Test drive BMW 330E
On weekdays it's a pure electric car, on weekends it's a powerful runner.
“This car makes over 252 horsepower,” I think as I test the new BMW 330e for the first few kilometers.
Basically, I find out about the cars I drive before I get behind the wheel, but this time I run out of time. I saw rather superficially that this is a plug-in hybrid of the new triplet with a 184-liter petrol engine producing 113 hp. and an electric motor with a power of 252 hp, and the total power of the system is the aforementioned 300 hp. However, when the accelerator pedal is depressed more aggressively, the car starts off at an incredible speed. Starting with the electric one, which instantly and silently glues you to the seat and looking in the mirrors, you are surprised how far you are from others at traffic lights. I give her at least XNUMX horses to the touch.
Promote growth
I sit down to write and see that my feelings have not let me down. New is the serial XtraBoost, which is activated at higher loads. In about 10 seconds, it increases the maximum power by 40 horsepower to 292 horsepower. Moreover, from electric ones, which press harder in the seat.
The so-called XtraBoost is available during kickdown (sharp sticking of the accelerator pedal to the floor), when moving the selector lever in M / S mode and when switching to Sport mode. It accelerates the car from 100 to 5,8 km / h in 20 sport seconds, synonymous with eerie driving pleasure. It was with the surprise of the traffic light people from BMW explained it. If the driver suddenly accelerates to full opening at 330 km / h, in just one second, the new BMW 3e accelerates roughly twice as fast as an internal combustion engine car, and in just XNUMX seconds. there will be a length advantage of one car, say the Bavarians. These things are great when someone with an old mallet decides to stretch you.
But that is not the idea of the machine at all. It's a very well thought out eco machine that won't tangle you deep in your fuel pocket on a weekday and pollute our overcrowded cities. With a real run of 40 km in purely electric mode (WLTP detection cycle) for everyday "work at home", you will probably only charge from the outlet. In HYBRID driving mode, the sedan can travel purely on electric power at speeds of up to 110 km/h – 30 km/h faster than the previous model. In ELECTRIC mode, you can drive with zero emissions even at speeds up to 140 km/h (so far 120 km/h).
It is on these weekdays that the Bavarians report an average fuel consumption of 1,8 liters per 100 km. It is clear that there will not be many of them outside the city, but if you draw a line, for example, after a year of operation, you can be sure that the figure will not differ much from the promised one. After a mostly suburban test, the on-board computer showed 7,4 liters per 100 km. For such a fast car with almost 300 horses (at times), these are unrealistically modest costs.
Freedom
On weekends, you'll enjoy an incredibly fun car with a lot of power and the iconic steering that Series 3 is renowned for.
So far, I haven't been particularly fond of plug-in hybrids, because once the battery is dead, you rely almost entirely on the gas engine with its more modest power. Not here - the system saves the necessary amount of energy to "support" you when accelerating. Even XtraBoost remains available at the lowest charge level of the high-voltage battery (34 Ah). For this, we must thank the particularly high efficiency that generates electricity through the regeneration of braking energy, in which the electric motor acts as a generator. This eliminates the need for a generator driven by an internal combustion engine, further increasing the efficiency of the entire system.
The electric motor is housed in an 8-speed automatic, which guarantees an extremely discreet mixing of energy sources. It takes a lot of concentration to feel when the engine starts and when it turns off.
Under the hood
| Дvigatel | Gasoline + electric |
| drive unit | Rear wheels |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Working volume | 1998 cc |
| Power in hp | (total) 252 HP (292 with XtraBoost) |
| Torque | (total) 420 Nm |
| Acceleration time | (0 – 100 km / h) 5,8 sec. |
| full speed | 230 km / h |
| Fuel consumption Tank | 40 l |
| Mixed cycle | 1,8 l / 100 km |
| CO2 emissions | 32 g / km |
| The weight | 1815 kg |
| Price | from 95 550 BGN VAT |
