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Weekly Recap: BMW rolls out ambitious plug-in hybrid electric plan

"We believe that for the United States, this is going to be very important." – Julian Arguelles Let there be no doubt, BMW is serious about electric vehicles. The German automaker said this week it will make plug-in hybrid versions of all of its core models, an aggressive move that demonstrates its commitment to electric propulsion systems. BMW did not specify which vehicles will get the plug-in systems or provide a timeline for when they will arrive. But the announcement is clearly more than blustering, and the company revealed a 3 Series plug-in prototype this week at an event in France. BMW said the 3 Series uses a version of its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (240 horsepower, 300 pound feet of torque) with an electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission in place of the torque converter. It has an all-electric range of 22 miles. A plug-in X5 with the same powertrain was also displayed alongside the 3 Series, though the X5 has been on the auto-show circuit for more than a year, including a recent stop in Los Angeles. Those two vehicles use "eDrive," and BMW's plans represent the first widespread transfer of its technology from development of the i3 and i8 models to more mainstream products. BMW said it's developing electric powertrains so they can be deployed rapidly across its range, and they are flexible enough to be used with fuel cells in future products. Enticingly, BMW is also working on a "Power eDrive" system, which debuted in a 5 Series GT concept at the event in France. This setup has two electric motors powered by a 20-kilowatt-hour battery pack, and when teamed with a four-cylinder turbo, pump out about 670 hp. Reinforcing BMW's commitment, the company will add more than 200 jobs at its factory in Dingolfing, Germany, to support electric-vehicle development. The moves come as BMW and other automakers diversify their portfolios while fuel economy and emissions regulations are getting tighter around the world. The United States has set a 54.5-mpg CAFE requirement for the 2025 model year. BMW said the electric vehicles were developed with an eye toward the US market, its government policies and its wide-ranging commuting styles. "We believe that for the United States, this is going to be very important," spokesman Julian Arguelles said. Ben Scott, a senior analyst in London with automotive research firm IHS, said BMW's moves are expensive – but necessary – to keep pace with the market.

Buick takes top spot in 2022 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

People, economies, and supply chains weren't the only things continuing to get sick over the past year. The 2022 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) is out, showing the average rate of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership increased overall. The average figure for the 32 ranked manufacturers in 2020 was about 166 problems per 100 vehicles. In the 2021 IQS, that dropped to an average of 162. This year, the average jumps to 180 problems. J.D. Power says that figure is a record high over the 36-year history of the study. Buick leapt to the top of the rankings this year with the fewest issues, at 139 problems per 100 vehicles in the first 100 days of ownership. After Dodge became the first American automaker to lead the IQS in 2020, followed by Ram in 2021, this year marks a three-peat for U.S. carmakers. Dodge took second this year at 143 PP100, Chevrolet third with 147 PP100, Genesis the first luxury maker on the chart in fourth with 156 PP100. Between February and May, this year's study gathered responses to 223 questions from more than 84,000 new 2022-model-year car owners and lessees. The questions are designed to zero in on real-world problems new owners encounter with nine categories of vehicle features: Infotainment; features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; and climate. As has been the case in the past few year, infotainment has proved to be the most problematic bugbear making scores worse. Considering features individually, six of 10 of the worst problem areas dealt with infotainment, causing infotainment's score of 45 PP100 to be 19.5 PP100 worse than the second-placed feature. Consumers ranked getting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to connect reliably as the most troublesome.  GM didn't just score with Buick, which was one of only nine of the 33 ranked brands to show improvement this year. The conglomerate earned first place with the fewest PP100 among all the automaker groups, and scored the most model-level awards with nine, ahead of BMW with eight and Hyundai Group with three.  This year's study again showed a gap between luxury and mass-market makers, thought to be down to the amount of tech in luxury vehicles that consumers aren't properly informed about or that doesn't act as expected — that latter issue exacerbated by the chip shortage.

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV output jumps to 754 hp and 785 lb-ft

A couple of days ago, GMC unleashed its 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 pickup, the luxury truck division's version of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV. As has been the case between Chevy and GMC for decades, GMC designers worked to put ample visual difference between the two pickups that share the similar underpinnings. Unlike what's been the historical case, GMC announced output figures for the Sierra EV well above those for the Silverado. Preliminary estimates for the battery-electric Sierra with the dual-motor powertrain are 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque. Chevy revealed the 2024 Silverado EV in January with 664 hp and 785 lb-ft in RST trim. We're not sure what happened after the GMC debut, but the Bowtie has updated the Silverado's output to match the GMC with 754 hp and 785 lb-ft. Chevy truck communications spokesperson Sean Szymkowski submitted a statement to various outlets explaining, "As we prepare for production of the Silverado EV, our engineering team has further refined the estimated performance specs for the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST First Edition. GM now estimates horsepower to be up to 754 and torque up to an estimated 785 lb-ft when Wide Open Watts mode is engaged." It's possible Chevrolet did so in order to forestall backlash about the disparity, or it's possible the automaker already planned to do so after the GMC dropped. On the ICE side, buyers have got used to powertrain parity, the Silverado and Sierra offering the same engines with the same outputs even with pricing about $3,600 apart on the respective top trims. No matter how the decision was made, the benefits redound to Silverado EV buyers. By the way, the "Wide Open Watts" reference refers to the driving mode required to extract these peak power figures. In the GMC Sierra EV, this is called Max Power Mode. We're still looking for clarity on the output figures in everyday driving modes, we believe those will be the same 510 hp and 615 lb-ft that's the maximum in the lower trim Silverado EV Work Truck.    With a year to wait before the Silverado RST EV reaches reservation holders, and with the Chevrolet Work Truck providing real-world feedback before the RST arrives, don't be surprised at more tweaks made to both the Silverado and Sierra EVs before they hit the market. Related video: GMC reveals the all-electric 2024 Sierra EV