BMW again has a problem with the high-voltage batteries in plug-in hybrid vehicles. Due to possible impurities in the production process of the battery cells, there is an increased risk of fire in several series.
Read moreVideo tip: In a new episode of Fully Charged, Robert Llewellyn complaints about being ICed and considers (out loud) what it would be like to take an EV, park next to a pump and just get a snack or hold a chat. Sorry Robert, been there, done that.
youtube.com
Click tip: This BMW i8 prototype is said to be a new experimental vehicle of the new safety car for the Formula E. And it’s not unthinkable that BMW is also using it to test components for the i8 makeover.
bimmertoday.de (in German)
Click tip: ‘Spot the human’ is what this picture should be called. And we bet you, you can’t! Elon Musk posted a picture of the new Tesla production line, featuring no less than 542 robots, 15 of which run simultaneously.
techcrunch.com
Reading tip: Peter Norby has now been the proud owner of a BMW i8 for eight months, putting 7,200 miles on the odometer. However, he notes that his long trips were made entirely on petrol and without charging the PHEV. Only local trips to i.e. restaurants were made electrically.
insideevs.com
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Video tip: This is the first time that Robert Llewellyn’s Fully Charged features a plug-in hybrid supercar – the BMW i8. To poke fun at those who say charging is complicated, Robert fills it up with a “highly inflammable and toxic liquid.” And he cannot understand “how you people deal with it.”
youtube.com
Reading tips: Those who want to read up on the most important topics of the Electric Vehicle Symposium EVS28 in South Korea or the SAE World Congress in the United States, can do so by clicking the links below.
electricvehiclesresearch.com (EVS28), greencarcongress.com (SAE World Congress)
Events for the upcoming week: China International New Energy Vehicle Forum (May 18-19; Shanghai, China) ++ Energy Storage World Forum (May 19-21; Rome, Italy) ++ Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum (May 19; Dearborn, USA) ++ Korean-German Electromobility Forum (May 19; Berlin, Germany) ++ Israeli Power Sources Conference (May 20-21; Herzelia, Israel) ++ Electromobility – Globally Connected (May 21-22; Berlin, Germany) ++ FIA Formula E, Round 8 (May 23; Berlin, Germany)
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar
A total of 2,067 BWM i3 were sold in March worldwide, setting a new sales record. A trend that is in line with the main brand as well. BMW also announced that the demand for its plug-in hybrid i8 sports car remains high, while no exact figures were made public.
theautochannel.com
Star Engines uses a BMW i8 to demonstrate its portable range extender JERR.E which in turn is powered by a petrol rotary engine. A more pleasant sight however, is a video in which a BMW i3 tows a stranded gas guzzler. We wish you a flawless weekend!
vrworld.com (range extender), youtube.com (electric tow car)
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Click tip: Designer Bez Dimitri has come up with an all-electric Porsche called 356e. Obviously, the stylish model only exists virtually but maybe the Germans could consider to give the French man a call.
carscoops.com
Video tip: Joel Feder from Motor Authority took the BMW i8 on a short road test as he was wondering if a sports car without the dubious virtues of a V8 can be sexy. His verdict is spiked with technical details.
youtube.com
Dubai Police now welcomed the BMW i8 in its impressive fleet of patrol vehicles. While dressed in white and green, all the super hybrid is missing are the sirens on top of the roof. You got the whole weekend to think about changing your job!
bmwblog.com (with video)
New player on EU market? According to Nikkei, motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha wants to get into the car business. The company aims to start making and selling two-seater commuter cars in Europe as early as 2019 and plans to offer them in both gasoline and electric versions. At the 2013 Tokyo auto show, Yamaha had already presented an all-electric city car concept named Motiv.e.
nikkei.com, wsj.com, europe.autonews.com
Beijing favours plug-ins: The Chinese city cut its licence quota for newly registered petrol-driven cars from 19,066 to 17,600 this year. Meanwhile, the license quota for new energy vehicles, meaning electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, gets doubled – from 10,000 last year to 20,000 in 2015.
cleantechnica.com, renewables.seenews.com
Peugeot follows suit: After Citroën announced a facelift for its Berlingo a few days back, Peugeot announced the same cosmetic changes for its sister model, the Partner. While the petrol and diesel engines will log better fuel efficiency, the 49 electric motor of the Partner Electric will remain unchanged.
worldcarfans.com (with video)
Kia e-bike in Geneva: The Japanese manufacturer will unveil its K-Velo EV at the Geneva motor show. The pedelec will be available as a city and mountain bike variant, each powered by a 250 kW Bosch electric motor and a 10 amp lithium-ion polymer battery pack.
autoevolution.com, worldcarfans.com
BMW i8 named car of the year: The BMW i8 has been announced as the overall winner of the 2015 UK Car of the Year award, judged by a panel of 27 of British motoring journalists. BMW’s plug-in hybrid sports car also won the title of Performance Car of the Year.
hybridcars.com, autoblog.com, express.co.uk
Video tip I: Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear tested both the BMW M3 and the BMW i8 rather extensively. Take a look on his findings while thinking about what those cars might have in common with typewriters and laptops.
dailymotion.com
Video tip II: Episode 3 of the EV Show is just out. Watch Hutch and Michael from EV West drive around in the Factory Five 818 electric by 33 Machine while bringing you the latest EV developments.
youtube.com
Video tip 1: Curious what horse riding has in common with the plug-in hybrid BMW i8? According to BMW UK, “every revolutionary idea is born of curiosity and vision”. Get ready for the horse-powered BMW i8 “curiosity advert”.
youtube.com
Video tip 2: Mitsubishi Motors UK has uploaded a bunch of new films featuring the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to its youtube channel, also including a brand-new TV commercial.
youtube.com
Click tip: 2016 BMW is to turn a century old and fans expect something special, something like an even more powerful sports car based on the i8. One BMW enthusiast now made a rendering of how the rumored BMW i9 could look like: as if Batman might buy it.
bmwblog.com
Study tip: IDTechEx report “Energy Harvesting/ Regeneration for Electric Vehicles Land, Water & Air 2015-2025” looks at electric vehicles producing energy on the go from heat, light, vibration, motion and more. The first hybrids could thus regain energy from exhaust heat by 2018.
idtechex.com (report to order) via businesswire.com
Video tip: German Auto Bild put two Bavarians to the test as it had the BMW i8 competing against the M4 in a drag race. Is it traction and torque or tradition and horsepower advantage that wins the race? The actual competition starts at minute 1:24.
autobild.de (in German) via autoblog.com
Study tip: A new report by IDTechEx titled “Industrial and Commercial Hybrid and Pure Electric Vehicles 2015-2025” is looking at electric and hybrid trucks and new players in the market including Wrightspeed, TEVA UK/JAV and EDI.
idtechex.com via electricvehiclesresearch.com
Video tip: Check out this battle between a classic and a classic-to-be. AutoExpress puts the BMW M1 on the track first just to then fast-forward decades of automobile design embodied in the plug-in hybrid i8.
youtube.com
Already 10,199 BMW i3 and 341 BMW i8 have been delivered to customers worldwide this year, according to official sales figures released by BMW on Friday. In the U.S., both models notably accounted for 5.7 percent of all BMW passenger cars sold in September.
bmwgroup.com, insideevs.com (USA)
Download tip: Now you can read the detailed and full report of Roland Berger and their “E-mobility Index” for the third quarter (we reported yesterday).
fka.de
Video tip: evo sent the BMW i8 and the classic Porsche Carrera 911 on a drag race. However, the competition is just the hook as commentary, specs and comparisons are made along the way.
youtube.com
Click tip: Consumer Reports puts the BMW i8 to the test, singing its praises and saying that it has “the best-sounding 3 three cylinder out there.” Still, it does not compare with the Tesla Model S – just like apples do not compare with oranges.
consumerreports.org (text and video)
Reading tip: How fast can you charge? Inside EVs tries to answer that question by looking at the different DC-charging standards and calculating their power limits.
insideevs.com
Video tip: For once, Robert Llewellyn from Fully Charged leaves the steering to someone who must know what one can really do with a sports car like the BMW i8. Also, he has to admit that he quite likes the sound of the 1.5-litre turbo engine.
youtube.com
Click tip: Toyota allowed USA today to take a closer look at the upcoming FCV – from the outside only – and feeds the moving images with explanations coming from a Toyota PR person and an engineer. Worth taking a quick look.
usatoday.com (with video)
Events for the upcoming week: H2Expo 2014 (Sept 23-26; Hamburg, Germany) ++ Batteries 2014 (Sept 24-26; Nice, France) ++ IAA Commercial Vehicles 2014 (Sept 25-Oct. 02; Hannover, Germany)
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar
Under normal circumstances, Qualcomm engineers have no problem to explain their technology. However, being questioned in a BMW i8, featuring these very same technologies, that is driven and drifted by race driver Nelson Piquet Jr. is a whole different matter.
youtube.com
Video tip: A new video by BMW shows the making of the hybrid i8 from production to delivery. With appearances of the first delighted owners as well as Carsten Breitfeld, head of the i8 project, who has some insight to offer.
youtube.com
Click tip: If there is no Tesla showroom in your city look no further as the Californian carmaker now offers a virtual tour of its Seattle store via Google Maps. With love from Silicon Valley…
google.com (Showroom) via treehugger.com
Reading tip: With the Formula E ready for take-off, news have been piling up. This article looks a little deeper and under the hood of the electric race cars. A nice read for anyone who wants to know what makes the Formula E “tick.”
motorsport.com
Video tip: For its video series “Ignition,” Motor and Trend got behind the wheel of the BMW i8, testing its performance on the track and comparing it conventional sports cars, as well as driving down a canyon road to see if it works as a “driver’s car.”
youtube.com via automobilemag.com
Events for the upcoming week: Moscow International Automobile Salon MIAS (until September 7th; Moscow, Russia) ++ Fostering E-Mobility in the NSR Region: Final results (September 1st; Hamburg, Germany) ++ World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (September 7th – September 11th; Detroit, USA)
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar
Is the BMW i8 worth 100,000 dollars over sticker? That after all almost doubles the list price. Some seem to think it is and are willing pay the “little” extra, just to be bumped up on the waiting list. For everyone else, the first year’s run of BMW i8s remain sold out.
bmwblog.com
Click tip: On eBay, one can now become the proud owner of a BMW i8 replica. It looks like the real thing, but only from the outside. The 500-pound full-size display car currently stands at about 18,000 dollars.
ebay.com via transportevolved.com
Reading tip: Dylan Tweney is angry with the EPA. He says its MPGe stickers on electric vehicles are hurting sales, because they are “bogus,” since an EV never consumes any petrol at all. The agency should instead inform customers better about more relevant data.
venturebeat.com
Video tip 1: We already predicted it, and now it is official – and charged inductively! Watch the unveiling of the BMW i8 as the endorsed safety car for the FIA Formula E championship.
youtube.com
Video tip 2: At Pebble Beach last week, Renovo Motors presented the first American all-electric supercar. Here is a video presentation of the vehicle, commentated by Christopher Heiser, CEO and founder of the Californian start-up.
youtube.com via autoblog.com
Reading tip: For a change, this coast to coast trip has not been made in a Tesla and has not crossed the USA. Instead, Eddie Cunningham drove a Renault Zoe from Dublin to Galway and back. In Ireland, charging does appear to be a bit more adventurous than in the supercharged States.
independent.ie
Click tip: BMW’s special edition of the i8 has been auctioned off for 825,000 dollars at the Concours d’ Elegance at Pebble Beach this weekend. That is about six times the asking prices but guarantees the buyer a “one-of-a-kind” hybrid super car.
electriccarsreport.com
Reading tip: Auto Express is providing an in-depth review of each the BMW i8 and Porsche 911 but also compared the legend with the hybrid hero of the future.
autoexpress.co.uk
Video tip: Xcar tested the BMW i8 to see if it drives as good as it looks. To top it up, their 14-minute video sports some pretty nice views and driving pictures, too.
youtube.com via autoblog.com
Video tip I: The Brazilian Caio Strumiello designed a mini electric car to tackle not only pollution, but also congestion, parking problems and social misconceptions. Meet the “Nanico” and its maker on a mission in sunny Sao Paulo.
uk.reuters.com
Video tip II: Zach Vlasuk from Kelley Blue Book reviews the BMW i8 in a video spiked with details on design and a few little side blows on the hybrid sport car’s practicality for example.
youtube.com
Reading tip: Brad Berman has compared the battery packs of the BMW i3 and the Mercedes B-Class electric drive. While both models cost almost the same, the Mercedes boasts a bigger capacity while the BMW clearly is more energy efficient.
plugincars.com
Video tip: British Autocar‘s Steve Sutcliffe tested the BMW i8 with right-hand steering. The 11-minute video shows Sutcliffe whizzing on the best roads one can find in Scotland.
youtube.com
Video tip: In a new episode of ‘Translogic,’ Jonathon Buckley gets behind the wheel of the BMW i8. And he loves every minute of it. He also speaks to Paul Ferraiolo from BMW of North America, who sums up all the i8 has to offer.
autoblog.com
Click tip: Mahindra Reva e2o electric cars took to the streets of Bangalore for a 5-kilometre e-rally over the weekend. Judging by these photographs, it was a fun 5 kilometres.
rushlane.com
Video tip: Do you recall the fable of the hare and the tortoise? Well, it is very much what happened in this race between a BMW i8 and its challenger, an electric golf buggy – which admittedly had the home advantage.
vimeo.com via hybridcars.com
Reading tip: Once more, Norway proves itself as the home of the electric car as an EV rally climbed the country’s curviest road to the top of Trollstigen mountain, which features sub zero temperatures but strawberries, too.
thegreencarwebsite.co.uk
Selected events for the upcoming week: 11th EUROPEAN SOFC & SOE FORUM (01 – 04 July, Lucerne, Switzerland) ++ E-Silvretta (03 – 06 July, Austria)
You can find a complete list of upcoming industry events at electrive.com/calendar
Click tip: uAutoInsurance looked at how many patents Tesla actually has, counting 249. Alone 104 of those have to do with batteries, followed by charging (28) and motor patents (13).
uautoinsurance.com via cleantechnica.com
Reading tip: Bill Howard is putting the BMW i8 head to head with the prolonged Model S. The latter, he finds, is still too short for China’s rich executives but indeed stretches into BMW territory. However, the Bavarian super hybrid might win over a Tesla fan or two – if only it were fully electric.
mobile.extremetech.com
