BMW News
-
This was the year when it became obvious that upstart electric-car maker Tesla Motors has startled and worried all of the German luxury-car companies. And now that they're taking the Tesla Model S electric luxury sedan seriously--as well as the expected arrival next year of the much-delayed Model X crossover utility vehicle--Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche are planning to fight back. DON'T MISS: How Audi, BMW & Mercedes Plan To Compete With Tesla--And Why The February issue of Automobile magazine has a rundown of those companies' future electric-car product plans, under the dramatic...
-
BMW i3 REx: Road-Tripping With 72 Electric Miles, 1.9-Gallon Gas Tank
An owner takes his range-extended electric car on a 462-mile road trip.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW Promises CCS Fast-Charging Blitz For 2015, Details In Detroit
BMW is calling 2015 the "year of infrastructure."
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW Launches Flexible Mobility Program For i3 Electric Car
It's not a new idea, but it's one that carries a certain allure: Let the buyers of an electric car borrow a different vehicle for those few times a year when they need to travel long distances. Loaner programs have been offered by a number of electric-car makers, including Fiat for its 500e car in...
John Voelcker -
BMW: No Interest In Tesla Cooperation, Musk Was Posturing For PR
Regardless of recent comments by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, BMW says it has no plans for a partnership with the electric-car maker.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 BMW i3 Electric Car: Quick Charging, Seat Heaters Now Standard
The 2015 BMW i3 will get more standard features, BMW officials say.
Stephen Edelstein -
It's a vision that seems like something from a future century: a carmaker preparing to phase out combustion engines altogether. The notion that an entire brand could walk away from the hydrocarbon-fueled engines that power more than 1 billion vehicles on our roads--and have done since 1885--is inconceivable. And yet that's what one industry analyst suggests famed German luxury maker BMW is preparing to do. Tesla investor Ron Baron manages mutual funds at Baron Capital; his funds have roughly $250 million invested in Tesla Motors, he told CNBC's "Squawk Box" program three weeks ago. Baron...
-
Tesla, BMW Chat Over Possible Partnership, Elon Musk Says
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says his company is talking to BMW about a partnership on charging stations, batteries, and lightweight materials.
Stephen Edelstein -
Strong Demand For BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Coupe May Presage Production Rise
BMW may increase i8 production to reduce wait times.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla And BMW: Natural Competitors In Electric Cars, One Day
BMW and Tesla don't compete with electric cars now, but they could someday.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i3 Sales Slow In Germany; Will They Hold Up In States?
Over its first six months of U.S. sales, the 2014 BMW i3 electric car--with or without its innovative optional range-extending engine--has done quite well in the sales charts. In each of the last three full months (August through October), BMW sold more than 1,000 i3s, giving it the highest...
John Voelcker -
Street Lights With Electric-Car Charging Sockets: Why Didn't We Think Of This?
BMW installed two street lights with electric-car charging sockets in front of its headquarters in Munich.
Stephen Edelstein -
We already know that in the next few years, we'll see a slew of mid-size SUVs offered with plug-in hybrid powertrains--most from luxury brands like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Range Rover. But the German luxury marques are making plans to compete more directly with Tesla Motors and its Model S all-electric long-range luxury sedan. All have current or upcoming luxury plug-in hybrid models--but only BMW offers one battery-electric vehicle, and it's the i3 city car. (Mercedes-Benz also has the low-volume B-Class Electric Drive, on sale in limited areas of the U.S.) DON'T MISS: Audi...
-
Research Backed By BMW Halfway To Carbon-Fiber Cost 90% Lower
A German firm says it's halfway toward a dramatic reduction in the cost of carbon fiber.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i3 Faces VW e-Golf, Mercedes B-Class Electric Cars In New Reviews
Opinions differ on how the BMW i3 compares to more-conventional electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
First Body Kit For BMW i3 Electric Car: Looks Tougher, Probably Less Efficient
A BMW i3 body kit arguably looks good, but clashes with the car's mission.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i3 Electric-Car Incentives: Highest On The Battery-Only Model
In just five months, more than 3,100 BMW i3 electric cars have been delivered to U.S. buyers. That's a fast pace out of the box, and it indicates that BMW is serious about plug-in electric cars in a way that many other major automakers aren't. But to keep that pace going may require what car...
John Voelcker -
2014 BMW i3 Lease Deals Appear: $369/Month For Electric Car
It's a pretty standard part of the car-launch cycle: The earliest buyers pay sticker price or more, and then the discounting starts to set in. Accordingly, with the BMW i3 electric car on the market for five months now, we're starting to see more aggressive marketing on the part of dealers. One...
John Voelcker -
BMW will wait at least six months to decide whether to build the MINI Superleggera roadster.
-
2014 BMW i3 REx 38-HP Range Extender Vs. 14,000-Foot Mountain: Who Wins?
Steep climbs are the enemy of electric car drivers. While modern electric vehicles are more than capable of powering up a hill, with ample torque, the effect on a car with limited range can be significant. It's less of a problem with a range-extended electric vehicle like the 2014 BMW i3 REx, but a...
Antony Ingram -
2014 BMW i3 REx Vs Chevy Volt: Range-Extended Electric Cars Compared
Until recently, the Chevy Volt was the only range-extended electric car available in the U.S. I've driven a Volt for almost three years now, and it's been a splendid car--quiet, smooth, peppy, and amazingly economical. New REx on the block But now the Volt has a formidable new competitor: the new...
David Noland -
First BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid Sport Coupes Delivered At Pebble Beach Concours
The first BMW i8 plug-in hybrid coupes were delivered amid the appropriately-upscale atmosphere of Pebble Beach.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i3, i8 Electric-Car Tech To Let 2016 BMW 7-Series Shed 400 Pounds
BMW is aiming for a significant weight-reduction with its next-generation 7-Series luxury sedan. To do this, BMW will dip into lessons learned from its i3 electric car and i8 plug-in hybrid sports car programs, and use a selection of advanced and lightweight materials to slim down its flagship...
Antony Ingram -
BMW i3 To Get Fuel Cell Version With Toyota Tech?
In 2015, Japanese automaker Toyota will make a fuel-cell vehicle available to the public. It has worked on the project with German firm BMW, itself planning a fuel-cell vehicle--and that vehicle could now be a fuel-cell version of the i3 electric car. According to Motoring, Toyota USA's advanced...
Antony Ingram