Alloy Wheels on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: BMW X5 PHEV debuting in Shanghai, Proterra sets up shop in CA

South Carolina-based Proterra has received funding to build electric buses in California. The California Energy Commission has awarded the company, which is headed by former Tesla executive Ryan Popple, a $3-million grant. Proterra will use the funds for a facility in the LA suburb the City of Industry, where its largest customer, Foothill Transit, also operates. Proterra has also opened an office in San Bruno, just south of San Francisco. Read more at SFGate or at ValueWalk. Despite its "urban mobility" design, the BMW i3 has become popular outside of large cities. Rather than singular urban centers, "The strongholds in this country are parts of California, Texas and southern Florida," said BMW North America CEO Ludwig Willisch. He also says the electric car hasn't been particularly successful in the Northeast, with cities like New York perhaps not being as mindful of sustainability as California. BMW is also nearing i3 sales of 12,000 a year, which Willisch calls "a sustainable rate." Read more at Automotive News. BMW will debut its X5 xDrive40e plug-in hybrid at the Shanghai Motor Show this month. It is the first PHEV from BMW's core brand (not from its i sub-brand). It uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor for a total of 313 horsepower, and a combined fuel economy of about 70 miles per gallon (according to the ECE test cycle). Press days for the Shanghai Motor Show are April 20-21. Read more in the press release below. BMW at Auto Shanghai 2015. At a glance •BMW at the 16th International Automobile & Manufacturing Technology Exhibition (Auto Shanghai) from 22 – 29 April 2015 (Press Days from 20 – 21 April). •BMW presents a world premiere, four Asian premieres and two Chinese premieres in Shanghai. •World premiere: the BMW X5 xDrive40e Sports Activity Vehicle is the first plug-in hybrid series-production model from the BMW core brand. •Asian premiere: the new BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer is the first premium model in its segment to offer maximum variability and room for up to seven people. •Asian premiere: the new edition of the BMW 1 Series is even more expressive, sporting and efficient than before. •Chinese premiere for the three athletes in the luxury class: the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, the new BMW 6 Series Coupe and the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. •Chinese premiere with top-notch driving dynamics, efficiency and exclusivity: the new BMW M6 Coupe and the new BMW M6 Gran Coupe.

2015 BMW X6

Most everyone would agree that BMW offers a range of very attractive and well-proportioned coupes, sedans, crossovers and wagons. Yet there is one member of its family that has always struck us as a bit odd: the X6.
Proudly coined "The world's first Sports Activity Coupe" by its German maker, the X6 features a wedge-shaped body with a characteristic sloping roofline that appears to squash the heads of its second-row occupants. The crossover rides high off the ground, with a pronounced gap between its chassis and oversized wheel/tire package, capped by short overhangs on both ends. Although curious to the eyes, its overall styling is masculine, and its stance aggressive.
Whether you consider the X6 to be attractive or an eyesore - opinions seem about equally divided - there is nobody at BMW questioning its business model. As of today, the automaker has sold more than 260,000 copies of its five-door crossover, which is why it has flown us to Spartanburg, SC, to sample its second-generation 2015 BMW X6.

BMW builds its 2 millionth 1 Series on eve of new model's launch

Hard as it may be to believe, it's been over ten years since BMW launched the first 1 Series, taking the Bavarian automaker into more accessible territory for the first time. Later this month, the first examples of the new model will arrive at dealers, but before it does, the littlest BMW has another reason to celebrate as the 2 millionth unit has rolled off the line. The landmark example is a 120i five-door equipped with the M Sport package and painted in Estoril Blue, bound for a customer in Japan. The achievement is even more noteworthy when you consider that what started out as the 1 Series has since been split into two lines. The three- and five-door hatchbacks remain part of the 1 Series, while the coupe and convertible we get in the US that were once part of the 1 Series as well have since been spun off as the separate 2 Series. Production of the three-door takes place exclusively at BMW's plant in Regensburg, while the five-door is split between Regensburg and a second plant in Leipzig. Buyers are further able to specify between diesel and gasoline engines ranging from three cylinders all the way up to six. Show full PR text Two reasons to celebrate: BMW 1 Series production hits the two-million mark – New edition writes a fresh chapter in the compact model's success story. Munich. 28 March 2015 sees the curtain raised on the market launch of the new BMW 1 Series. Fans of compact driving pleasure can look forward to an even more striking design, a further refined premium ambiance for the interior, engines that are extremely powerful and even more efficient, and innovative equipment features. Ahead of the launch, news filtered through from BMW Plant Regensburg of another reason to smile as the two-millionth BMW 1 Series rolled off the production line. The landmark car was built just a few days after the start of production for the new version of the compact model and is one of the first examples of the new BMW 1 Series range earmarked for export to Asia. The BMW 120i 5-door, painted in Estoril Blue metallic and equipped with an M Sport package, will be delivered to a customer in Japan. This production landmark at BMW Plant Regensburg represents another milestone in the international success story of the BMW 1 Series. In late summer 2014 the company celebrated the model series' tenth birthday.