Apr 5, 2023 - 12:26 pm
Mini Countryman to arrive with two drive variants
BMW has officially published key data on the new generation of the Mini Countryman, which will also come with a purely electric drive. For the first time, an electric car of the Mini brand will also have an all-wheel drive.
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Mar 8, 2023 - 11:17 am
Mini to launch two electric Mini models in 2024
Mini has revealed more details about its future electric models. The new Countryman is scheduled for launch in February 2024. In the summer of that same year, the new electric hatch, now named Cooper, will follow suit, as an EV first.
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Oct 21, 2022 - 12:40 pm
BMW expands EV component production in Leipzig
The BMW Group has presented plans on how to expand the capacities for EV component production at the Leipzig site by 2024. In the future, eight production lines are planned on which various production steps of battery assembly will take place.
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Sep 8, 2022 - 11:58 am
Kia and Deutsche Bahn announce battery second life cooperation
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and Kia have entered into a strategic partnership for used electric car batteries. The goal is to turn older EV batteries into high-performance energy storage units. DB startup Encore will take over procurement and production.
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Aug 7, 2022 - 03:09 pm
It’s over: BMW delivers last i3 electric cars
The BMW i3 is now history. BMW delivered the last 18 units of the company’s first electric car a few days ago. The company discontinued production of the electric pioneer in Leipzig at the end of June after they had manufactured around 250,000 BMW i3.
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Aug 1, 2022 - 11:54 am
BMW opens second battery module line in Leipzig
At the BMW plant in Leipzig, the second production line for battery modules has started series production. The new production line manufactures battery modules for the all-electric BMW i4, which is being built at the Munich plant.
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Jul 19, 2022 - 02:18 pm
Porsche confirms launch delay of the Macan until 2024
Porsche has postponed the market launch of the all-electric Macan until 2024. What was previously a rumour in the industry has now been confirmed by Porsche boss Oliver Blume himself. But: In addition to the E-Macan, a new electric luxury SUV is to roll off the production line in Leipzig in the future.
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Dec 20, 2021 - 02:48 pm
Porsche plans two new electric models made in Leipzig
Porsche is apparently planning a successor to its all-electric Panamera along with another electric model. These two models and the successor to the all-electric Macan are to be built at the carmaker’s Leipzig plant where Porsche is hiring additional personnel.
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Apr 30, 2021 - 11:30 am
BMW to launch battery production in Leipzig
The BMW Group is starting production of battery components at its Leipzig and Regensburg plants. On 3 May 2021, the series production of battery modules will start in Leipzig. The Regensburg plant already began painting battery cells for high-voltage batteries in April.
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Nov 19, 2020 - 12:36 pm
BMW puts 400 million euros into Munich plant
BMW announced that it would invest 400 million euros in a new vehicle assembly line for its main plant in Munich as they gear up for electric car production. For this, the company’s combustion engine production will have to make way.
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Oct 13, 2020 - 01:07 pm
Dräxlmaier tops out new battery plant in Leipzig
Automotive supplier Dräxlmaier celebrated the topping-out of a new plant for the production of high-voltage battery systems in Leipzig on Monday. The battery systems intended for the electric Macan will roll off the Porsche assembly line at Leipzig.
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Sep 23, 2020 - 04:17 pm
BMW to launch battery module mass production in 2021
BMW is now again expanding battery production in Germany. After BMW opened an e-drive competence centre in Germany and a battery centre in China at BMW Brilliance Automotive in the summer, the BMW plant in Leipzig will now be building battery modules from 2021.
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Aug 26, 2020 - 12:34 pm
BMW expands i3 production while VW looks to the e-Golf
In Germany, the increased purchase premium is boosting demand for electric cars. BMW and VW have now responded by expanding production of the i3 in Leipzig, while the VW e-Golf will continue to be built in Dresden until Christmas, contrary to initial plans.
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Jul 7, 2020 - 02:33 pm
Porsche builds body shop for the E-Macan in Leipzig
The conversion of the Porsche plant in Leipzig for the production of the third generation of the now also electric Macan is on schedule despite the Corona crisis. The new body shop for Porsche’s latest e-SUV has now been completed from the outside.
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Jun 12, 2020 - 03:00 pm
BMW stops making the i8 super hybrid for good
The last i8 to be made left the Leipzig BMW plant on Thursday. Production of the PHEV was actually supposed to end in mid-April. But since the factory was shut down because of the coronavirus crisis, the end of production was postponed to June.
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May 5, 2020 - 04:06 pm
Leipzig public transport goes electric
The Leipzig transport authority (LVB) has ordered their first electric buses for use in regular service and awarded the contract to the Dutch manufacturer VDL Bus & Coach. They are to supply 21 electric buses to Saxony by the end of this year.
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Feb 20, 2020 - 05:50 pm
Porsche opens 7MW charging park in Leipzig
Porsche is expanding high power charging infrastructure in central Germany with the opening of a new charging park called Porsche Turbo Charging in Leipzig. The park has a total capacity of seven megawatts drawn entirely from renewable energy.
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Feb 5, 2020 - 02:30 pm
11 Alstom battery-electric trains for Germany
In Germany, on behalf of two transit agencies, Alstom will manufacture, supply and maintain eleven Coradia Continental battery-electric trains for regional transport on the Leipzig-Chemnitz line by 2032. The order volume is worth around 100 million euros.
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Dec 12, 2019 - 01:24 pm
BMW wants to produce the i3 EV until 2024
Oliver Zipse had made it clear in October that BMW is planning something new with the i3 electric car until further notice. Now there’s also a hint for how long – and clearly beyond the premieres of the iNext and i4.
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Jul 30, 2019 - 01:38 pm
BMW loses appeal for more government funding
BMW is to receive fewer German government subsidies for the construction of the i3 and i8 at its Leipzig plant than it had applied for. The federal German government originally considered paying BMW 45 million euros, but the EU Commission only approved 17 million.
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Apr 10, 2019 - 09:14 pm
Porsche reclaims axle production for Macan EV
With the fully electric Macan to enter production in Leipzig early on in the next decade, Porsche is integrating axle assembly on-site. So far, the factory had outsourced this work to a supplier and Porsche says, the new unit will create more than 100 jobs and help keep motors a USP.
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Mar 12, 2019 - 06:50 pm
DE: Porsche to invest €600M to build electric Macan
Porsche has selected the plant in Leipzig for another push towards electrification. 600 million euros for what will be the fifth expansion of the site in Saxony, former East Germany, are to help Porsche to set course on manufacturing future electric models.
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Sep 5, 2018 - 06:35 pm
Deutsche Bahn purchases CleverShuttle majority
The German railway corporation has purchased a majority stock of the electric vehicle ride-share specialists CleverShuttle. Parallel to the takeover, the partners are expanding their Leipzig facilities.
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May 24, 2018 - 12:37 pm
BMW expands Leipzig factory to 200 BMW i models daily
BMW is investing more than 300 million euro in the expansion of their Leipzig factory, where the i3 and the i8 models are manufactured. The focus is on several major construction endeavors to improve and modernise chassis construction, painting, assembly and logistics.
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May 23, 2018 - 03:43 pm
Leipzig Diesel decision begins taking effect
As of Thursday next week, things will get decidedly more serious for diesel drivers in Hamburg. According to the German environmental ministry, thoroughfare restrictions will start in two Hamburg streets on the 31.05.
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Mar 4, 2018 - 03:20 pm
BMW start serial production of i8 Roadster
BMW has begun making the i8 Roadster at its Leipzig facility, where it will roll off the same lines as the i8 Coupé. Clients may customise their plug-in hybrid and both variants are expected to hit the markets in May.
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Sep 12, 2017 - 07:07 am
Germany, Urban Supercharger, Leipzig, San Diego, BMW.
German infrastructure: Round two of funding for Germany’s fast-charging corridor is about to commence with 100m euros to be made available. The tender will officially open at this week’s end and aims for 12,000 regular and 1,000 fast-charge points.
metropolregion.de (in German)
Urban Supercharger: Tesla wants more but more slowly as it unveils a new Supercharger design made for dense cities that charges at a slower rate. The new Superchargers are easier to install and need less space while charging at 72 kW at each stall, so they effectively reach a similar charge time than other Superchargers, according to the EV maker. In the wake of the Model 3, Tesla said it would increase the number of Superchargers to 10,000 before the year’s end (we reported).
electrek.co, tesla.com
Call for free floating through Leipzig: Eastern Germany’s fastest growing city wants to start a carsharing pilot that allows cars to float freely. Up to 750 vehicles shall be deployed and at least one tenth must be electric. Manufacturers and providers are invited to apply but may provide 250 cars max. with the programme running over five years from 2018.
leipzig.de (in German)
Public servants rewarded: San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) will offer 1,000 dollar rebates to teachers and first-responders who buy electric vehicles. The utility will use 500,000 dollars of its own shareholder money to fund the scheme over the coming three years.
sandiegouniontribune.com, sdgenews.com
Manage charging: BMW’s Connected app will include new features from Q4 such as the BMW Digital Charging Service, which enables charging with renewables, or at low cost. BMW Connected already offers an overview of crucial data such as remaining range or the state-of-charge.
bmwgroup.com
Mar 23, 2017 - 10:32 pm
Leipzig, Tesla, Nissan, New York, New Zealand.
Leipzig got a plan to become Germany’s most electrified city. A new proposal wants to see 80 percent share of electric vehicles in municipal fleets by 2019 and electric buses only by 2030. On the citizen side, electric cars may park for free for at least five years and an electric scooter sharing may be introduced as well. Commercial vehicles would benefit from extended delivery slots – if they drive electrically and come from so-called urban hubs that centralise goods transfer. A new e-mobility division within city hall will be responsible to execute each project.
bild.de (in German)
Tesla vanpool in LA: Green Commuter started to lease a fleet of Tesla Model X to commuters and so-called vanpoolers, that use the seven seats of the electric SUV. The company plans to expand the fleet to 50-80 units by the end of the year.
ngtnews.com, businesswire.com
Natural choice: The Cambridge Organic Food Company is going fully green as it acquired three Nissan e-NV200 vans. The electric transporters are to deliver boxes of organic fruit and vegetables.
nissaninsider.co.uk
New York rebate launched:The state of New York kicked off its 70m dollar EV rebate scheme and outreach that had been in the making for over a year reportedly. The Drive Clean rebates (up to 2,000 dollars) are now available to all New York residents who buy plug-in electric or fuel cell cars.
ngtnews.com, governor.ny.gov
Exclusive EV access: New Zealand started a trial that allows priority access for electric vehicles at five different bypass lanes across Auckland. The lanes are also known as T2 and Truck lanes and the programme is similar to the HOV lanes in California but allows only fully electric cars.
netguide.co.nz