by "bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
Published 04/14/2017 at 09:05
by "bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
Published 04/14/2017 at 09:05
Tags: state of the engines
; 2-cylinder
; bmw
; i3
; hybrid
; Electric Vehicles
STARS: 4
I thought I’d do a series covering less common engine configurations in the US car market, and their availability today (this means no I4s, no V6s, no V8s, and I’m not even sure about I6s). So, let’s start with the 2-cylinder - it’s the lowest cylinder count that can be found in a US car today.
Here’s the one 2-cylinder car available in the US market for model year 2017, the BMW i3 REx, which uses a 647 cc naturally aspirated inline-twin engine originally designed for the C650 family of scooters, and built by Kymco, as a gasoline-fueled range extender, in a serial hybrid arrangement.
Engine output is only 34 hp, but if you plan things right, it won’t even start up - if there’s enough charge in the battery, you’ll get 170 hp of electric power. If you do run the battery down enough to start the engine, it’s not a bad idea to keep the speeds down, though. Otherwise, on the US-spec model, it’s not hard to run out of battery buffer, and end up crawling up a hill - there’s even been a class action lawsuit about this, and plenty of people have hacked the software on their i3s to allow for more battery buffer (as exists in Europe), as well as remove an artificial limitation on fuel capacity meant to get a California credit available to range-extended vehicles where gasoline city range was shorter than electric city range. (The 2017 model doesn’t have the fuel capacity limitation, as its larger battery makes it eligible for the California credits without that limitation.)
EPA mileage in charge sustaining mode (that is, after the battery’s been depleted enough to require the engine to start) is only 36 miles per gallon highway, 33 miles per gallon city, on premium. This is a consequence of a few factors, I’d argue - the tall shape of the i3 compromises aerodynamics, the serial hybrid powertrain compromises efficiency (but gains flexibility, and makes it easier to remove the engine entirely for the BEV model), and the engine likely isn’t optimized for thermal efficiency.
Before anyone asks where the Morgan Three-Wheeler is - it uses an S&S V-twin - I’ve left it off due to it not being a car .
Next time, I’ll be posting the range of three-cylinder cars in the US market, which ranges from one of the cheapest cars on sale in the US, to a legitimate supercar.
"random001" (random001)
04/14/2017 at 09:10, STARS: 1
I would only buy an i3 with the REx, but it’s super fun to drive.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
04/14/2017 at 09:20, STARS: 0
No 2 cylinder turbo engines in the US market Fiat 500?
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
04/14/2017 at 09:22, STARS: 0
Nope.
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
04/14/2017 at 09:34, STARS: 1
No, and everything I’ve heard is that that engine adds a ton of complexity for no real benefit, because in the real world, you’re in boost enrichment all the time. And, the US EPA cycle is better at exposing the poor real-world performance of extremely downsized and turbocharged engines (although then you’ve got the 1.0 EcoBoost, so...)
Also, we’re often running our engines through automatics, and demand more power. And, often, our road designs demand more power to compensate for poor design, and our drivers expect having that power and therefore don’t let low-powered cars in.
The entire US engine lineup:
1.4 MultiAir: 101 hp @ 6500, 98 lb-ft @ 4000
Electric (this is California/Oregon-specific, nowhere else in the world gets it): 111 hp
1.4 MultiAir Turbo (your Abarth, we just called it “Turbo”, discontinued after MY2016): 135 hp @ 5500, 150 lb-ft @ 2500-4000
1.4 MultiAir Turbo (your Abarth Esseesse, we just call it Abarth), automatic trim: 157 hp @ 5500, 183 lb-ft @ 2400-4000
1.4 MultiAir Turbo (your Abarth Esseesse, we just call it Abarth), manual trim: 160 hp @ 5500, 170 lb-ft @ 2500-4000
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
04/14/2017 at 09:40, STARS: 1
That’s true. Due to the very poorly designed test we’re being bombarded with extremely downsized turbocharged engines that are only economical on paper, or when driven like a granny. Luckily times are changing and improving. I don’t do new or recent cars, but if I would ever consider a 2010-2017 car it’ll be hard to find something decent. I can’t think of anything that’s available, excluding Mazdas.
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
04/14/2017 at 09:48, STARS: 2
Personally, I’m not sure if I’d want the REx if I bought an i3.
I do think that PHEVs are the way that EVs are going to reach mainstream acceptance - size the battery for daily driving, then use the ICE for longer trips - but the i3 REx seems to get the formula wrong for that, in my opinion.
You’re carrying the weight of an engine, a generator, and a fuel system, and taking a handling and slight efficiency hit in your daily driving, and you have the complexity of that system being added to the vehicle... but it’s poorly optimized for the longer trips where you need it. Sure, you can do it, if you code the car to enable hold mode, keep the speeds down to 65-70, and stop every 70-80 miles for gas, but it’s not pretty, and it’s not efficient. The upshot is that the REx effectively acts as a bailout if you push the battery too far, rather than enabling the vehicle to do everything practically.
Something like the Volt, IMO, is far closer to the right formula (although it gets the packaging wrong) - full performance in electric mode, plenty of battery for most people in daily driving, and enough engine and fuel capacity (with better thermal efficiency and driveline efficiency) to handle cross-country travel practically.
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
04/14/2017 at 09:52, STARS: 0
Toyota’s also somewhat resisted the downsize-and-turbocharge trend - while they have a 1.2 turbo in almost everything in Europe now (and a 2.0 turbo in almost everything Lexus), there’s usually a naturally aspirated option available, too. (In the Lexuses, it’s usually a 3.5 V6, but hey.) And, in Europe, usually, the hybrid variant of a Toyota-brand model ends up being the top model performance-wise, and always has an upsized-and-Atkinsonized (basically the extreme opposite of downsize-and-turbocharge) engine.
The phase-in of WLTP and RDE is going to change this situation, though, I suspect.
"random001" (random001)
04/14/2017 at 09:55, STARS: 0
If the i3 were not my only car, I wouldn’t get the REx. I should have added that caveat. I’m prone to...spontaneous road trips, I guess, so having electric only could run into problems for me. But if I had another road trip car, and used the i3 as a commuter/runabout, sure. You make an excellent case.
"404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani)
04/14/2017 at 10:04, STARS: 0
On the topic of tiny engines... I really wouldn’t mind giving that B38 3-cylinder 318i a whirl.
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
04/14/2017 at 10:07, STARS: 0
Possibly true, but good luck finding a Lexus in Europe, especially without a diesel or hybrid drivetrain. And with a Toyota you’d be driving a Toyota. That’s why I mentioned Mazda.
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
04/14/2017 at 10:08, STARS: 0
The B38 is being covered tomorrow, although it’s only in one BMW-branded product in the US market (everything else is a Mini).
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
04/14/2017 at 10:09, STARS: 0
Lexus nowadays doesn’t have a single diesel option - they’ve replaced all of their diesel options with hybrids.
And, given the anti-diesel policies from European lawmakers nowadays, I wouldn’t be surprised if that bolsters Lexus’s market position...
"duurtlang" (duurtlang)
04/14/2017 at 10:14, STARS: 0
Lexus has a 0.3% market share (2016) on the continent, despite trying for almost 3 decades. I don’t expect them to suddenly succeed. They build cars too clearly designed for another market, another market with other demands. 0.3% is less than a brand like pre-Giulia Alfa Romeo, or the Citroen luxury brand DS which has 3 old models and nothing else.
http://www.best-selling-cars.com/europe/2016-full-year-europe-best-selling-car-manufacturers-brands/
"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
04/14/2017 at 10:18, STARS: 1
As I understand it, the Twin Air engine is rather an eager little thing which encourages you to drive the whatnots off it, which does absolutely nothing for its real world consumption. Then again if you just trundle along it’ll doubtless do well.
Looking at my local Fiat website I see it’s no longer sold here but that’s as much due to slow sales of the 500 in general (it only sells well in certain markets) and the fact that buyers were being asked to pay more for an 875cc than a 1200cc engine.
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
04/14/2017 at 10:36, STARS: 0
Yeah, I think the REx isn’t good enough to make it an only car because of the poor spontaneous road trip performance, and it makes it a worse daily driver than the BEV.
Give it more engine and more fuel, and the hit to daily driver performance might be worth it in spontaneous road trips.
"404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani)
04/14/2017 at 10:40, STARS: 0
Yeah that’s what I mean. With urban sprawl showing no sign of stopping, we don’t need large engine cars as much. Sometimes I even think my N20 has too much power.
James May was right, power is pointless if you can’t use it.
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
04/15/2017 at 08:41, STARS: 0
Morgan 3-wheeler certainly isn’t a motorbike/trike like the Polaris Slingshot.
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
04/15/2017 at 09:18, STARS: 1
Legally, in the US, it’s a motorcycle, and therefore isn’t in the EPA list of cars and light trucks (what I’m using as a source).
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
04/15/2017 at 09:23, STARS: 0
fair enough