BMW Present Brand New DC Technology
We often hear about range anxiety being one of the biggest issues drivers have with electric vehicles, but another prevailing problem is the time it takes to fill up their batteries with electric juice and which can be measured in hours.
Online, March 24, 2014 (Newswire.com) - We often hear about range anxiety being one of the biggest issues drivers have with electric vehicles, but another prevailing problem is the time it takes to fill up their batteries with electric juice and which can be measured in hours.
A solution may be in the horizon, though, if we are to believe BMW and its corporate communications chief for BMW i cars, Weiland Bruch, who says the Bavarian automaker is readying a much faster DC (Direct Current) technology, which has the potential to cut charging times from several hours with today's AC (Alternating Current) to just minutes.
"We will be making an announcement soon, so watch this space," said Bruch, without divulging further details.
Bruch also made a referral to BMW's battery-powered i3 hatch, stating that demand has surpassed expectations and supply from Europe alone, even before sales kick off in the United States next month and in China this summer, with customer orders already queued up for the next six months.
"Clearly we do not want people waiting five or six months for their cars and as we launch into more markets we need to think about increasing production," he said.
Currently, BMW is churning out 70 examples of the i3 per day at the brand's Leipzig plant.
DC charging has the potential to be a major breakthrough for electric vehicles because, along with so-called range anxiety, people are concerned by the length of time it takes to charge them and the difficulties posed by home charging for those who live in high rise buildings.
BMW is already producing 70 i3 models a day at its plant in Leipzig just a few months after its European launch and customer orders are now banked up almost six months ahead. This is before the car is launched next month in the US and China in the summer.