Different automakers have different visions of the low-emissions future, to say the least. Just a few days after the Volkswagen Group released an article explaining why it has abandoned hydrogen fuel cells in favor of battery-electric powertrains, BMW has “reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to hydrogen fuel cell powertrain system technology.” Unlike VW, BMW is leaving… Read more »
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BMW releases details of concept i4 EV
The long-awaited successor to the pioneering i3 is on the way. BMW has unveiled the i4 Gran Coupe, a four-door premium midsize coupe. The company is presenting it as a concept, but says it will enter production in 2021. The new EV features the fifth generation of BMW’s eDrive powertrain—the electric motor, power electronics, charging… Read more »
BMW i Ventures invests in Software Motor Company developing switched reluctance technology
BMW i Ventures will invest in Software Motor Company (SMC), a Silicon Valley-based company with experience with HVAC retrofit motors. SMC will use the funding to expand its product line and bring to market its full-stack Building Operating System (BOS) platform, designed to optimize energy and maintenance through intelligent automation. SMC says it has developed… Read more »
BMW revamps battery materials supply chain, signs supply contract for raw lithium
BMW Group has signed a €540-million contract with China’s Ganfeng Lithium for the supply of raw lithium from mines in Australia. The carmaker has restructured its supply chains for its upcoming fifth generation of battery cells. From 2020 on, it will directly source both lithium and cobalt. The raw materials will then pass on to… Read more »
BMW launches Bidirectional Charging Management research project
A consortium of companies led by the BMW Group has launched the Bidirectional Charging Management (BCM) research project to develop backfeeding power technology, which will allow vehicles to transfer energy back into the power grid or customers’ homes when plugged into a compatible charging station or wallbox. The goal is to allow EVs to operate… Read more »
BMW i4 to arrive in 2021 with a 373-mile range
BMW’s i3 was ahead of its time, but it has had few upgrades since its 2013 unveiling, and the company has fallen behind in the electrification race. Now the Bavarian automaker is making a bid to get back on the lead lap, launching three new EV models over the next couple of years. The iX3,… Read more »
BMW to install 4,100 new charging points in Germany
BMW plans to install 4,100 charging points at its German locations by 2021. The charging points will include AC and DC fast chargers, and will be powered by renewable energy. Most of the stations will be installed around Munich – other sites include Berlin, Leipzig, Regensburg, Landshut, Wackersdorf, and Dingolfing. BMW anticipates that, by 2021,… Read more »
BMW i Ventures to invest in CelLink flexible circuit technology
BMW i Ventures plans to invest in CelLink, a San Carlos, California-based manufacturer of flexible circuit technology. The funding will support CelLink as it moves several projects into full-scale production. CelLink, which plans to continue to ramp production of large-area flexible circuits for power and data transmission in its first manufacturing facility through the end… Read more »
BMW launches local assembly plant in Thailand for PHEV batteries
In July of this year, BMW launched a high-voltage battery production plant in Thailand, in partnership with parts maker DRÄXLMAIER. The investment, worth a total of 500 million baht ($16 million), was supported with incentives from Thailand’s Board of Investment. The assembly lines, located at the DRÄXLMAIER plant in Chonburi assemble both battery modules and… Read more »
BMW to bring wireless charging pilot program to US
BMW plans to bring its Induction Charging Pilot Program to the United States. The company launched the program in Germany in 2018. BMW’s Wireless Charging allows for automated charging via an induction GroundPad when a CarPad is fixed to the underside of the vehicle. The system has a charging power of 3.2 kW, which is… Read more »