New BMW 330e debuts with more power, 60 km electric range

BMW reveals new 330e plug-in hybrid with more power, farther range, and less emissions

Auto News

11/20/2018

After the debut of the all-new 3 Series last month, BMW has now introduced the more eco-friendly variant of the G20 generation 3-Series – the 330e. The new plug-in hybrid sedan is built on the success of the previous-generation model, but features improvements including better electric driving range, reduced emissions and more power. It also has a new feature called XtraBoost, which further increase power output when needed.

One of the biggest changes found in the new 330e would be the bigger battery. From the previous model, the lithium-ion battery is upped from 7.6 kWh to 12.0kWh. This allows it to go further on a single charge. In fact, BMW claims the 330e has a 60 km range on electric power alone.

Under the hood, the plug-in hybrid continues to use a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine which produces 184 PS. It works together with an electric motor integrated into the transmission that generates a continuous ouput of 68 PS, but has a peak power of 113 PS. Combined, the two units generate a total output of 252 PS and 420 Nm torque. Thanks to the XtraBoost feature however, an additional 41 PS can be unleashed. Power is then sent to the wheels via an 8-speed Steptronic transmission.

Thanks to the upgrades, the new 330e now goes from 0 to 100km/h in 6 seconds flat and has a top speed of 230 km/h. On electric power alone, it can travel up to 109 km/h, 29km/h faster than its predecessor. Despite the increase in performance, the 330e is also a more eco-friendly drive as CO2 emissions are down by more than 10%.

Externally, the 330e looks nearly identical to it's gasoline and diesel powered counterparts. The only real clue would be it's charging port located on the fender and the hybrid-specific badging. Because of the battery however, trunk size is slightly smaller. Meanwhile, the interior is likely to be the same execpt for the addition of buttons for the vehicle's hybrid drive mode.

The BMW 330e is set to go on sale from July 2019 with prices to be announced at a later date.