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’s new BMW i4 eDrive35 joins the i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50 as a more affordable model in the automaker’s electric sedan lineup. US deliveries are expected to start in the first quarter of 2023 with a starting base price of $51,400 plus $995 destination and handling. The eDrive35 is identical to the eDrive40, except… Read more »
Everything old is new again: BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive features a wound-field synchronous AC motor Brushed DC (and AC/DC universal) motors are much maligned for a number of reasons, but one of the chief—if, perhaps, somewhat exaggerated—complaints is that the graphite brushes, and the segmented copper commutator they ride on, wear out over time, all the while producing… Read more »
BMW’s i3 was a ground-breaking EV that introduced a number of new technologies when it went on sale in 2014. It was always a bit of a niche vehicle—a small but classy city car—and sales in the US have been fairly modest. In some European markets, however, it’s been a pretty big hit, and BMW… Read more »
BMW plans to open a Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CCMC) in the fall of 2022 to demonstrate and study lithium-ion cell production. Located in Parsdorf, Germany, the CCMC will develop a pilot line for battery cell production in stages. At the beginning, systems for electrode production will be installed and run, graphite and nickel oxides… Read more »
For those who want to go electric, but have an attachment (sentimental or otherwise) to a particular vehicle, and have the money to pay for what they want, an EV conversion is the way to go. Until recently, conversions have been the exclusive province of independent specialty shops, but the lively scene is starting to… Read more »
BMW of North America and Electrify America have announced an agreement to provide 2022 BMW EV customers with two years of 30-minute complimentary charging sessions at all Electrify America public charging stations. The program will launch with the sale of the new BMW iX xDrive50, BMW i4 eDrive40 and BMW i4 M50 in March. Customers… Read more »
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 »
Gallium nitride power semiconductor developer GaN Systems has signed a comprehensive capacity agreement with BMW for the company’s GaN power transistors, which are designed to increase the efficiency and power density of critical applications in EVs. GaN Systems will provide capacity for multiple applications in series production. The guaranteed volumes are a building block for… Read more »
Swiss charging station manufacturer Juice Technology has won a contract to supply its JUICE BOOSTER 2 charging solution to BMW Group production lines and the majority of BMW dealerships in Germany. As automakers electrify, they need to upgrade and retrofit their production and servicing facilities to accommodate EVs, and creating a suitable charging infrastructure is… Read more »