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The 3-series and 5-series have had electric options (330e & 550e) for some time now.

mullingitover 7y ago
Those are plugin hybrids with pretty anemic all-electric range.
dhruvrrp 7y ago
They both are hybrids so don’t even fall under the same category as electric cars for most people. The bmw website doesn’t even show options for 330e so that seems to be discontinued and for the 530e the electric range is 16 miles, so basically a luxury Prius.
- timthorn 7y ago
  I don't know where you're based, but I wonder if that's a US perspective? I've been driving a PHEV in the UK for 5 years, and perhaps 50% of my colleagues with EVs also have hybrids (including a couple with the 330e); I've never known anyone say they're not electric cars before. The 330e is still available on the BMW UK website.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- rhizome 7y ago
  Not sure where the 330e went, but there's going to be a 2020 hybrid X1.
mstade 7y ago
Yeah I don't really consider hybrids EVs to be honest. I want to get off fossil fuels, not have a token battery that barely gets me out of the driveway.
- timthorn 7y ago
  My token battery gets me to work 20 miles away, and I rarely fire up the ICE, but it means that I can still drive from London to Scotland with only a single stop for petrol.
  - vl 7y ago
    How is this an achievement? I drove from London to Edinburgh with no stops for fuel in a diesel car. Hybrid presumably should do better.
    - saagarjha 7y ago
      You left out the part about where they use zero fossil fuels for their daily commute.
- robocat 7y ago
  Unfortunately you can't get off fossil fuels by buying a car - they contain embedded energy of which a large percentage comes from fossil fuels. If the lifetime of a vehicle is say 400000 kms, I calculate that a new Prius emits less CO2 than a new Model S if manufacturing etc is included.
  - llukas 7y ago
    It highly depends on energy mix that Model S uses (ie. compare Quebec to Ontario): http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/nrg/ntgrtd/mrkt/snpsht/2018/09-01-1hwrnrgprjctsfnncd-eng.html?=undefined&wbdisable=true http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/nrg/ntgrtd/mrkt/snpsht/2018/09-01-1... embedded energy (production) for EV is higher but not that much higher https://blog.ucsusa.org/rachael-nealer/gasoline-vs-electric-global-warming-emissions-953 https://blog.ucsusa.org/rachael-nealer/gasoline-vs-electric-...
    - robocat 7y ago
      From that blog: "Driving an average EV results in lower global warming emissions than driving a gasoline car that gets 50 miles per gallon (MPG)". A Prius gets approx 50 MPG!
thefounder 7y ago
What electric range do they have? 1 mile? 30?

Those are plugin hybrids with pretty anemic all-electric range.

They both are hybrids so don’t even fall under the same category as electric cars for most people. The bmw website doesn’t even show options for 330e so that seems to be discontinued and for the 530e the electric range is 16 miles, so basically a luxury Prius.

timthorn 7y ago
I don't know where you're based, but I wonder if that's a US perspective? I've been driving a PHEV in the UK for 5 years, and perhaps 50% of my colleagues with EVs also have hybrids (including a couple with the 330e); I've never known anyone say they're not electric cars before. The 330e is still available on the BMW UK website.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
rhizome 7y ago
Not sure where the 330e went, but there's going to be a 2020 hybrid X1.

mstade 7y ago

Yeah I don't really consider hybrids EVs to be honest. I want to get off fossil fuels, not have a token battery that barely gets me out of the driveway.

timthorn 7y ago
My token battery gets me to work 20 miles away, and I rarely fire up the ICE, but it means that I can still drive from London to Scotland with only a single stop for petrol.
- vl 7y ago
  How is this an achievement? I drove from London to Edinburgh with no stops for fuel in a diesel car. Hybrid presumably should do better.
  - saagarjha 7y ago
    You left out the part about where they use zero fossil fuels for their daily commute.
robocat 7y ago
Unfortunately you can't get off fossil fuels by buying a car - they contain embedded energy of which a large percentage comes from fossil fuels. If the lifetime of a vehicle is say 400000 kms, I calculate that a new Prius emits less CO2 than a new Model S if manufacturing etc is included.
- llukas 7y ago
  It highly depends on energy mix that Model S uses (ie. compare Quebec to Ontario): http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/nrg/ntgrtd/mrkt/snpsht/2018/09-01-1hwrnrgprjctsfnncd-eng.html?=undefined&wbdisable=true http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/nrg/ntgrtd/mrkt/snpsht/2018/09-01-1... embedded energy (production) for EV is higher but not that much higher https://blog.ucsusa.org/rachael-nealer/gasoline-vs-electric-global-warming-emissions-953 https://blog.ucsusa.org/rachael-nealer/gasoline-vs-electric-...
  - robocat 7y ago
    From that blog: "Driving an average EV results in lower global warming emissions than driving a gasoline car that gets 50 miles per gallon (MPG)". A Prius gets approx 50 MPG!

thefounder 7y ago

What electric range do they have? 1 mile? 30?