With an updated battery the 3-series hybrid gets
even more appealing for mid-distance commuters
and company car owners.
BMW has introduced a bigger battery with
new technology for a more energy dense pack
that’s boosts capacity from 9.2kW to 12kWh to
accompany the 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine.
The result offers a claimed economy of 148mpg,
with 35 miles of that being able to be driven using
pure electric. In our real-world tests we were seeing
fi gures of around 35mpg and pure EV driving in the
mid-20s. This increase in battery power has made
the new 330e more viable as an option for short
commutes without ever fi lling up with fuel, and the
battery can be fully recharged in four hours using
a 3.7kW supply. The plug-in power combination
offers 249bhp and 420Nm of torque for a satisfying
push of acceleration. Getting to 0-100km/h in 5.9
seconds is no slouch, however even being a shade
lighter than the previous hybrid, we were aware of
the weight of the battery and the engine having to
lug it around when it’s drained.
www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com // January 2020 // 35
LEXUS UX 250H
With Lexus leading the charge
in hybrid technology since the
mid-1990s this fourth generation
hybrid system employed in
the UX comes with much
expectation. Sharp styling and
a distinctly plush Lexus cabin
appealingly packages this selfcharging
hybrid crossover SUV,
where a 2.0-liter four-cylinder
Atkins Cycle petrol engine is
coupled with a nickel metalhydride
battery and electric
motor on the front axle (or both
for its E-Four version).
What makes Lexus’ selfcharging
hybrid different to
others is that it can engage its
store of electric power and be
driven over short distances and
low speed using battery power
alone. This comes in useful when
in crawling traffi c and the engine
quickly comes to life at around
8-10mph, however trying to
keep it in EV mode for as long as
possible proved to be a fun game.
The driving dynamics of the
UX offers a light, comfortable
and easy to drive affair that’s
well-suited to city driving.
Thanks to the electric power,
acceleration is given a bit of a
boost with a 0-100km/k time of
8.5 seconds, making it just nippy
enough to zip through gaps in city
traffi c. Economy fi gures claim
49.5-53.2mpg, and our test car
was hitting the high 40s after
a week of motorway and short
hops around town. The UX is
quiet, comfortable, and even has
a CVT gearbox that we haven’t
moaned about yet.
BMW 330E
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