May 15
BMW’s latest hybrid supercar proves that sometimes multibillion-dollar gambles pay off and pave the way for a future that’s both sexy and sensible.
Aug 07
After leaving most car enthusiasts wondering what’s next when it introduced the all electric BMW i3
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Aug 07
BMW i8 to use smartphone-style hardened glass for noise and weight reductions
Posted in: Today's Chili
We’re used to seeing toughened glass on our phones and tablets, where it protects screens from chips and cracks. BMW, however, plans to use the substance on a much grander scale — the automaker just revealed that its upcoming i8 hybrid will be the first mass-produced car to use hardened glass. The currently unnamed material will reduce noise and weight in windows behind the windshield. As BMW doesn’t have to use thick glass to maintain strength, it can produce acoustically damped windows that weigh half as much as they would otherwise. We’ll have to wait until the i8’s arrival in 2014 to see how well this component choice works on the road, but it could lead to a future of lighter cars that still offer quiet interiors.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Source: BMW
Mar 12
Range anxiety? Clearly, the decisive issue of today’s automotive age. In an effort to avoid “pulling a Tesla” (or “pulling a Musk,” as it’s uttered in some circles), BMW is reportedly planning to offer petrol-powered loaners to i3 buyers who need to — you know — actually drive somewhere other than work. All snark aside, it’s clear that the 80 to 100 mile range on the 2014-bound i3 won’t mesh with longer road trips — at least not until the charging infrastructure advances by a few years — and that’s a problem that could sway potential buyers into siding with a more conventional automobile.
According to WardsAuto, however, BMW is piecing together a program that would allow i3 buyers to grab a gasoline-powered Bimmer when long hauls are necessary, and the loaner program will be bundled into the cost of the car. Of course, no one’s saying what kind of limits will be put in place here, but you can rest assured that the bigwigs in Munich won’t tolerate any abuse.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Source: WardsAuto
Jul 25
BMW opens i Store in sync with London Olympics, shows tourists their electric destiny
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Technology companies have been lining up to milk the London Olympics spotlight for all it’s worth. BMW isn’t shy about taking its turn, but it’s not looking to cash in — directly, we mean. The automaker is instead using its just-opened i Store to showcase everything electric and hybrid for downtown visitors who aren’t busy watching the cycling. Its centerpieces are unquestionably the i3 and i8, which won’t even go on sale until many months after the summer games’ closing ceremonies; the i3 on the floor is closer to the street model, though, and will tease EV drivers with BMW’s option packs. Should that make your bank account cringe far too soon, the i Pedelec scooter and the i Wallbox charger will be hanging around as well. If you didn’t book a ticket to Heathrow in time, don’t panic: the i line is going on a world tour this year that starts in Rome, swings past the US and Japan, and comes full circle to London in 2013.
Filed under: Transportation
BMW opens i Store in sync with London Olympics, shows tourists their electric destiny originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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