2007 Bmw 5 Series 4dr Sdn 530xi Awd on 2040-cars

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BMW joins the mirrorless car club at CES

Another item the future promised us is finally arriving: cameras for rearview mirrors. It's coming on the Cadillac CT6, Audi played around with the idea in its Le Mans racers, and Tesla has plans to get in on the action. And now add BMW to that list with the i8 Mirrorless concept revealed at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In BMW's scheme, three cameras replace the mirrors. One big adjustment from years of automotive convention is the lack of any side glances for the driver. A display in place of the conventional rearview mirror shows a composite wide-angle image. Imminent hazards, such as a vehicle in the blind spot, are shown with yellow warning icons. Previous mirrorless designs have mounted cameras flush with the body, but the i8 Mirrorless uses wing-like side cameras. They also serve as turn signal indicators. We assume that the narrow profile is more aerodynamic than the housing for a large piece of reflective glass. Also in BMW's CES bag of tricks is the BMW i3 Extended Rearview Mirror. This uses a rear-facing, roof-mounted camera that overlays images on the conventional interior mirror. But we do have some questions – what happens when the cameras get dirty? Mirrors still work even when partially obscured by dirt. And when will these ideas see production? Stay tuned as we'll follow up with answers from BMW's booth on the CES show floor soon.

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan and Endesa launch V2G project; BMW denies Apple will use i3

Nissan and Endesa will work together to deliver a mass-market vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system. The technology would allow users to charge their vehicle during off-peak hours, and sell energy back to the grid during periods of high demand. The two companies are looking to launch V2G technology in Europe, as well as exploring second-life projects using retired EV batteries for stationary energy storage. V2G allows users to lower the cost of ownership of their EV, and also helps stabilize the grid, particularly in countries that use a large amount of renewable energy. Endesa will demonstrate its V2G technology system in Madrid on March 12. Read more from Nissan. BMW denies reports that Apple will build a car based on the i3. German magazine Auto Motor und Sport said that such a deal was in the works, and that the Apple car could be sold by Apple and serviced by BMW. "We are in regular talks with companies from the IT and telecommunications sector, including Apple, concerning topics like connected vehicles," says BMW. "Developing or building a car is not a topic of these discussions." Anonymous sources say that Apple could have a car available for production in 2020. Read more at Automotive News Europe. BluepointLondon will take over the management of 60 EV charging stations from Transport for London. The 60 chargers are in the boroughs of Southwark and Sutton, and Bluepoint expects to take over management of charging infrastructure in other London boroughs as well. "A better maintained and more extensive charging infrastructure will mean more drivers are able to use electric vehicles and join the early-adopters who are already helping London reach lower emissions level," says BluepointLondon Director Christophe Arnaud. "We are very excited to be playing our part." BluepointLondon aims to manage 6,000 charging points in London by 2018. Read more in the press release below. Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) offers plug-in hybrid conversions for GM light-duty trucks. The PHEV drivetrain offers all the performance of the original model, but reduces consumption and emissions by as much as 80 percent. It offers 30 to 40 miles of all-electric range plus enough energy to act as an idle-free power supply for tools and the like without depleting range. The EDI drivetrain can even be used to charge other EVs. Says EDI's Charlie Travis, "The light duty truck class is an important and high-volume vehicle category for fleet owners.

BMW M3 gets the video retrospective treatment

With BMW on the cusp of pulling back the sheets on its next-generation M3 (or should we say, M4?), the crew from Electric Federal has taken it upon themselves to give us a generation-by-generation look at the evolution of the most renowned of BMW's sports coupes. The video below features plenty of beautiful shots of each generation of M3, starting with the ever lust-worthy E30 before finishing up with the current iteration. BWS Motorsport's Mark Norris provides the narration, complete with a brief synopsis of what makes each generation so special.
As usual, the clip is fit for big-screen viewing. You can watch the action below for yourself. Meanwhile, we'll be busy figuring out which vital organs we can sell to get our hands on our own E30 M3.