BMW News
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It's Friday, so it's time to dig deep into the GreenCarReports.com random roundup box. Today we have just one item, and it comes with an intriguing question: Could you wash your car with just a single glass of water? That's the premise of a new product called Ecolo Green Car Wash, from a company in Newport Beach, California. Its website claims that 800 million gallons of water a day are used to wash cars, an amount that could provide 10 billion glasses of fresh water. Washing your car at home takes an average of 100 gallons of water, says Ecolo, assuming a nozzle-free hose at 10 gallons a...
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BMW To Produce Additional Hybrid Model Based Off of Mild Hybrid Powertrain Found in ActiveHybrid 7st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } BMW may be a late entrant in the hybrid segment, but they are attempting to catch up quick. A few weeks ago, the company held the international media launch of the BMW ActiveHybrid X6. Along with the hybrid X6, BMW will produce the new ActiveHybrid 7. Now the...
Eric Loveday -
Preview: 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 HybridWhile Mercedes-Benz has focused its first green marketing efforts on the undeniably impressive 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, it was joined by a second hybrid Benz that went on sale earlier this month after previewing in April at the New York Auto Show. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid brings...
John Voelcker -
BMW's Other Hybrid: 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 SedanFor 2010, BMW is releasing two hybrid vehicles that are very different both in style and in their approach to using electric power to assist the gasoline engine. We've already covered the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 "sports activity coupe", which uses the Two-Mode Hybrid system jointly developed by...
John Voelcker -
Newly Conscientious Consumers Say Modesty Is Cool For Luxury CarsWell, this is encouraging. A new study of luxury car buyers commissioned by BMW finds that even luxury car buyers are beginning to reject conspicuous consumption, with more and more choosing their purchases for "social, political, or environmental reasons". BMW and Mini executives, in a...
John Voelcker -
Forbes Calls Jeep Grand Cherokee Dirtiest Car, Readers Slam MethodsThat old capitalist tool, Forbes magazine, has issued a list of the 10 dirtiest cars sold in the U.S. At the very top, in first place for filth, is the Jeep Grand Cherokee. But it turns out there are some problems with their list. There's history behind this. A decade ago, the website for Forbes...
John Voelcker -
"Our goal was to fundamentally change the view of hybrids," said Peter Tünnermann, project manager for the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6. "We wanted to make a 'non-hybrid' hybrid." In other words, a hybrid that didn't drive like a hybrid. And in that goal, BMW has succeeded admirably. Drivers at the international launch of BMW's first hybrid-electric vehicle agreed that if the badges and instruments had been removed, they would have been hard-pressed to know that this latest X6 had electric motors and all sorts of software wizardry between its engine and the wheels. Their only clue...
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Preview: 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6We've known for a while that BMW would launch its first hybrid this year, and now we know when: The 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 will reach dealers this December. We'll be driving the hybrid X6 in a couple of weeks, but meanwhile, here's our advance preview of BMW's hybrid-electric sport-activity...
John Voelcker -
Infrastructure Hurdles Hinder Mini E TrialBeing a pioneer isn't easy. Just ask BMW North America CEO, Jim O'Donnell. As the German automaker continues to test 450 electric Minis (aptly called Mini Es) in New York, New Jersey and L.A., creating the charging network has proven challenging. "We are learning a heck of a lot just about the...
Robert Scardino -
VIDEO: BMW Unwraps The Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, Turbodiesel Plug-in HybridIn recent weeks, BMW has set the blogosphere alight with a trickle of information regarding a concept that would be on display for the upcoming Frankfurt auto show. If you guessed that the new vehicle would be a turbo-diesel plug-in hybrid sports car, you were right. The so-called Vision...
Robert Scardino -
BMW's Newest, Greenest Concept: Vision EfficientDynamicsBMW's legendary M series performance cars use big, brawny, turbocharged gasoline engines. The 2009 BMW M5, for example, has a 500-horsepower, 5.0-liter V-10. How many cylinders ??? Where ??? But the concept car BMW will unveil in two weeks at the Frankfurt Motor Show promises "the performance of an...
John Voelcker -
Teaser: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics ConceptSunday! Sunday! Sunday! That's when we'll finally hear more about the BMW concept dubbed Vision EfficientDynamics. Until then, all we've got is these teaser images and the short, equally coy YouTube video below. The blogosphere is brimming with speculation as to what BMW is hiding, but we...
Robert Scardino -
Like many European brands that rely on diesels, BMW has been late to the party in introducing electric-drive cars. That's a risky strategy for North America, where it has had to add incentives on diesels and try to tie them to the Cash-for-Clunkers program. Now it's making up for lost time, not only with its experimental Mini E electric car but also with production versions of two separate hybrids, to be introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Two hybrid systems: one full, one mild The BMW ActiveHybrid X6, shown as a concept back in 2007, is the fruit of its cooperation in the...
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BMW to Reveal New Eco Sports CarBMW has announced that it will unveil its new eco-friendly sports car concept, the EfficientDynamics Vision, at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Designed to showcase energy efficient drive-train technology and lighter materials, it will be interesting to see how much it borrows from the...
Jon Vandervelde -
BMW Adds More Cash To Convince You To Buy Their DieselsDespite IRS tax credits and superior gas mileage figures, BMW is reportedly having a tough time selling its new diesels, the 2009 BMW 335d sports sedan and the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d (yes, that's really its name). We've thought from the beginning that Volkswagen would be the big winner in selling...
John Voelcker -
Hybrid Sighting: BMW X6If there was an award for the "Most Badass Hybrid Debut In 2010," the new BMW X6 ActiveHybrid would win. BMW won't call it a sport utility vehicle, and for good reason. There's not much utility left in it. Oh, but there's plenty of sport. The so-called "sports activity coupe," was spotted near the...
Robert Scardino -
The Green, The Bad And The Ugly: Our Least Favorite Green CarsWe like green cars, and we define the term loosely. Sure, the 2010 Toyota Prius is green. But so's the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid pickup truck, because a full-size truck that gets 20 miles per gallon is much easier on the planet when you need a pickup truck. But try as we might, there are a...
John Voelcker -
Caught Testing, Spy Photos Reveal BMW 755iH Hybrid Development is Well UnderwayBMW plans the launch of two hybrid models late this year. The models include the X6 and the 7-Series hybrid. Recently, spy photos of the 7-Series hybrid were released, confirming BMW is well along in the prototype stages of this model. The 7-Series hybrid designated as the 755iH is based off of...
Eric Loveday -
BMW rarely screws up, but the 450 Mini E test cars now going to eager US drivers are markedly worse than prototypes from other makers
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When BMW’s Battle: 135i Cabriolet Or Z4 35i, Which Will Come Out On Top?Which Of These Two Bimmers Will Grab Your Attention?
Jonathan McGrew -
2009 Denver Auto Show Ribbon Cutting Today: Chrysler, Ford and Lincoln-Mercury to SpeakAnother Year With Emphasis on Green Technology
Jonathan McGrew -
Green Car Convoy Tours Colorado in Preparation for 2009 Denver Auto ShowColorado Automotive Dealers Show Off the Latest Green Offerings
Jonathan McGrew -
IRS Wants You to Drive a BMW 335d or X5 Diesel!IRS approves clean-car tax credits for 2 BMW diesels
John Voelcker -
NYC announces deal for 10 MINI EsOf the 50 MINI Es that MINI USA is making available for fleet use testing, today New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced that ten of them will be prowling his streets, looking for graffitti, potholes, and other unsightly blemishes as part of the city's Street Condition Observation Unit...
Jennifer Knightstep