BMW News
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Lithium-ion cell maker A123 Systems announced today that it would supply complete battery packs to Tata Motors, the largest vehicle maker in India, to be used in hybrid systems for commercial vehicles. The lithium-ion battery packs will first be deployed in city transit buses in the latter half of this year. Tata did not discuss further applications of the battery packs. "A123 Systems' core lithium-ion technology has a proven track record of success in the hybrid truck and bus segment," said Timothy Leverton, the head of advanced and product engineering at Tata Motors. "The modularity of...
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BMW Reminds Us i3, i8 Electric Cars Are Coming With New VideoBMW’s 2014 i8 plug-in hybrid sports car might have been spotted wearing standard-issue "carmoflague" while cold-weather testing in Sweden, but now the German automaker wants to remind us how it really looks. The reminder comes courtesy of BMW’s latest teaser video, showing the i8 and...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
BMW To Use Carbon Fiber In Next 7-Series Luxury CarNot too long ago Mercedes-Benz announced they would be making a carbon-fiber derivative of the next E-Class sedan, and now BMW has also announced it will use the material in its future models. The BMW 7-Series luxury car will use carbon fiber and other light-weight materials, to reduce weight in a...
Antony Ingram -
2012 BMW 3-Series: Saving Gas In A Sports Sedan"The Ultimate Driving Machine" - It's one of the most well-known taglines of the motoring world, and each successful generation of BMW is designed to improve that driving experience further. However, in times of austerity and rising gas prices, it's not enough to simply concentrate on performance...
Antony Ingram -
Forbidden Fruit: 60 MPG BMW 1-Series Due At Geneva ShowWhen it comes to diesel cars, the choice in the U.S. is a little thin next to the selection of diesels on sale in Europe. After all, where else could you buy an example of the "Ultimate Driving Machine" that can average 60 miles per gallon? Just such a car will be launched at the 2012 Geneva Motor...
Antony Ingram -
Is The 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5 Really Green, Or Not?Just ten years ago, cars like the 2002 Toyota Prius traded performance for unbelievably-high gas mileage, bringing the concept of eco-friendly gasoline electric hybrid cars to the masses. Recently however, automakers like BMW have used full hybrid technology to give high performance luxury cars...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
The 2011 BMW 335d is quite a machine. With gasoline-rivalling power and performance and gasoline-shaming economy, it seems to offer the best of both worlds. That's only set to improve in the next generation based on the new 3-Series, but will U.S. buyers be getting the ActiveHybrid 3 instead of a new 335d? That's the scenario implied by Auto123.com, which reports that BMW is dropping the diesel thanks to the new 3er's fuel-saving technologies, that significantly improve mileage on all the gasoline variants - by around 12 percent on the 335i. Add the upcoming 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 to the...
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BMW Opens Registration For ActiveE Electric Car LeasesWant to boldly go where few have gone before? If so, you might just have what it takes to become an "Electronaut", BMW's term for the select few who'll be piloting the 2012 BMW ActiveE for the next few years. BMW has started the recruitment process to find 700 potential ActiveE drivers. BMW's...
Antony Ingram -
2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5: Pricing Announced At DetroitBMW's ActiveHybrid 5 is the long-awaited hybrid version of the 5-Series mid-size sport sedan, and pricing details have finally been announced at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Due to go on sale in late Spring 2012, the ActiveHybrid 5 will have an MSRP of $61,845, including the $895 Destination and...
Antony Ingram -
With 4,000 VIP BMWs, How Green Are London's Olympic Games?Like a karaoke singer following a top rock band, London has its work cut out in hosting the 2012 Olympic games, following China's impressive 2008 games. The city won't have as much trouble beating Beijing's pollution levels though, which is why London is claiming its games will be the "greenest...
Antony Ingram -
2013 BMW i3 Electric Car iPhone App Screenshots Teased: 2012 Detroit Auto ShowWe’re less than a week away from the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and that means automakers are eagerly dropping hints about what we’ll be seeing next week. For BMW, that means posting six screenshots from its unreleased iOS smartphone application for the 2013...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
BMW Won’t Be Giving Lexus Diesel Engines, BMW ConfirmsAt the end of November, BMW and Toyota Europe announced they had entered into a green engine partnership in order to work together on diesel engine and battery technology. At the time, we pointed out the European-based collaboration was unlikely to result in any new drivetrain options for U.S...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
It's sometimes easy to forget about fuel cell vehicles, with so much emphasis by manufacturers on electric cars and hybrids as a way of weaning ourselves off gasoline. Honda still perseveres however, as does Mercedes-Benz with recent concept cars such as the F125!, shown at September's Frankfurt Motor Show. BMW hasn't forgotten either, and according to Reuters (via Motor Authority), German weekly business magazine Wirtschaftswoche has reported that the German maker intends to join forces with General Motors to help develop the future of fuel cell technology. Wirtschaftswoche says the talks...
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BMW, Toyota Release More Information On Green Engine PartnershipEarlier this week our sister site Motor Authority reported that the European arms of BMW and Toyota had plans to work together on exchanging diesel and hybrid car technology in a mutually beneficial agreement. Now the two firms have outlined the full details of the agreement in a press conference...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Expecting A BMW-Engined Toyota Or BMWs With Toyota Hybrids? You Shouldn’tEarlier today, our sister site MotorAuthority covered a story detailing a new green-engine partnership between BMW and Toyota for European-built BMW and Toyota cars. But while the partnership will give Toyota full access to BMW’s range of clean diesel engines and give BMW the chance to use...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Are The BMW i3 And i8 Electric Cars A Mission Impossible?At the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW introduced its press conference with a preview of the next installment of the Tom Cruise Mission Impossible movie series. BMW features prominently in this production, with its plug-in hybrid supercar i8 as one of the team’s advanced tools. The movie's...
George Parrott -
Sneak Peek: BMW i3 And i8 U.S. Debut Before LA Auto ShowYesterday afternoon, BMW hosted a Special Sneak Peek Preview Event of the BMW i3 and BMW i8 concept electric cars in New York. Both cars will make their official U.S. debut at next week's Los Angeles Auto Show. After an hour-long photo session, we were addressed by Richard Kim, exterior designer...
Tom Moloughney -
BMW Pairs Electric And Traditional Turbos To Boost EfficiencyTo improve fuel efficiency, engines are gradually shedding accessory drives. Electric power steering is now commonplace, and electric air conditioning compressors are used on hybrid cars to keep them cool while the engine's off. Now, BMW has taken a new tack to electrifying ancillary equipment...
John Voelcker -
A couple of weeks ago, BMW invited me to come to Munich and take part in the first drive of production versions of the BMW ActiveE, their second battery electric test vehicle. A bit of background: I've been something of a high-profile MINI E pioneers, maintaining an active blog about my experiences, displaying the car at every green transportation expo I can make and frequently speaking to various press outlets about my time with MINI E #250. The folks at BMW noticed the attention I've received, and they have frequently checked in on my blog to get feedback about my opinions on 28 months I've...
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2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3: Is This The Greenest 3-Series Ever?BMW today announced the sixth generation of its quintessential 3-Series, the compact sport sedan that is its highest volume seller and the face of BMW globally. Along with the return of four-cylinder engines in 3-Series cars for the U.S., this latest and greenest generation adds a new model: the...
John Voelcker -
BMW Purif-i Hand Sanitizer Even Cleaner Than i3 Electric CarThe world of car-branded merchandise has resulted in some unusual items in the past. Ferrari, for instance is well known for its scarlet-clad teddy bears and a hugely expensive carbon fiber measuring stick. On the other hand, Porsche Design, a company affiliated with the sports car maker, makes...
Antony Ingram -
BMW Executives Detail More About 2014 i3 Electric CarBMW might be working hard to encourage drivers to become electronauts in its Active E electric car trials due to start in the next few months, but the German automaker has already started to drip-feed details of its 2014 i3 electric car to the press. Just last month, BMW unveiled its latest concept...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
GM, BMW Partner To Boost Fuel Efficiency: ReportGM and BMW are said to be working on an agreement to share fuel-saving technologies. GM would benefit from BMW's gas and diesel engine design, while BMW would gain access to GM's series hybrid designs.
Kurt Ernst -
2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5: Taking Hybrid Luxury To Next LevelExit one BMW hybrid, enter another. Next March will see the U.S. launch of the 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5, the second hybrid sedan in the Germany luxury-car maker's lineup. And the ActiveHybrid 5 marks an important evolution: It's the first BMW that uses the single-motor hybrid system jointly...
John Voelcker