Fnfer Plug-in Hybrid. From BMW Or Brilliance? And A TTAC Proposal For Beijing

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: April 7th, 2011

em fnfer em plug in hybrid from bmw or brilliance and a ttac proposal for

If you are a respectable auto manufacturer, better don’t show up at the Shanghai Auto Show (open to the public on April 21) without an EV or at least a hybrid. Not that there is a huge demand. Despite lavish subsidies (in Beijing, I could collect $9,000 from the government for driving an EV, an amount the city will supposedly double – a moot point if I don’t get lucky in the license plate lottery), where was I, despite lavish subsidies, the take rate in China remains minuscule.

Wharton says that ”EV sales today account for only 0.06% of all vehicle sales in China.” Hybrids? Google leaves us in the dark. This does not discourage consultants from McKinsey on down from promising that China will be a bonanza for new energy vehicles. On top of that, the government wants it. One of the many companies to show up with a green car in Shanghai is BMW.

According to a BMW press release, “BMW Brilliance Automotive presents the concept of a premium-segment plug-in hybrid sedan. The prototype is based on the long wheelbase version of the BMW 5 Series Sedan, developed exclusively for the Chinese automobile market and produced at the Shenyang site.” Fully charged, the car is good for 75 km (46.5 miles). Powered by a 214 BMW TwinPower Turbo engine, the car is good for another range-anxiety free 400km (248 miles) before needing either a wall socket or a gas station. Plug-in hybrid drive, power electronics and high-volt battery “were developed in close collaboration between the joint venture partners BMW Group and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd,” says the release. So far, so good. A few questions remain.

Concept or prototype? The first is usually a dream that rarely sees the end of a production line. The latter would be closer to reality. “The car will be built,” says Frank Strebe, BMW spokesman in Munich. “It will go on sale in 2013.”

And what logo will be on the front of the car? “That’s a good question,” says Strebe .

The (photoshopped) picture of the car wisely shows it from the side. We’ll see what will adorn the car in Shanghai. Which does not answer the question whether it will be a plug-in hybrid Fünfer, or a plug-in hybrid Brilliance, when it goes on sale in two years.

BMW as it may, I call upon all ecologically responsible automakers to join me in my campaign to lobby the Beijing city government to drop its subsidy for new energy cars. Well, this is China, so cut it in half. Instead, guarantee every buyer of a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and especially an EV – a license plate! Before you know it, car dealerships will be re-energized, and Beijing will be the green capital of the world. Think about it.

And Beijing: You know where I live.

#BertelSchmitt #BMW #Brilliance #China #Germany #Hybrid #ShanghaiAutoShow2011

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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3 comments

PrincipalDan on Apr 07, 2011

Smart suggestion given the difficulty of getting plates over there. Bertel for (hmmmm no not President...) secret shadowy powerful position within the Chinese government!

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Cole on Apr 07, 2011

The wheels have Bimmer logos. And it's a 5-series. Surprised anyone would question whether it's a BMW.

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- Bertel Schmitt on Apr 07, 2011
  
  If BMW's spokesman doesn't know ...
  
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Recent Comments

Paul Another beemer boy, immune to the laws of man and physics, driving his M3 through a school zone at 45 since Waze said it would cut 15 seconds off his commute.I bow before your righteous anger.
Paul Oh, the irony. 10 years ago they had solid entries in all these categories - C-Max hybrid and PHEV, Fusion Hybrid and PHEV, Focus Electric. 20 years ago you could get an Escape Hybrid.Ford and their dealers tossed these over the wall and walked away from them, never doing anything to promote or improve them over their life cycle. They still have a newer version of the Escape PHEV, which isn't a bad vehicle but I doubt if the buying public knows they exist & I rarely see one on the road.The Maverick hybrid is a nice idea and they could sell more if they would build more but again, I rarely see one in the wild.Feckless and clueless management and board - they richly deserve their coming bankruptcy.
Lorenzo If Bill Ford wants to see Ford Motor survive another generation, he'll have to hire a replacement for Farley soon, one with an engineering degree and experience with automobile assembly lines and a love for cars, and surround him with other engineering degree executives. Any executives with BA degrees and MBAs don't belong in manufacturing, they're finance people, at best.
Lorenzo The price is a bit steep for a daily driver, and that's what I'd use it for. If you live in California, a benefit is that it's smog exempt. It's so old, there's nothing to be "flashed". Any flashing would have to be done manually by the driver.
Lorenzo Warnings? In the Car? No fracking way! I swear at the electric radar signs that flash when I'm doing under the limit! The year they're mandated, will be the year after the newest car I'll ever buy.