Shenzhen will have a chance to test out one of BMW ActiveE all-electric models during a field trial that is set to take place this year.

Based on the company's 1 Series Coupe, the ActiveE is being produced on a small scale for use in consumer tests that will pave the way for mass production of future electric models.

The company only made 1,000 units for worldwide markets. In China, vehicles will be leased to applicants in the two cities on a 12-month trial basis. A northern and a southern city were selected in order to test the model in different climates.

The ActiveE has a 32 kWh lithium ion battery pack that enables an average range of 160 km on a single charge. When the foot is off the gas pedal, the car can automatically transform kinetic energy to electricity and charge the battery, potentially extending the mileage by up to 20 percent in an urban area.

Though it lacks a clutch or gearbox, it still has performance that can rival counterparts with combustion engines. The car's peak power is 170 hp and its top torque is 250 Nm. It accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 9 seconds.

The test of the ActiveE in China comes on the heels of the carmaker's previous road trial of the MINI E. Since 2009, BMW has brought its electric version of MINI cars to the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and France to study the car's performance and customer behavior in real daily usage.

So far, it is the biggest field test of electric cars by a premium carmaker, with 430 private participants and 14 corporate participants from 12 cities in six countries driving for a total of more than 16 million km.

The final report showed that Chinese customers drove the MINI E for 20 to 60 km every day on average, and they think a range of 140 to 170 km is acceptable. They usually charged the car two to three times a week when there was 20 to 50 percent battery power left.

Like participants in other countries, the majority of Chinese customers said they prefer the maximum range to be more than 220 km and expect a fast charge of 80 percent power within 30 minutes.

And about 90 percent of Chinese participants in the program said they would consider buying an electric vehicle after the trial, and they are willing to recommend the MINI E to their friends.

The survey also shows that customers did not use the MINI E at all times due to limited space in the two-seat car. Because it has four seats and 200 liters of luggage space, the ActiveE will be used more frequently in the upcoming project, the company predicts.

The ActiveE already demonstrated its advantage as a reliable vehicle with zero emissions when it cruised in the torch relay for the London Olympics last year and also during the Games, when it was used to shuttle media and athletes.

Neither the MINI E nor the ActiveE will be commercialized. They are part of preparation for future models, including the all-electric i3 and the plug-in hybrid i8.