The car he had lined up for me was the
BMW 330e, the sporty hybrid version of
their best-selling 3 Series range. On first
glance it was difficult to see what the
fuss was all about as unlike the i8 and i3
it wasn’t immediately obvious that this
car was harbouring hybrid technology
under the bonnet. A little e-Drive badge
and what looks like an extra filler cap
are all that stand it apart from its non-
electric brothers.
Unlike the i8, the car is conservatively
styled in and out and this one was well
appointed with plenty of toys for me
to play with. Usually I like gizmos in a
car but I have to admit that I find the
infotainment system menu heavy.
Driving a hybrid, particularly one as
smooth as this, is a little spooky as you
pull away effortlessly but silently. So
quiet in fact that pedestrians don’t hear
you creep up on them. “The Ultimate
Driving Machine” used to just mean
horsepower, handling and torque; now it
also means electrification and emissions
as well. This car ticks all of those boxes.
Despite being a hybrid this car is not an
all round fuel saver, taking this car out
on to the motorways sees the gauge
drop just as quickly as any other sporty
petrol saloon, this is not a sales rep
car. Where this car wins hands down is
around the town doing those short hops
in comfort and style and with the odd
burst of power.
Like most other plug-in hybrids, the
330e can run in a choice of modes.
For truly zero-emissions you can drive
on battery power alone in Max eDrive
mode and at up to 50 mph, but the
range is under 25 miles on a full charge
and that’s only if you have a light
throttle foot. Save Battery mode turns
the electric motor into a permanent
generator – usually it switches between
drive and generator – and can bring
the battery back to up to 50-percent of
charge.
The BMW 330e can also be recharged
directly from the electricity mains,
whether at home or at a charge point.
So journeys can be made completely
free of emissions, particularly in urban
areas.
at the instruments I found myself
being less heavy footed and playing a
little game of ‘how much charge can I
put back into the battery’ which was
entertaining.
Priced at around £37,000 it is not the
cheapest car out there but being a
BMW means that the residuals are
generally good so finance costs are
more affordable. Well worth considering
if you don’t spend all your time on the
motorways.
By Jason Edge
The response of the car is more than
electric. When you need extra speed
like when you are during overtaking,
both the electric motor and petrol
motors work together. The 2.0-litre
turbocharged inline four cylinder engine
with 180 HP, combined with an 87 HP
electric motor and a 7.6 kWh li-ion
battery, ensuring safe, dynamic driving
and a 0-62mph of around 6 seconds.
However, used in pure electric mode
and charging the cars battery via mains
electricity, it’s possible to achieve
extremely low running costs.
We took the car out for a family trip
to Hever Castle and put it through
its paces on dual carriageways and
winding country roads and I have to
say I liked it, as did the family. Looking
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