Brake Energy Regeneration
This is the first North American vehicle to be equipped with BMW’s Brake Energy Regeneration system.
In a conventional setup, the alternator is driven off the engine, to constantly supply electricity to the battery. In the GT, the alternator only gets driven when the engine is decelerating or braking; otherwise it is “de-coupled” from the engine, via a clutch. As such, it draws virtually no power from the engine.
The regenerative system is able to supply extra electricity to the battery.
Because this system means the battery gets recharged less frequently, and subsequently gets discharged to deeper levels, a different type of battery was needed — one that is used more in marine applications.
The battery uses a technology called “glass mat.” Its internal plates are separated with saturated absorbent glass-boron silicate rather than the usual liquid electrolyte. This construction sharply reduces the battery’s conversion of charging energy to heat, and can provide the necessary electrical power for longer periods between charges.
photo:Mike Goetz, Matthieu Lambert
This is the first North American vehicle to be equipped with BMW’s Brake Energy Regeneration system.
In a conventional setup, the alternator is driven off the engine, to constantly supply electricity to the battery. In the GT, the alternator only gets driven when the engine is decelerating or braking; otherwise it is “de-coupled” from the engine, via a clutch. As such, it draws virtually no power from the engine.
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The regenerative system is able to supply extra electricity to the battery.
Because this system means the battery gets recharged less frequently, and subsequently gets discharged to deeper levels, a different type of battery was needed — one that is used more in marine applications.
The battery uses a technology called “glass mat.” Its internal plates are separated with saturated absorbent glass-boron silicate rather than the usual liquid electrolyte. This construction sharply reduces the battery’s conversion of charging energy to heat, and can provide the necessary electrical power for longer periods between charges.
photo:Mike Goetz, Matthieu Lambert