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BMW plans to give its owners more weaponry in their antisocial mission: laser headlamps. Photo BMW

Wonderful. Technology has added yet another way for BMW drivers to show complete disregard for other road users — laser headlights. Projected use: Zapping cyclists.

LEDs are obviously over already, and BMW plans to further enable its over-entitled, road-owning customers in their war on civility. The lights burn so much brighter than LEDs (170 lumens per watt instead of 100 lumens), and the diodes are so much smaller (10 microns) that they could disappear into the bodywork the way Apple hides the lights in its MacBooks. Kinda.

Of course, BMW won’t actually be ditching the headlamps, as they “play an important role in the styling of a BMW,” and let you know what kind of car it is that has been tailgating you for the last five miles (as if you even needed to check).

Instead, the biggest advantage will be to save power, as lasers are more efficient. And BMW might consider removing the indicator lights from its cars, too — it’s not that the drivers ever use them.

BMW develops laser light for the car [BMW]

We know, our whip doesn’t have LED headlights either, but that’s not stopping BMW from pressing on with its laser powered successor. Purportedly ready “within a few years,” the updated beams boast an intensity a thousand times greater than their forebearers, all while consuming less than half the power — helping EV drivers eke out a little more range. With each laser diode one hundred times smaller than its LED counterpart, Bavaria reckons the tech will help it design and package future light fixtures that are more bodacious than those from its competition in Ingolstadt. There’s no firm date for availability, but the company says the new lighting tech will debut on the production version of its i8 concept. Sounds great, so where do we sign up for our frickin’ laser bimmer?

Continue reading BMW developing laser headlights, officially over LEDs

BMW developing laser headlights, officially over LEDs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading BMW’s Ultimate Drive app lets you share your favorite routes, crowdsources day tripping

BMW’s Ultimate Drive app lets you share your favorite routes, crowdsources day tripping originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW’s been teasing us with its vision for electric motoroing for years, and today, folks, the trend continues. The German automaker has unveiled two concepts from its upcoming i sub-brand: the city-dwelling i3 and a rehashed version of its i8. This is the first time we’ve officially seen the smaller of the two, as the car formerly known as the Megacity had only been spied in an official render and during routine testing at the arctic circle. It’ll haul four peeps with its 150km range (around 100 miles) and accelerate from 0-60mph in around 8 seconds. As for those with range anxiety, the German company will soothe such fears with an optional range-extending motor dubbed “REx.” Either variant could land in your garage in 2013, where you’ll be able top them up in 6 hours with a standard socket, or up to eighty percent in an hour if you’re rocking a spiffy high capacity charger.

The i8, which you’ll recall for its radical aerodynamic design and hybrid diesel-electric drivetrain, has received a bevy of aerodynamic tweaks and junked its oil burner, opting for a gasoline one instead. Engine swap aside, the sporty coupé apparently drinks only 2.7 liters per 100km — 87 mpg (!) for yanks — which is unreal in a car that’ll accelerate to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. Sound too good to be true? We’ll have to wait until 2014 to see if München can make good on those promises, but in the meantime feel free to peruse the galleries, videos, and PR after the break.

Continue reading BMW unveils new i3 and revamped i8 concepts, we await our automotive future (video)

BMW unveils new i3 and revamped i8 concepts, we await our automotive future (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The HomePlug Powerline Alliance already wants to tether your entire household to the Internet, and it may soon extend its reach to your garage, as well. At Computex today, the company announced that Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen have all agreed to support its HomePlug Green PHY (GP) technology as their EV charging interface of choice. The networking specification would allow electric car owners to link their plug-ins to the Smart Grid via the same ports used to charge their batteries, opening up new, Powerline-based possibilities. Once your EV hooks up to the network, it may be able to conduct system checks in real-time, for instance, or provide instant feedback on performance or the condition of your battery. The low power GP spec will also be interoperable with HomePlug’s forthcoming AV2 spec, though it’s still not clear when we can expect to see Germany’s automakers incorporate it into production. Zip past the break for the full PR.

Continue reading BMW, Porsche, others announce support for HomePlug’s EV networking spec

BMW, Porsche, others announce support for HomePlug’s EV networking spec originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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