I keep wondering why the grid figure is less than capacity? Doesn't it take more power from the grid to "fill" a pack? Does this mean that they encourage customers to "fill" it to less than full capacity?
hmm.
I'd bet it is similar to the Volt's set-up where the vehicle switches from EV-only mode at 35% charge. There were all kinds of technical reasons for it with the Volt, but it makes good sense that you keep a little extra juice in the battery so as not to deplete it. The math in there doesn't make sense, but I'd bet you cannot drain the battery to 0% with a mechanism to shut it down as not to kill a battery. But I could be way off.
Some of the details of the pack are interesting and reminiscent of another electric car that has received a lot of attention around here, the Tesla Roadster. The pack is comprised of 5,088 cells arranged in 48 modules. The press release itself states "The energy storage unit's basic components are based on the technological principle that has proven itself in practice in power supplies for mobile phones and portable computers." Based on the number of cells and the previous statement, we might infer that BMW has opted to use off-the-shelf cells rather than something purpose built for automotive applications.
Update: We heard back from Tesla, and the official response is no comment on third party relationships.
There did seem to be quite a few Tesla people in Bavaria over the summer, perhaps it wasn't just about the press days...
Different state: Mercedes Benz are in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, a couple of hours up the road from Munich. Unless there is a branch office there working on Smart.
(Of course, I could be clutching at straws here... )
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