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Recharge Wrap-up: Portland's Electric Avenue, hacking a Tesla

Portland, Oregon has opened a city block set aside for electric vehicles. Dubbed "Electric Avenue," the EV-only zone replaces one that was taken over by new construction. The new Electric Avenue is an improvement, though, with four universal, 50-kW fast chargers and two Level 2 chargers. Currently, charging is free when customers pay for the metered parking. Portland's original Electric Avenue became a gathering place for EV drivers and an opportunity for companies to test charging technology. Read more at Ecomento. Hackers Kevin Mahaffey and Marc Rogers discussed hacking a Tesla Model S at the Def Con hacking conference. They outlined the car's vulnerabilities, particularly regarding the central information display, instrument cluster and the gateway. The hackers were able to exert control over certain subsystems, but they also pointed out some of the ways in which the car is protected from outside manipulation. Among other things, they were able to turn the car on and off, lock and unlock the doors, control the brakes under five mph, and shift the car into neutral above five mph. Tesla, who was also on hand for the presentation, has patched many of the vulnerabilities. Read more at Tom's Hardware. The BMW i3 is now available through DriveNow in Copenhagen, Denmark. After the carsharing program's success with the electric car in Germany, the UK and US, BMW (which owns DriveNow along with car rental company Sixt) has created a fleet of 400 i3 EVs in the Danish capital. With the help of bus operator Arriva, the BMW fleet is interconnected with public transportation. "Here in Copenhagen we are now already witnessing mobility of the future," says BMW's Dr. Bernhard Blattel. "It is on-demand technology, interconnected, quiet and electric." Read more in the press release below. Four hundred BMW i3 for interconnected mobility in Copenhagen. BMW i supports the improvement of life-quality in cities; Electric car sharing as the key component; DriveNow with the BMW i3 shortly also in Copenhagen, directly interconnected with public transport. Copenhagen. Following the successful introduction of the BMW i3 to the DriveNow fleets in Germany, the UK and the USA, the next major step is being taken with the commissioning of 400 BMW i3 in Copenhagen on September 3rd 2015. What is new here is an all-electric fleet which is also interconnected with public transport.

Jalopnik and Consumer Reports see who can pull off the best snow drift

The weather throughout much of the United States is pretty awful at the moment with some combination of extremely low temperatures, inches of snow and maybe some ice underneath it all. The folks at Jalopnik and Consumer Reports are making the absolute best out of a difficult situation by heading to CR's snow-covered test track and attempting to make the longest drift in a quartet of very different performance vehicles. Jalopnik brought along a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S Wagon, a Subaru WRX STI, a BMW 228i and a 1973 Volkswagen Baja Bug (heck yeah!) for the challenge. Also, the track was perfect for this group, with a mix of packed snow in places and still a few inches of unsullied powder in spots too. Ostensibly the goal was to get the tail to step out through a particular corner, but in reality this was more about having hilarious fun in the snow with fast cars. The result just looks like the best time humanly possible in this weather.

BMW brings laser headlights and HUD helmet to motorcycles

BMW is complementing its array of cutting-edge tech at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show with the ConnectedRide concept that adapts automotive innovations to the motorcycle world. To highlight the two-wheeled future, the company modified a K1600 GTL with a laser headlight and controls for a helmet-integrated head-up display. The result could make riding safer if these developments ever come to market. Some of BMW's latest models like the i8 and 7 Series can already cut through the darkness with laser headlights, and this K1600 GTL brings that technology to motorcycles. The bright light can shine down the road up to 1,969 feet, which the company claims is about twice as far as a conventional unit. The additional visual range gives riders extra time to evaluate what's ahead at night and could make for a safer journey. The concept laser headlight on the bike is only a feasibility test for now, but preliminary development is underway. However, the lights might need modification to see production in the US because BMW had to turn down the power on the units in the i8 to get FDA approval, according to BMW Blog. BMW also wants to make riders safer through a helmet-integrated HUD that ensures they never need to take their eyes off the road. While other companies already offer similar products, this solution maximizes the available information. Through controls at a person's left hand on the handlebars, a user can select displays of current speed, selected gear, tire pressure, oil and fuel level, and even speed limits, and the system displays the desired info right in front of the wearer's eye. A front-mounted camera can record the trip, and a rear-mounted one can simulate a rearview mirror. Real-world production of the HUD is still a few years away, but BMW says future versions could incorporate vehicle-to-vehicle communications to let the system receive hazard warnings, too. BMW Motorrad ConnectedRide. Concepts for motorcycle laser light and helmet with head-up display. BMW Motorrad will be displaying two innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on 6-9 January 2016. Laser light for motorcycles and a helmet with a head-up display will be presented, setting new standards of motorcycle safety, along with a technical outlook of how they may be employed in series models of the future. BMW K 1600 GTL concept vehicle with BMW Motorrad laser light.