BMW News
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This week, my 2014 i3 REx turned three years old; I picked it up on May 21, 2014. For the most part I’ve been very pleased with the car. It’s definitely not perfect, but then again no car is. It has fit my needs and driving demands perfectly and I only needed to drive on the range extender for about 2,700 of the 71,000 miles that I've driven the car. When the i3 first launched, I was disappointed that the EPA range for the BEV was only 81 miles per charge. I had really expected BMW to deliver the i3 with 100 miles of range right from the start. DON'T MISS: 2014 BMW i3 REx...
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Why BMW uses Tesla electric cars to scare its staff into the future
When Tesla arrived on the scene 10 years ago, no major automaker took it very seriously—let alone thought it would cause the disruption it has in the market for luxury cars. At the same time, BMW, once the harbinger of performance and luxury, worries that it may be falling behind when it...
Sean Szymkowski -
What diesel backlash? 2018 BMW 540d coming to U.S.: report
While the diesel backlash stemming from the VW emission scandal is real, BMW is forging ahead with the high-torque, high-efficiency engines regardless. For its latest 5-Series luxury sedan, it will announce that a new 540d mid-size diesel luxury sedan will arrive in U.S. showrooms later in 2017...
Brandon Turkus -
Soon, 'electric-car range will no longer be a factor,' BMW chief says
Among German luxury brands, BMW was the first to show significant interest in electric cars. It launched its "i" sub-brand in Europe in 2013, and its plans have evolved to include adding all-electric powertrains to models within the main BMW brand in future. That is part of an effort to grow sales...
Stephen Edelstein -
What Tesla hath wrought: bumper crop of luxury electric cars
It may have taken some time, but the auto industry is now reacting to Tesla in full force. More than four years after the first Tesla Model S was delivered, we are on the verge of a bumper crop of luxury electric cars. A mix of established automakers and startups looking to emulate Tesla's success...
Stephen Edelstein -
Which luxury brand will do best in electric cars? Poll results
Within the next two years we will see new all-electric luxury cars from Audi, BMW, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz appear in actual showrooms. All four of those makes have shown concepts for their pricey, 200-mile-plus electric cars, and most of them are expected to go on sale in the second half of next...
John Voelcker -
BMW is off to a strong start in meeting its ambitious plug-in car sales goals for 2017. In the first two months of 2017, it doubled combined sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids over the same period in 2016. But the automaker will need to keep that momentum up. DON'T MISS: BMW 740e, X5 xDrive 40e: where do low-range plug-in hybrids fit in? In December, BMW CEO Harald Krueger said the automaker hopes to sell 100,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids this year. That would mean selling the same amount of plug-in cars in one year as the company sold in the previous three years. BMW began...
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BMW 740e, X5 xDrive 40e: where do low-range plug-in hybrids fit in?
More than a year ago, we spent a weekend with a 2016 BMW X5 xDrive 40e luxury plug-in hybrid SUV. Rated at 14 miles of range, it never achieved anything near that number in winter weather. Now our colleague Kirk Bell has driven a 2017 BMW 740e plug-in hybrid luxury sedan that uses the same...
John Voelcker -
Daimler invests in ChargePoint to grow electric-car charging in Europe, joins BMW
As automakers produce electric cars in greater numbers, public charging infrastructure will become even more crucial to lure new buyers and convince them the cars can be practical. Some automakers have already invested in charging infrastructure, while others are just starting to contemplate public...
Stephen Edelstein -
2018 BMW i3 preview (including battery rumors)
This year's updated BMW i3 electric car is only just arriving at U.S. dealerships after a battery-capacity boost that gives it longer range. But already some details of the 2018 BMW i3 have leaked out, in the form of spy photos and further rumors about more battery capacity yet. Unlike our usual...
John Voelcker -
BMW i3 plug-in hybrid recall to fix fuel-vapor problem, fire concerns
BMW is recalling more than 19,000 i3 REx extended-range electric cars due to concerns over the potential for fires to be started by fuel vapors. The REx uses a small gasoline engine to charge its battery pack, offering a longer range than the all-electric i3 when both gasoline and electric power...
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i3, Tesla Model S electric cars miss top IIHS safety ratings
Two of the most prominent electric cars have missed out on the highest award given for vehicle safety by the influential IIHS: Top Safety Pick+. Funded by the insurance industry, the IIHS—which operates independently of the federal government—says that neither the BMW i3 nor the Tesla...
Andrew Ganz -
In addition to automakers and policymakers, battery-electric cars can count on support from a variety of advocacy groups. But grassroots support for hydrogen fuel-cell cars hasn't germinated to quite the same extent. So, in the absence of a large cadre of individual consumers to act as advocates, a mix of automakers, infrastructure companies, and oil companies have now committed to fund the promotion of fuel cells. DON'T MISS: GM, Honda set up joint fuel-cell manufacturing plant, 2020 production goal Earlier this month, 13 companies—most currently involved in fuel cells to some...
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BMW expands electric-car ChargeNow by EVgo program to 33 states
Two days ago, BMW and Nissan announced the latest expansion of their jointly funded DC fast-charging sites for electric cars, which is operated by the EVgo charging network. Those sites now cover more than 50 metropolitan areas in 33 states. This morning, BMW announced that its ChargeNow by EVgo...
John Voelcker -
BMW, Nissan fund EVgo fast-charging network expansion: 670 dual-standard sites open
At the end of 2015, BMW and Nissan announced that the two companies had partnered to fund the installation of 120 DC fast-charging stations for electric cars across 19 states. All the sites had one or more 50-kilowatt stations with a pair of charging cables: one with the CHAdeMO connector that...
John Voelcker -
All 2017 BMW diesels certified by EPA, production now starting
This might not seem to be the most convenient moment to restart production of a gaggle of diesel cars. The Volkswagen diesel scandal continues to unfold, and last week the EPA accused Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) of failing to reveal eight separate software routines that altered the behavior of...
Stephen Edelstein -
2018 BMW 530e 'iPerformance' plug-in hybrid sedan for U.S. unveiled
The 2018 BMW 530e iPerformance is a plug-in hybrid version of the recently-redesigned 5-Series sedan.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW plans to sell 100,000 plug-in cars in 2017, CEO says
BMW aims to sell 100,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids next year.
Stephen Edelstein -
The German government believes its car industry may fall behind in the race to build more electric cars.
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BMW, Ford, Mercedes, VW Group to build electric-car fast-charging network in Europe
With a slew of 200-mile electric cars planned for 2018 and later, the question of how their drivers will be able to make long-distance trips is coming to the fore in a big way. Silicon Valley electric-car maker Tesla Motors laid out the template with its Supercharger network, which now numbers 327...
John Voelcker -
BMW crosses sales of 100,000 plug-in electric cars
BMW has delivered 100,000 plug-in electric cars since November 2013, and has plans for many new models.
Stephen Edelstein -
New 2017 Mini Countryman, including plug-in hybrid: 'biggest Mini yet'
The 2017 Mini Countryman is the first Mini model with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Stephen Edelstein -
Among large luxury sedans, Tesla dominates Mercedes (also Audi, BMW, Lexus)
Tesla claims to outsell all other "large luxury sedans" in the U.S.
Stephen Edelstein -
2019 BMW i5 crossover utility vehicle rendered from patent drawings
With BMW having decided to offer not only plug-in hybrids across its range but also fully electric versions of its core models, its 'i' sub-brand is in a curious position. Is there a future for the high-tech vehicles designed for maximum efficiency when battery-electric powertrains are rolling into...
John Voelcker