This new ActiveE Concept is the second electric test vehicle based on the BMW 1-Series Coupe, to be shown at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The car shows off BMW’s latest technological advancements in making no-compromise electric vehicles.

When talking about the ActiveE, BMW boasts features such as four full seats, a luggage compartment of 200 litres and the same interior space as the normal cars. So being an electric vehicle doesn’t mean the ActiveE is any less convenient than a petrol-powered 1 series.

It is also not far away performance-wise. With an output of 168hp and maximum torque of 250Nm it is in the same league as a petrol four-banger but since the EV is heavier, it’s not just as brisk. Zero to 100 km/h in this car takes 9 seconds, while its top speed is electronically limited to 90mph.

Replacing the engine block, transmission and fuel tank are three large energy storage units containing lithium-ion cells, developed in conjunction with SB LiMotive. These modules are protected by a steel-plate battery housing with integrated liquid cooling system, to keep the batteries at optimum operating temperature helping to increase the range. These housings also help to ensure that the BMW ActiveE meets the same stringent safety standards as the BMW 1-Series Coupe, meeting and exceeding the levels legislated.

Of course it features braking energy recuperation system, but these days all the cars do, so it goes a step further and makes use of an ‘intermediate position’ for the accelerator pedal that results in the car’s own kinetic energy being used to move forward, without consuming energy from the batteries.

In essence it is a ‘gliding’ mode. With previous electric vehicles when the accelerator lifts the car automatically starts to brake. To further increase the range of the BMW ActiveE ECO PRO Mode can be selected whereby the drive configuration and comfort functions are modified to use less energy and facilitate a more efficient driving style. In ECO PRO mode the heating and air conditioning system are programmed to use less energy and the accelerator demands less power with the same travel.

The BMW ActiveE is not dependent on a specific energy source and so can be charged using 32-ampere wallbox in five hours, or overnight from a conventional domestic socket. This allows greater flexibility allowing the car to be charged wherever there is an electricity supply.

The ActiveE show car features the same old circuit inspired graphics, plus a scoop in the bonnet and a closed rear apron, with no exhaust pipes. The interior features Pearl Grey Dakota leather seats with Blue contrasting seams, along with a revised instrument cluster are the main indicators of the electric drivetrain.

In 2011 BMW will dispatch a fleet of over 1,000 BMW ActiveE vehicles in the US, Europe and China to monitor them in everyday use. The knowledge and insights gained from the field trials of the BMW ActiveE will be fed back for the future development of the Megacity Vehicle, due to go into production in 2013.