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Bristol returning under BMW power

BMW has had its hand in reviving once-great British automakers, and now its playing its part in the rebirth of another. That marque is Bristol Cars, the automotive offshoot of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Bristol hand-made luxury sports cars between 1945 and 2011 when it went belly-up, and ever since there's been an effort to bring it back. That effort is now picking up steam, and is set to launch later this year – marking the 70th anniversary of the marque's founding. It's tentatively known as Project Pinnacle, and while future versions are slated to pack plug-in hybrid power developed in collaboration with Bristol's sister company Frazer-Nash (which is now focused on battery technology), the first new Bristol in a dozen years is slated to pack BMW power. Details accompanying the announcement below are few and far between, but one way or another, it won't be the first time BMW will have played a part in breathing new life into a British automaker. The Bavarian company of course revived Mini, and made Rolls-Royce what it is today, but was also was briefly the custodian of Rover, Land Rover and Bentley, and has been linked to a potential (if unrealized) effort to bring back Triumph. Its role in Bristol's rebirth under Project Pinnacle may be less involved than all of those, but at very least we'll know that the new British GT will have a proper engine under the hood. BRISTOL CARS CONFIRMS POWERTRAIN FOR 70th ANNIVERSARY PROJECT PINNACLE • First new Bristol car in more than a decade to feature BMW powerplant • High performance powertrain earmarks resumption of the history between Bristol, Frazer-Nash and BMW dating back to 1930s London, England, June 2015 – Iconic British carmaker, Bristol Cars, makes the second in a series of announcements today about its first new car in more than a decade, codenamed Project Pinnacle. Project Pinnacle, which is set for launch later this year, will be a 70th anniversary celebration model, referencing Bristol Cars' rich heritage and executed as a modern take on the best of British craftsmanship, engineered to excite and satisfy as a high performance Bristol car. Bristol Cars is deeply proud to announce that the machinery underpinning this high performance new vehicle will be a BMW powerplant. The result will a sublime British sportscar with characteristics cultured uniquely for the first new Bristol since 2004.

Recharge Wrap-up: Range-extended EV taxis in London, 2016 Chevy Volt interior two years old

The first Metrocab range-extended EV taxis are operating on the streets of London. The cabs use a 12.2-kWh battery and two 50-kW motors, as well as a 1.0-liter gasoline range extender. Fuel economy is 98 MPGe on the ECE101 cycle, and total driving range is over 348 miles before needing to charge or refuel. Cabbies can expect to save GBP20 to GBP40 (about $30 to $60) per day on average. "The cash savings on fuel are significant, the ride and comfort outstanding, and my first customers are thrilled with the new cab," says the first operator of the new EV taxi, Preston Morris. "With its air suspension providing unrivaled comfort, panoramic glass roof for views of the city and silent powertrain, what's not to like?" Read more in the press release below. Chevrolet has had the interior design of the 2016 Volt finished for two years already, according to GM interior designer John McDougall. Beginning around 2010, GM received sketches from designers worldwide before narrowing it down to a handful of designs. Then the top three choices were molded from clay. The chosen theme was then refined for up to 18 months. "Every little thing you can imagine goes into that," says McDougall. "The glare angle from the windows, the placement of the controls, the placement of the seat. You have to create something that's beautiful and functional." Read more at GM Authority and at Inside EVs. More details have emerged about the Second Life Batteries Alliance. Vattenfall has announced a research project in partnership with BMW and Bosch to use retired EV batteries for stationary, grid-connected energy storage in Hamburg, Germany. Over 100 lithium-ion batteries from BMW i3 and ActiveE vehicles will make up a two-mWh storage unit for grid balancing, enough to power 30 four-person households for a week. The system is "compact enough to fit in a small building," says Bosch. Such storage systems are especially fit for storing and moving alternative forms of energy, which often fluctuate in supply more than electricity from a traditional power plant. Vattenhall will operate the storage unit for 10 years, with Bosch managing the batteries, during which time the three partners hope to learn more about battery applications and their performance over time. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release below.

BMW recalling 140,000 electric Mini Cooper SEs for battery issue

BERLIN — German automaker BMW is recalling electric Mini Cooper SE vehicles due to problems in their batteries, which could potentially affect more than 140,000 autos worldwide.  Included in the recall are 12,535 Mini SEs sold in the United States. Around 39,000 vehicles could be affected in Germany, the company said in a statement on Monday, adding that there are no known accidents or injuries caused by the problem. Problems in the battery system can lead to overheating. "A vehicle fire, even when the vehicle is parked, cannot be ruled out," the statement said. There was such a "thermal event" in the U.S. in October 2023, then another in Germany in January 2024. Both have been under investigation. BMW will install a software update in the EVs. The update contains a diagnostic function that will recognize a malfunction of the battery and alerts the driver. The NHTSA recall statement says the software will then somehow discharge the battery to less than a 30% state of charge. Customers who received the message are asked to visit a Mini partner, the company said.