Munich. BMW i is consistently moving into additional
fields of application for locally emissions-free drive technology, now
also promoting sustainability in public local transport. For the first
time, the electric motors and high-voltage batteries developed for the
BMW i3 will be used to power a city bus made by the well-known Turkish
manufacturer Karsan which is designed specifically for use in
inner-city traffic. The BMW Group and Karsan have signed an agreement
involving the supply of motors and batteries for the purely
electrically powered model “Jest electric”, which is produced in Bursa
in Turkey for both the domestic market and for international markets.
This collaboration once again reflects the aim of BMW i to provide
stimuli in promoting urban mobility geared towards sustainability. The
BMW i electric motors and high-voltage batteries used in the Karsan
Jest electric enable public transportation network operators to
provide their passengers with comfortable and locally emissions-free
travel on inner-city roads.
Public transportation is the latest of a whole range of spheres of
activity in which BMW i technology enables enhanced sustainability.
Since last year, for example, BMW i has supplied energy storage
technology for locally emissions-free mobility to Streetscooter GmbH,
a 100 per cent subsidiary of Deutsche Post. The BMW i battery modules
enable the street scooter to be used all day for delivering letters
and packages without the need for interim charging. The high-voltage
batteries developed for the BMW i3 also supply energy for sustainable
mobility on the water, a project which likewise started in 2017. The
company Torqeedo – a global leader in the manufacture of boat drives –
uses the batteries as the energy source for its motors. In addition
BMW i high-voltage batteries are deployed as stationary energy storage
units for power generated from renewable energy sources, namely wind
and solar plants. “Our industrial clients appreciate the easy handling
of the plug-and-play technology offered by BMW i components, as well
as their robustness and reliability – as demonstrated in well over
100 000 BMW i sold worldwide”, says Uwe Breitweg, Head of BMW Group
Drive Systems for Industry Clients.
The increasing demand for applications beyond electrically powered
vehicles and plug-in hybrid models in the product range of the BMW
Group brands highlights the far-sighted, universal character of BMW i
with its holistic orientation towards sustainability. BMW i possesses
concentrated development expertise in the areas of electric motors and
high-voltage batteries – including battery management – and this can
be used for a growing number of products and fields of application in
day-to-day life.
The electric motors and high-voltage batteries developed
independently by the BMW Group are characterised by excellent
performance qualities and a high degree of reliability. They are
produced at the BMW plant in Dingolfing. The BMW Group competence
centre for electromobility has continuously expanded its product
capacity and manufacturing expertise over recent years. The electric
synchronous motor of the BMW i3 that will be used to power the Karsan
Jest electric in future generates a peak output of 125 kW/170 hp and a
maximum torque of 250 Nm.
The energy required is supplied by a lithium-ion battery whose
compact dimensions and low weight make it perfect for a wide range of
applications. The high-voltage battery consists of 8 modules
comprising 12 cells each and provides a capacity of up to 44
kilowatt-hours (kWh). With a combination of two high-voltage
batteries, pre-series prototypes of the Karsan Jest electric achieve a
capacity of 88 kilowatt-hours and therefore a range of 210 kilometres.
When used on scheduled services, this means the city bus can run for
18 hours on end without an interim stop to refresh its energy
supplies. The compact size of the electric motor and high-voltage
battery are also advantageous in terms of interior space. Measuring
some six metres in length, the Karsan Jest electric offers room for up
to 26 passengers – four more than the previous conventionally powered
version of the model. The city bus is fitted with low-floor technology
which gives passengers with pushchairs and wheelchairs convenient access.
Vehicle manufacturer Karsan was founded in 1966 and operates its own
development and production facilities in Bursa in western Turkey,
acting both as a production partner to international automotive
companies as well as developing and producing its own vehicles for
local and long-distance transport. The product portfolio ranges from
small vans, city buses and coaches to articulated buses for use on
scheduled services. “Collaboration with the BMW Group enables us to
meet our customers’ needs in the electric vehicle segment too, as well
as helping us take a major step forward in our transformation to
becoming a supplier of sustainable mobility solutions,” explains Okan
Baş, CEO of Karsan Automobil Industrie- und Handelsgesellschaft.
About BMW i.
BMW i is a BMW Group brand that stands for networked mobility
services, visionary vehicle concepts and a new premium philosophy that
draws strongly on the idea of sustainability. BMW i is represented in
74 countries with the models BMW i3 (electrically powered vehicle for
urban regions), the BMW i8 (plug-in hybrid sports car) and BMW
iPerformance automobiles (all BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles).
BMW i taps into new target groups on behalf of the company as a whole
and serves as an incubator for innovations. Once technologies have
been successfully applied for the first time to BMW i, they are
transferred to the BMW parent brand.
Other business areas associated with BMW i are DriveNow (car
sharing), ReachNow (car sharing 2.0), ChargeNow (simple access to the
world’s largest network of charging stations), ParkNow (simple
location, reservation and payment of parking spaces), BMW i Ventures
(investment in young companies focusing on urban mobility), BMW Energy
(energy services) and the Competence Centre for Urban Mobility
(consultation service for municipal authorities).
In case of queries please contact:
Wieland Brúch,
Product Communication BMW i and Electromobility
Tel.: +49-89-382-72652
E-mail: wieland.bruch@bmwgroup.com