15 Bmw Z4 Rdster 35is 2dr Rstr Sdrive 35is New Convertible Automatic Gasoline 3. on 2040-cars

Auto blog

What does the open patents deal mean for Tesla ... and BMW?

Gift to the world or trade bait? Tesla Motors announced this week it would open its patents for other automakers to use. That has analysts guessing whether the California-based electric-vehicle maker is looking to either swap trade secrets with other automakers or to expand the proverbial pie that represents the plug-in vehicle market. For its part, Tesla says the answer is B. BMW, which is establishing its i sub-brand of plug-in vehicles, would be a natural collaborator with Tesla, Forbes says. In fact, executives from the two companies met in Europe this week. Details were not released, but a BMW spokesman said, "Both companies are strongly committed to the success of electromobility and discussed how to further strengthen the development of electromobility on an international level." While Tesla brings battery technology to the table, BMW offers its carbon-fiber advancements that lighten vehicle-body weight. Those advancements are key to range-extending efforts and could do wonders for Tesla on its journey to help spur technology for the sake of getting more of the general public to accept plug-in technology as a viable first-car option. Then again, Forbes says Tesla, whose investors include Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and Toyota, may be keeping its best technologies to itself by not patenting certain advancements at all. What's in Tesla's patent pool? uAutoInsurance analyzed Tesla's 249 patents and found that 104 of them related to battery technology, while 28 pertained to recharging activity, which wasn't surprising (about a quarter of those 249 patents couldn't readily be categorized). Tesla also has nine patents related to sunroof technology. The company is based in California, after all.

2016 Tech of the Year | Autoblog Minute

Deliberation on the winners of Autoblog's Tech of the Year Award is under way. Nominees for best car in 2016 are: the Tesla Model S, the Chevy Volt and the BMW 7 series. Nominees for best tech in 2016 are: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, VW's MiB II with AppConnect, Ford Sync 3, Audi Virtual Cockpit, the Smart Cross Connect App, and Volvo Sensus. Autoblog's Chris McGraw reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Audi BMW Chevrolet Ford smart Tesla Volvo Technology of the Year Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video volt android auto ford sync 3

You might be able to get a BMW i3 for just $24,944

Who wouldn't want to save 44 percent off the price of a new car, especially one as high-tech and green as the BMW i3? For some lucky buyers in Colorado, the luxury plug-in car will be purchasable for just $24,944. Compare that to the standard base MSRP of $42,400. The special deal is being organized by Drive Electric Northern Colorado (DENC), a group of EV advocates that, among other things, organizes group purchases of plug-in vehicles to get every participant a discount. This group buy lops $6,000 off the price of a 2015 i3, and when you combine that with the Federal tax savings of up to $7,500 and the Colorado state tax incentive of up to $6,000, you can end up paying around 44 percent less than the base MSRP. Of course, there are asterisks involved. The fine print says that the deal is only valid at the BMW Center in Loveland, CO, which is the dealership that DENC negotiated with. Supplies are also limited and you have to use BMW Financial Services Owner's Choice program to finance the vehicle. If you want in on the i3 deal, you'd better hurry, because the special price only lasts until January 4, 2016. Colorado seems to have a thing for group buys, with offers for $10,000 Nissan Leafs (also organized by DENC) and cheap rooftop solar available this past year. As good as this latest deal is, it's not the best price we've ever seen for an i3. That would be free, with the tiny requirement that you need to buy a half-million dollar tear-down report from Munro Associates. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3 View 107 Photos Green BMW Green Culture Electric colorado