BMW's super-efficient concept car headed to Oz

Futuristic yet frugal, BMW's Concept Vision EfficientDynamics is confirmed for an Aussie debut at AIMS

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BMW is bringing the sleekly-styled design study, the Concept Vision EfficientDynamics, to Melbourne for the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS).

It's the only occasion the radical design will be seen in the country, according to BMW Australia, presumably because the company acknowledges that the concept car is the basis for a production version, the i8, which will be sold by BMW under its 'i' brand.

As we reported back in March, the production i8 will closely resemble the concept car, which made its global debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show two years ago. Two years is a relatively long time for a concept car to be on the promotional circuit, which could be another reason we won't be seeing the likes of it here again.

The four-seat concept will be the hero of BMW's stand in Melbourne and will introduce the general public here to the company's mix of ActiveHybrid technology and sporty packaging. Capable of knocking off the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.8 seconds, the Concept Vision EfficientDynamics is powered by a three-cylinder turbodiesel and two electric motors in a plug-in hybrid-drive configuration. One electric motor drives through the front wheels and the other sends its torque to the rear. Combined power from the two synchronous motors and the turbodiesel peaks at 241kW.

BMW claims a fuel consumption figure of 3.76L/100km and CO2 emissions of 99g/km for the concept — a result of combining the efficiency of the drivetrain system with light weight and the car's exceptionally slippery drag coefficient of 0.22Cd.

The electric motors draw their power from a lithium-polymer battery that can be recharged from a domestic electric supply, meaning production versions of the car should never need drive to the service station to fill the diesel tank if motoring is limited to round trips of no more than 50km. BMW estimates the time required to recharge the battery from an AC Mains outlet would be two and a half hours. Using the diesel engine to recharge the battery — and provide additional motive power — would extend the vehicle's range to 700km.

"Through the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne, we have the rare opportunity to show a concept car to Australians that exhibits everything that BMW represent in terms of sustainable future mobility, and our dedication to improving efficiency, minimising emissions whilst never compromising the performance BMW is famous for," said BMW Australia Managing Director Phil Horton.

"This is a vehicle that proves sustainable motoring can still be an enthralling experience, and Australians will be able to enjoy this for themselves, when it goes into production in the form of the BMW i8.

 "The Vision EfficientDynamics Concept is proof that maximising the efficiency and emissions of motor vehicles through BMW EfficientDynamics technologies does not have to mean under-performing cars, because creating the Ultimate Driving Machine will always sit at the heart of every car we produce."

AIMS opens at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 6pm on Friday 1 July and concludes Sunday 10 July.

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