Kempton Park. BMW South Africa today announced a far-reaching partnership with Schneider Electric, in order to forge ahead with its strategy for customer-friendly electric mobility. The partnership agreement includes checking the electrical installation in customers’ homes, supplying and assembling the wallbox charging point, as well as maintenance and other services for BMW i vehicles. This will allow future owners of a BMW i3 or BMW i8 to hook up their vehicles safely and quickly recharge it while at home or in the office.

The partnership arrangements help fulfil the overriding objective of providing customer-friendly and efficient charging facilities by the time the BMW i3 is launched locally that will allow for recharging in the comfort of the customer’s own garage. The BMW i3 will be the first electric vehicle on the market to be purpose-designed as such from the outset, and is slated for launch in South Africa early in 2015.

The partnership was announced at Schneider Electric’s first southern African Xperience Efficiency conference, held at the Birchwood Conference Centre. The innovative BMW i3 and BMW i Wallbox were showcased at the event as well.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Antonio Antela Martinez, BMW South Africa’s Director of Sales and Marketing said that with BMW i, the company is adopting an all-embracing approach to electric mobility meaning that BMW i will be offering more than just the purchase of the BMW i3. “Over the course of the numerous pilot tests we staged worldwide with electric vehicles, we listened to our customers very carefully, and will be able to offer them a ‘360° Electric’ concept when the i3 is launched locally as well, comprising solutions that cater to all the requirements of future electric motorists. We see the professional installation of the wallbox for charging the BMW i3 and i8 as one of the key factors for the successful marketing of electric vehicles. We are delighted to have Schneider Electric, one of the most internationally experienced partners in the field of electric mobility, on board to help implement our strategy.”

“As the worldwide expert in energy management, Schneider Electric intends to play an important role in the adoption of solutions that enable the impact of mobility on the environment to be reduced and energy charges to be optimised. We also firmly believe that sustainable energy solutions can only become a reality through collaboration and partnerships. “As such, Schneider Electric is very excited about collaborating with BMW on its i Wallbox charging station, and providing future electric vehicle customers in this region with our smart energy solution knowledge and installation skills, which are focused on being safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green,” added Eric Léger, country president for southern Africa at Schneider Electric.

This collaboration allows Schneider Electric to work closely with the BMW i sales agents and customers, providing home surveys, supply and installation of the charging point, as well as offering maintenance and comprehensive support.  The installation package is also provided by Schneider Electric but managed by BMW and can be customised to meet customers‘ specific requirements. The market launch of the BMW i3 will usher in a new era in electric mobility. It is the world’s first premium car conceived from the outset to incorporate an all-electric drive system. This concept gives the i3 numerous advantages over “conversion” vehicles, in which the original combustion engine is later swapped for an electric motor.

When it comes to the driving attributes of the i3, the engineers have achieved a perfect balance of vehicle weight, performance and range. This is particularly important since these three factors are so inextricably linked. In its mission to deliver driving pleasure in urban areas, the BMW i3 has come up with the perfect package. With a DIN kerb weight of 1,195 kilograms, the car is lighter than most compact vehicles, yet offers significantly more space for up to four occupants. The hybrid synchronous electric motor developed and produced specially by the BMW Group for use in the BMW i3 generates output of 125 kW and puts maximum torque of 250 Newton metreson tap from the moment the car pulls away. The BMW i3 dashes from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds, and 0 to 60 km/h in 3.7 seconds. Furthermore, extensive road tests conducted proved that the car’s range of 130 to 160 kilometres in everyday conditions is adequate to comfortably meet the day-to-day mobility needs of the target customer group.

If desired, the BMW i3 is also available with a range extender engine, which maintains the charge of the lithium-ion battery at a constant level while on the move as soon as it dips below a certain value. Maximum range stands at approximately 300 kilometres.