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2016 BMW 330e Plug-In Hybrid First Drive

Piecing together the i8 eco sports car taught BMW some valuable lessons, some of which you'll see in the next generation or two of the company's electrified mainstream cars. You won't have to wait that long for BMW to deliver on the key lesson, which can be seen right here in the 330e: make hybrids fun to drive and don't make people compromise on what they like. The 330e neatly sidesteps the traditional character-blanching entry ticket you get with hybrids by delivering almost as much torque as the 340i and a sprint time to 62 miles per hour of 6.1 seconds. For most people eco-conscious enough (especially in a time of cheap gas) to bother with plug-in hybrids, that's going to be quick enough. And so is the 140-mph top speed. It won't quite manage the precision of a normal 3 Series because it's 353 pounds heavier, but it's not far away. This 330e is (theoretically) capable of delivering 25 miles of electric-car range or ridiculous amount of range as a gasoline-electric hybrid. It will post a 44-gram CO2 emissions figure and officially deliver 1.9 liters/100km on the NEDC test cycle in Europe, which translates to 124 miles per gallon equivalent in the US, though it's unclear what the EPA-certified number would actually be. While punching in a straight line is always good, and sipping fuel like it's being rationed is nice, the key part to the 330e is that still handles like a 3 Series should every time you arrive at that one fun corner. It won't quite manage the precision of a normal 3 Series because it's 353 pounds heavier, but it's not far off. BMW has buried the 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack beneath the cargo floor, while the electric motor resides up front, so the weight distribution moves from 50:50 to 49:51, leaving it a touch heavier in the back. Effectively, it's a 3 Series with the 320i's 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline powertrain, the standard eight-speed automatic transmission, and an electric motor sandwiched in between to create a hybrid. The electric motor adds 87 hp to the gas engine's 181 horsepower to offer 248 hp of total power (yes, we know they don't directly add up, but that's the total output). While it has 74 pound-feet of continuous torque, the electric motor can overboost to 184 lb-ft when it needs to. Add that to the gas engine's 214 lb-ft and the car has a maximum of 310 lb-ft – 22 lb-ft shy of the 340i, without pumping out as many emissions.

Recharge Wrap-up: Renault's electric motors, BMW i3 is AM free

Why isn't AM radio offered in the BMW i3? Some drivers – particularly those interested in local traffic reports – have noticed its absence. BMW says that the electromagnetic interference from the electric drivetrain caused poor performance, and that while reception wasn't always terrible, it wasn't up to their standards. Rather than have customers complain to their dealers, who would be unable to do anything for them, BMW has disabled AM reception in the i3. Some customers have hacked their cars in order to enable the AM radio, despite possible warranty issues, and have found the reception to be acceptable. Read more at Green Car Reports. Saab's current parent company, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), broke ground for production and R&D facilities in Tianjin, China. The facilities are part of joint ventures with the city of Tianjin and State Research Information Technology (SRIT). In addition to investments of over $190 million from SRIT and Teamsun, NEVS has received $1.6 billion in credit from the Bank of China to develop its business there. The new Tianjin factory will have a capacity of 200,000 new energy vehicles per year. The facility in Trollhattan, Sweden will provide manufacturing planning, training, and product supply for the Tianjin plant. Read more at Green Car Congress, and in the press release from NEVS. Renault is building the new R240 electric motor for the Zoe at its Cleon plant. The plant and its employees, which specialize in the Energy dCi diesel engine, have adapted to produce high volumes of the electric motor as well, including a 6,000 hours of training for the staff and millions of dollars in investments. "We aim to become the leading powertrain plant for the Alliance," says Cleon plant director Mendi Ammad. The plant is capable of producing 50,000 units of the R240 motor per year, with that number expected to double in the future. Read more about the plant and the production process the press release below. NEW ELECTRIC MOTOR STRENGTHENS POWERTRAIN EXPERTISE AT CLEON ZOE's new electric motor, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, is a 100% Renault motor manufactured at the French site of Cleon, already specialized in highly technical powertrain production. Until now, the flagship of the Cleon plant was the Energy dCi (130, 140, 160) internal-combustion engine. The diesel unit with advanced technological content has made a name for itself at Groupe Renault, the Alliance and with our partners.

The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera leads this month's list of discounts

The average price of a new car in America last year was $35,932. This month, the biggest discount off the retail price of a new car in America is awfully close to that figure at $34,001. For those keeping track (as we do every month with a post like this one), that's by far the largest discount we've seen so far this year, and it means buyers of the 2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera are paying an average transaction price of $273,819. The British automaker calls the DBS "the ultimate production Aston Martin." With a 715-horsepower V12 engine pulsating underhood, sufficient to push this grand touring coupe from 0-60 in a skosh over 3 seconds and on to a top speed of 211 miles per hour, who are we to argue? If that's too rich for your blood — and let's be honest, it's still a whole heck of a lotta money — the next biggest discount might be at least a little more attractive. According to data provided by TrueCar, buyers of the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT are seeing discounts of $23,103 off the car's average sticker price of $159,995. That's a heck of a lot of car for $136,892, though admittedly still expensive. But at 14.4% off retail, it's a better deal than the $132,122 average transaction price of the 2020 BMW M8. The BMW's $16,497 discount equals 11.1% off the M8's $148,619 sticker. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. Featured Gallery Aston Martin DBS Superleggera View 33 Photos Aston Martin BMW Mercedes-Benz Car Buying Convertible Coupe Luxury Performance Supercars consumer car values biggest discount