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BMW could add all-electric Mini, X3 SUV

BMW's Mini sub-brand will add a battery-electric variant as the company looks to meet stricter emissions mandates around the world, according to an interview Bloomberg News conducted with CEO Harald Krueger. BMW is also planning an all-electric version of its X3 SUV and may start greening up models as large as its 7 Series sedan, though that prospect is far cloudier. The all-electric Mini will be available to the public as soon as 2019, while the battery-electric X3 SUV will likely start sales the following year. BMW didn't offer specifics about how much those models would cost or far they will be able to travel on a full electric charge, with Krueger only saying single-charge ranges would be "competitive" with other all-electric models. BMW this summer upgraded the battery in its i3 electric vehicle and boosted its single-charge range by about 40 percent to 114 miles. As for demand for BMW's i sub-brand vehicles, US sales of the i3 through September fell 27 percent to almost 5,800 vehicles, while sales of the i8 plug-in hybrid are down 19 percent to about 1,100 units, BMW said on Monday. Meanwhile, word got out earlier this year that BMW may dedicate the Rocketman concept hatchback as Mini's entrant to the electric-vehicle sector. BMW actually used a Mini as its first electric testing vehicle. The Mini E was produced in 2009 and 2010 before giving way to the BMW ActiveE, which was actually a converted 1-Series vehicle. Eventually, BMW started producing the i3. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Rocketman Concept View 25 Photos News Source: Bloomberg News Green BMW MINI SUV Electric

2025 Mini Cooper reveals its OLED screen, retro gauges and dog assistant

We got to see the 2025 Mini Cooper’s interior the other week, but now Mini is peeling back the veil on everything there is to know about the new round screen in the center and the all-new software itÂ’s running.  Mini is calling this fancy, round screen the “Mini Interaction Unit.” From a hardware perspective, itÂ’s rather special. The super-thin screen itself is a perfect circle and measures 9.4 inches in diameter. That might sound small in the world of ever-increasing car screens, but every other screen out there is rectangular, so the measurement applies in every direction, rather than just the diagonal of a rectangular screen. We sat in the driverÂ’s seat of the new Mini, and thereÂ’s certainly no lack of screen size to be seen here. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. To make matters even better, Mini is using OLED technology — Samsung is the supplier — for this round screen. That means extra vivid colors and the darkest-possible blacks. Cadillac uses OLED tech for its screens in the Escalade, too, and the result is beautiful. Of course, the software playing on this screen is the real star of the show, and itÂ’s called Mini Operating System 9. ItÂ’s a completely new-from-the-ground-up software suite, and you can wave goodbye to the old BMW iDrive control knob, too, because this is touch-control-only. The pictures describe the design aesthetic best. ItÂ’s vibrant, colorful, modern and full of pleasant surprises. We'll also note that while the photos here depict the electric Mini Cooper, the new Countryman will feature the same screen setup. What you see on screen is largely dependent on what “Experience Mode” youÂ’re in. Those include Core, Go-Kart, Green, Balance, Timeless, Vivid and Personal (Trail is added for the Countryman). Core is going to be your standard mode that provides a simple interface with your navigation, media and phone status spread out across the screen. A lot changes in the other modes, but certain things remain consistent across all modes including the auto climate controls, speedometer, range and the shortcut bar at the bottom with often-used menus. You can store even more (customizable) frequently used commands into a “tool belt” that is accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

Volvo leads and Mini fails in JD Power's Tech Experience Index

New cars are basically rolling computers. Everything from the engine to the infotainment runs on a series of ones and zeros, and a lot of that technology requires input from the driver. So it's no surprise that JD Power has a study designed specifically to discern which bits of tech drivers love and which bits they loathe. "New technology continues to be a primary factor in the vehicle purchase decision," says JD Power's Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction & human machine interface research. "However, it’s critical for automakers to offer features that owners find intuitive and reliable. The user experience plays a major role in whether an owner will use the technology on a regular basis or abandon it and feel like they wasted their money." The J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study found that Volvo owners are happiest with the technology packed inside their vehicles, followed by BMW and Cadillac, all brands that JD Power classifies as premium. The highest-rated mainstream brand is Hyundai, followed by Subaru and Kia. As was the case with the organization's Initial Quality and APEAL studies, Tesla's numbers aren't officially included because they are the only automaker that has not granted JD Power approval to contact its owners in states that require it. Tesla's projected score of 593 would have put it in second place, right behind Volvo's score of 617. The lowest-ranked brand in the TXI Study is Mini, with Porsche right behind. Diving a little bit deeper, JD Power's findings suggest that the technologies new car buyers care most about are related to helping them see their surroundings better. Camera systems, including rear-view mirror cameras and ground-view cameras, scored highest in five of the six satisfaction attributes measured in the study. The technology that owners could really do without? Gesture controls. Owners who answered JD Power's survey say they don't use gesture controls much at all after initially trying them, and they don't really care if their next vehicle has them. We have to wonder if those responses might be what kept BMW out of the top spot. The TXI Study also found that owners are split on automated driving helpers, like lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking. JD Power suggests that owners may need more training on those systems before they learn to trust them. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.