Regenerative brakes? ? ? ? ?
Does it have a battery and drive motor like the Prius?
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Sounds like it. And like the Honda IMA.
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Tye local rag has a snippet on the revised 1 Series. It seems the massive improvement in mpg is due to 'stop-start' technology. Save on fuel, pay out on starter motors.
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"due to 'stop-start' technology." - amongst others:
"BMW has used the 1-Series revision to introduce its Brake Energy Regeneration system, which has two major advantages. First, it takes power from the alternator only when required, rather than all the time the engine is running; competition cars have used systems like this for some time, and aftermarket kits are available for road cars, but it's unusual for a major manufacturer to offer it as standard.
Second, the system recycles energy which would previously have been lost when the engine is on over-run (in other words, when the brakes are on, or the car is going down a hill) and stores it in an absorbent glass mat battery.
With the exception of the 130i, all manual transmission versions of the new 1-Series use an automatic stop-start function to save even more fuel. When the car is brought to a halt and the gearlever put into neutral, the engine is shut down, and restarts again only when the clutch is engaged. This function can be manually switched off if required, but why would you?"
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With the exception of the 130i, all manual transmission versions of the new 1-Series use an automatic stop-start function to save even more fuel. When the car is brought to a halt and the gearlever put into neutral, the engine is shut down, and restarts again only when the clutch is engaged. This function can be manually switched off if required, but why would you?"
An hence the basis of the excellent government cycle figures where the urban cycle includes a huge number of halts.
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Honda IMA has this stop start nonsense. A nightmare if you don't drive the car regularly, our business manager loves them for a number of reasons - but he doesn't drive the things. The starter motor on this car is silent, very strange.
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Isn't this a crankshaft-mounted alternator-cum starter motor?
I know BMW were leader in the development of this idea yonks ago, but I assumed the idea died as I have never seen it. IIRC the system voltage was a lot higher than 12v, and there was a PSU for 12v systems. This provided a sort of engine braking during generation and also, when the engine needed to restart would act as a motor to remove the delay in starting the engine and provide a torque boost. I'm glad they finally made use of it if this is what it is.
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Sounds like the IMA in a nutshell.
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Can't understand why manufacturers try and make out that this stop-start stuff is anything new - my Mum had a 1985 VW Polo Formel E that did exactly the same thing 22 years ago!
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Wasn't there a Fuat as well and a Golf called the Umwelt ?
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Golf Umwelt (environment) was just an ordinary Golf TD with a particular power unit.
The Ecomatic was the magical clutchless version.
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"The Ecomatic was the magical clutchless version."
Ah yes - there was a nasty Fiat one as well.
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