What's the news?
With the new fourth-generation BMW plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) coming on stream, the German company is looking to maximise the distance these machines cover in zero-emissions mode with something called eDrive Zones.
Announced at the BMW NextGen event in Munich this week, eDrive Zones are pretty much what they say on the tin: areas where only electric-powered vehicles may run. PHEVs, of course, have the ability to move with their onboard internal combustion engine (ICE), but these eDrive Zones would forbid this on future BMW PHEVs because geo-fencing technology (embedded in the navigation systems) would ensure the vehicle automatically turns itself into zero-emission mode as it enters a zone - without the driver having to do anything.
BMW says this means that 'optimum use' of the PHEV's potential is assured, while simultaneously ensuring plug-in vehicles help with reducing emissions in these particular zones. Even better, BMW says it will make the BMW eDrive Zones function a standard feature on all its PHEVs, as of 2020.
To make eDrive Zones more fun, BMW Points will be introduced. This is an app that motivates PHEV customers on an almost-gameplay basis, with kilometres covered under pure electric power and high-voltage battery charging rewarded with points. The more BMW Points a PHEV driver gains, the more rewards they can avail themselves of; such as free charging volumes on Charge Now, or products from the Share Now and Park Now brands. BMW Points will be available for BMW PHEVs with eDrive Zone technology, via the Connected Drive Store, from 2020.
Anything else?
BMW developed both eDrive Zones and BMW Points following a pilot project held in Rotterdam, in collaboration with both the Dutch city's authorities and its Erasmus University. Studies carried out in 2018 saw 50 PHEV-driving volunteers provided with a specially developed app for the purpose of driving in zero-emissions zones, with their vehicles telling them when to switch the car into fully electric mode accordingly. A beta version of BMW Points also enabled the volunteers to monitor their progress compared to the other participants, to take part in competitions and to collect points. From this data, BMW determined that the PHEV volunteers covered 90 per cent of all the routes in the Rotterdam eDrive Zones on electric power alone.