Legacy automakers, keen to make an “orderly transition” to EVs, have embraced all kinds of half-measures, from PHEVs to awkward ICE-to-EV conversions to pick-your-powertrain production lines. Conventional wisdom among EV advocates is that this is a mistake—industry leader Tesla and other startups have generally taken a clean-sheet approach to designing both their cars and the… Read more »
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BMW opens second battery module production line at Plant Leipzig
BMW has launched its second battery module production line at Plant Leipzig in Germany. In May of 2021, BMW opened its first battery module production line at Plant Leipzig to manufacture modules for the BMW iX. BMW says approximately €70 million ($71.2 million) has been invested in the production line. “The BMW Group sources its… Read more »
BMW begins i4 deliveries in Germany, reveals hulking PHEV concept
BMW was an early EV leader with the innovative i3, but later seemed to lose interest. The i3 remains on the market, posting decent but unremarkable sales in Europe and getting an occasional upgrade. Now, after eight years, the next electric Beemer has arrived. BMW delivered the first units of its new i4 EV at… Read more »
BMW CEO touts next-gen EVs, but wants to “keep the combustion engine alive”
When BMW launched the i3 in 2013, the company earned a place in history as an early EV innovator. Since then, the company’s interest in EVs seems to have waned—the once-cutting-edge i3 is now woefully dated, and plans for new electric models seem to be proceeding slowly. However, CEO Oliver Zipse recently told Reuters that… Read more »
BMW i4, with 300 miles of range, to go on sale this year
BMW’s i3 was a highly innovative vehicle when it went on the market in 2013, but to the disappointment of EV enthusiasts, the Bavarian automaker’s interest in electrification soon faded—it was only 7 years later that the company released another EV, the iX3, which still is not on sale in the US. Finally, at the… Read more »
BMW X3 PHEV—finally worth plugging in
One of a coming wave of low-volume luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs, the 2020 BMW X3 xDrive 30e offers 18 miles of electric range—and the ability to use it in the real world. The 2020 BMW X3 xDrive 30e is the first conventional plug-in hybrid model from BMW that’s actually worth plugging in. It’s one of… Read more »
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 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’s electric Mini Cooper SE: redeemer or regression?
BMW can’t seem to make up its mind about electrification (the same could be said about most of the legacy automakers). In 2013 it released the i3, which was a giant stride forward at the time. The once-revolutionary city car continues to sell in respectable numbers in some European markets, but BMW never followed up… Read more »