Hasta La Gadget!

Now that BMW’s i3 production car has broken cover, the German company has moved onto arguably more exciting things: namely throwing the BMW i8 around a track in France for some performance testing. Shown off in Spyder concept form back at the LA Auto Show in November 2012, the slinky hybrid borrows the plug-in eco-friendliness […]

BMW isn’t counting on brand cachet and outlandish styling to sell the new i3 EV, with the “range-extender” gas generator option getting an even more fossil-fuel-reliant companion in the shape of access to a loaner X5 SUV. The backup option, which BMW will market as an “add-on mobility” feature Bloomberg reports, will effectively offer i3 converts access to the more traditionally powered X5 for a number of weeks each year.

The package – which will be an optional extra on top of the $41,350 starting price of the i3 – is yet to be finalized, with BMW still to decide on how much it will cost drivers as well as how many days with the X5 they’ll get. Still, it’s being positioned as a way to drive an eco-friendly vehicle the majority of the time while still having the reassurance of a regular one for family holidays and the like.

The base model i3 offers between 80-100 miles of electric-powered driving in typical conditions, BMW has said, recharging through either regular household outlets or via dedicated high-voltage power points. However, as a cost option, BMW will outfit your i3 with a “range-extender”: in effect a compact gas engine that is used as a generator to recharge the car’s Li-Ion battery array.

It’s an approach we’ve seen other companies take to prolong range, albeit with a little remaining reliance on traditional fuels. Cadillac’s upcoming ELR, for instance, offers a similar system as standard, with a gas engine working to keep the batteries topped up rather than directly driving the wheels.

BMW claims that with the range-extender option, the i3 will drive more than 180 miles.

Even those who don’t opt for the range-extender or the X5 will still have ways to prolong their use of the i3, however. An ECO PRO mode trims the top speed from its already-limited 93mph to around 75mph, in addition to curtailing acceleration in the name of economy.

Meanwhile, a more draconian ECO PRO+ mode can further reduce the power demands, by turning off supplies to non-driving-essential features like the radio. BMW estimates a 30-percent boost in range with ECO PRO+ active.

As for the BMW X5, the company took the wraps off the 2014 model back in May. While it may have little of the eco-conscious features the i3 offers, the refreshed SUV isn’t lacking in technology or power, with a 3.0-liter, triple-turbocharged gas engine pushing out 381HP and 546lb-ft of torque in the M variant.

BMW i3′s cure for range anxiety is a gas-guzzler on demand is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

BMW’s i3 concept has been kicking around for quite awhile, and so far we’ve seen the carbon fiber chassis, a you-wish prototype, many of the specs and even the price. All that remained was to see an actual car, and BMW has finally pulled the covers off of it today. The $41,350 (US pricing) vehicle will run for 80-100 miles on a charge while going from 0 to 60 MPH in seven seconds, thanks to the 22kWh battery, 170-horsepower electric motor and relatively slight 2,600 pound heft. If you opt to pay $45,200, you’ll be able to nearly double the range, thanks to an optional 34-horsepower two-cylinder backup motor. That’s pricier than the $39,145 Chevy Volt (which also has a backup gas motor), but BMW has equally high hopes for its premiere EV. It launched a dedicated sales channel for the i3 and future i-branded EVs, and even created a division dedicated to creating mobile apps for such cars. It’ll arrive in Europe in November and we’ll see it stateside during the second quarter of next year. Check the source or video after the break for more.

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Source: BMW (International), (USA)

We got up close and personal with BMW’s i3 electric coupe at the LA Auto Show back in November, and now the auto maker has announced the pricing and showroom dates for its svelte offering. For those in the US, the i3 will be priced at $41,350 USD, not taking into consideration any government incentives that could lower that.

The price doesn’t include the destination and handling fee, which will be $925 USD for buyers in the US. As for the car itself, which you can see in our video below, there’s 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque via its hybrid-synchronous electric motor. There’s a 22-kWh lithium ion battery, which allows for between 80 and 100 miles of driving on a charge.

Charging is accomplished either at home or at a Level 2 SAE J1772 charging system. Home charging is done with a charging station that is provided by BMW. The system utilizes an SAE DC Combo-Fast Charger, which will provide a DC fast charging option, reducing the amount of time it takes to get the vehicle charged for a trip. At a fast-charge station, drivers can get to 80-percent in 20 minutes.

Obviously, an all-electric car has the benefit of being environmentally friendly, which is further expanded by the facilities in which the i3 is produced. In both the Moses Lake, Washington and Leipzig, Germany facilities, hydro-electric, solar, and wind are used to produce power at the CFRP production cites.

BMW Sales and Marketing’s Ian Robertson said: “The BMW i3 heralds the dawn of a new era for individual mobility and for the BMW Group. True to a genuine BMW, the BMW i3 has strong emotional appeal, outstanding product substance and a guarantee of sheer driving pleasure. With this leading-edge vehicle and attractive price, we will provide customers with a compelling offer for electromobility.”

The i3 will be shown in London, New York, and Beijing on July 29.

SOURCE: BMW USA

BMW i3 electric car’s pricing revealed for US buyers is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

BMW‘s M5 already has a reputation as the company’s most extreme sedan, but the Germans have turned up the “ultimate driving experience” settings another notch for the M5 Nighthawk, a super-limited special edition especially for the Japanese market. Squeezing 575 HP out of the M5′s 4.4-liter V8 M TwinPower Turbo engine – 15 HP more than the “regular” car – the Nighthawk edition is good for a ridiculous 4.2s 0-62 mph dash (shaving an all-important 0.1s off the standard M5) while looking fit for the Yakuza.

The ominous appearance is aided by special Frozen Black matt paint with reduced gloss, 20-inch M-series light alloy wheels in matching matt black, and a dark-chrome BMW “kidney” grill. The door handles, four exhaust pipes, side vents, and other aspects also get the dark-chrome treatment.

M carbon-ceramic brakes are fitted as standard, as is the Competition Package which includes special suspension and steering settings, the sports exhaust system, and an M dynamic mode setting. There are also adaptive LED headlights and a 7-speed M DCT sequential gearbox.

Inside, there’s full “Sakiru orange” leather on the sports seats, door panels, center console, instruments, and the seat backs, while the dashboard gets carbon trim. Driving Assist is standard – warning if you’re swerving out of your lane, or into another vehicle, and helping slam on the brakes – together with the usual iDrive infotainment system with navigation and more.

Only ten of the BMW M5 Nighthawk cars will be made, and unsurprisingly they won’t be cheap. BMW Japan is asking 18.2m yen ($183k) for each, and warning that, if it gets more interest than it has cars, the company will run a lottery to see who gets to drive one away.

BMW M5 Nighthawk cranks M5 up to crazy is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.