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8 automakers, 15 utilities collaborate on open smart-charging for EVs

We're going to lead with General Motors here. GM is one of eight automakers working with 15 utilities and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) at developing a "smart" plug-in vehicle charging system. Why did we start with GM? Because it's the first automaker whose press release we read that mentioned the other seven automakers. Points for sharing. For the record, the collaboration also includes BMW, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Ford. The utilities include DTE Energy, Duke Energy, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric. The idea is to develop a so-called "demand charging" system in which an integrated system lets the plug-ins and utilities communicate with each other so that vehicle charging is cut back at peak hours, when energy is most expensive, and ramped up when the rates drop. Such entities say there's a sense of urgency to develop such a system because the number of plug-in vehicles on US roads totals more than 225,000 today and is climbing steadily. There's a lot of technology involved, obviously, but the goal is to have an open platform that's compatible with virtually any automaker's plug-in vehicle. No timeframe was disclosed for when such a system could go live but you can find a press release from EPRI below. EPRI, Utilities, Auto Manufacturers to Create an Open Grid Integration Platform for Plug-in Electric Vehicles PALO ALTO, Calif. (July 29, 2014) – The Electric Power Research Institute, 8 automakers and 15 utilities are working to develop and demonstrate an open platform that would integrate plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) with smart grid technologies enabling utilities to support PEV charging regardless of location. The platform will allow manufacturers to offer a customer-friendly interface through which PEV drivers can more easily participate in utility PEV programs, such as rates for off-peak or nighttime charging. The portal for the system would be a utility's communications system and an electric vehicle's telematics system. As the electric grid evolves with smarter functionality, electric vehicles can serve as a distributed energy resource to support grid reliability, stability and efficiency. With more than 225,000 plug-in vehicles on U.S. roads -- and their numbers growing -- they are likely to play a significant role in electricity demand side management.

BMW i8 Spyder production could still be years away

BMW will still build a convertible version of the i8, but production of the droptop hybrid sports car won't happen for at least a couple more years. That's according to an anonymous BMW insider speaking to Motoring. "There will be no new i models in 2016. Not even the convertible," the insider told the Australian publication. While the i8 Spyder might not arrive for a while, the company still sees a place for it in the model range. "The i8 is selling well enough now, so the lineup doesn't strictly need it," another unnamed BMW insider told Motoring. "We are doing it, we are just doing it slowly because it's not all we are doing." The automaker sold 2,265 examples of the i8 in the US in 2015, which was up from 555 in 2014. BMW first imagined the convertible i8 with the Spyder concept way back in 2012, and a report in 2013 hinted that it was near production, which never happened. The company then sliced off the sports car's doors and roof for the orange I Vision Future (pictured above) at the recent 2016 Consumer Electronics Show. The concept's open design gave BMW an easy place to show off the AirTouch gesture control system at the tech event. These insider claims are a complete reversal from BMW CEO Harald Kruger's assertion in December that the company would soon unveil the production i8 Spyder. The boss didn't indicate the debut's exact timing, but it seemed a lot sooner than at least a year from now. We'll have to wait and see. Related Video:

All the crazy stuff we saw at McCall's Motorworks Revival

Every year, Gordon McCall puts on a lavish event packed with rare cars and planes (and the type of people that can afford rare cars and planes). And every year, more ridiculous stuff shows up. It's the good kind of machine overload. It's likely the only place in the world where you'll see a line of BMW 3.0s next to some Paganis next to a Porsche 911 by Singer Design next to a Ferrari salt racer next to a custom Olds Riviera next to the latest from Koenigsegg next to he coolest stuff Shelby ever made next to a hangar filled with McLarens, including a few P1 GTRs. And then all of that is surrounded by private jets, fighters, and planes that could have flown in directly from WWII. In a word, it's insane. Walk through the gallery above to get a taste for what was there this year for the event's 25th anniversary. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 McCall's Motorworks Revival View 29 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Motorsports Misc. Auto Shows BMW Ferrari McLaren Porsche Koenigsegg