The intermediate step on the path to full electrification: BMW 530e (test drive)

[[MC]Ronin[MC]]

The intermediate step on the path to full electrification: BMW 530e (test drive)

The best thing about the plug-in "five" is that it feels like any other Series 5: tidy to the smallest detail, elegant and great on the road.

The path that BMW has taken is clear: by 2021, the company must have driven 1 million electrified cars on the road. But this is only the beginning of the super-ambitious plan of the new Bavarian boss, according to which the company will introduce 25 electrified models on the market by 2023, most of them fully electric.

According to BMW Group estimates, customer demand must ensure that over 50% of new vehicle registrations in China's premium segment will be fully electric (BEV) by 2030. The figure for Europe will be around half that percentage, and The US will be at about the same level as Europe.

At this stage, plug-in hybrids are an intermediate step first to tackle the stringent CO2 emission standards that will come into force in 2020, and second: to achieve the ultimate goal, namely a comprehensive e-car range .

Currently plug-in cars are a lifeline for everyone, as they preserve the performance of conventional cars that consumers are used to and at the same time reduce their emissions by 50 to 80%.

PHEV's problem lies in the fact that they are very sensitive to their owner's lifestyle. If you have the ability to charge your car both in the office and at home, or if your journey is less than 40 km, then yes, a plug-in hybrid makes a lot of sense. But if this is not the case, they may be less economical than their gasoline or diesel counterpart.

To test this theory, I take the plug-in "five", which in the end of the summer I returned about 900 km to Greece and back. The Bavarians modified the 530e with a larger battery and xDrive drive, which provides more current only, lower CO2 emissions, but the price is much higher. So the 9.2 kWh battery version (the new one is 12) seems to me more meaningful. The factory parameter for the possible current flow in the city is 49 km. In Europe, about 80% of consumers drive just as much per day, so this type of car has many advantages. The ideal option is to load it in your office and home (the two endpoints of the day's trip in most cases), since in the city you will reach about 35 km in real conditions, and the above 50 look more like mirage.

But even with 30km, the meaning is really big as long as you have the opportunity above. Otherwise, the battery will be recharged in about three and a half hours by iWallbox and six out of ordinary power outlets. When driving in the city alone and with a maximum consumption of 15.2 kWh per 100 km (by factory parameters), you will pay about BGN 3 for a 100 km trip at a daily rate of 19 cents per kWh.

More importantly, comfort is paramount here. That is why the Alcantara seats and the heavy ride are more interesting to me than the feedback from the steering wheel, at least in this particular case. Switching between the ICE and the electric motor is very smooth and almost silent, as is everything in the interior. This is due to the fact that the G30 is the Bavarian sedan with the lowest coefficient of frontal air resistance (0.22). So I want to further reinforce my claim that nothing really sounds in the interior of your surroundings.

I will not talk about semi-autonomous driving systems, as I continue to believe that cars should be driven, not driven by themselves. That's why I've always preferred the seat behind the steering wheel, which fits perfectly in my grip. In my case, it has the letter "M", which usually goes in combination with very shiny metal and lovely leather. The next-generation iDrive comes complete with a 10.25-inch touchscreen display, the dashboard is new, and I also have to mark the Head-up display with a 70% larger projection field. Air ionization is a touch to the spa atmosphere aboard the Hybrid Series 5.

The list of glitches can go on, and the one with the onboard systems is so long that I will not dwell on it at all. He is a completely different reader and reader. I will note that placing the battery pack under the trunk ate 120 liters of its volume, which dropped to 410 liters, but that is enough for a long vacation at sea with a child and a woman.