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Recharge Wrap-up: Hyundai and Kia rethinking diesel for US, BMW i partners with Soho House

Hyundai and Kia are once again considering bringing diesel vehicles to the US. "It's something that's a strong consideration for us at this point," says John Juriga of Hyundai/Kia America. Diesel would help the group meet future fuel economy standards. While the obstacles that previously kept the brands from bringing diesel to the US in the past still exist, Juriga says they see a "more direct path" to making diesel work for them. Hyundai and Kia are also considering introducing cylinder deactivation, plug-in hybrids and 9- and 10-speed transmissions to reach fuel economy targets. Read more at Wards Auto. BMW's i division is teaming up with Soho House as its official automotive partner. BMW will provide i3 EVs for the private club's members and guests to use. The two groups will also host events together focused on art, design and innovation, beginning with an art talk called, "The Naked Truth? Nudity, fashion, and the photographic image today." According to BMW's Steven Althaus, the two brands are a great match. "BMW i and Soho House share a common mindset: both brands strive for innovation, creativity as well as a special sense for aesthetic setting new design standards," Althaus says, "What I look forward to most about our partnership is our determination to create memorable and sophisticated experiences together." Read more in the press release below. Foodlogica aims to reduce the environmental impact of food transport in Amsterdam using solar powered electric trikes. The trikes deliver food to local businesses and restaurants, a job usually done by air-polluting diesel trucks. The electric trikes feature cargo boxes that can hold 47 cubic feet or about 660 pounds of food. The trikes are stored in a shipping container fitted with solar panels, which charges them when they're not in use. By delivering food using solar and human power, Foodlogica is helping taking pollution and traffic congestion out of the "last mile" of food transport in Amsterdam. Get hungry and read more at Treehugger. An organization called Ten9 wants to get 1 billion people using sustainable transportation by 2025. Ten9 is a coalition of organizations that are trying to get transportation to that "tipping point" through technology, policy and good ideas. Ten9 wants to get Tesla CEO Elon Musk on board, as well as other business and technology leaders and world leaders.

BMW iNext coming in 2021 with lots of new tech

BMW has been showing off fanciful visions of the future with concept cars like the appropriately named BMW Vision Next 100 Concept. But the company is also a full-time player in the plugged-in vehicle sales effort, and on that front we learned a little bit more about the next (we think) BMW i vehicle, the i NEXT, which is coming in 2021. Speaking today at BMW's 96th Annual General Meeting in Germany, the Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Harald Kruger, said that the i NEXT will be, "our new innovation driver, with autonomous driving, digital connectivity, intelligent lightweight design, a totally new interior and ultimately bringing the next generation of electro-mobility to the road." Kruger first talked about the i NEXT a few months ago. Okay, granted, that's not a lot of detail, and we would expect a vehicle not due for another five years to have a "totally new interior." But at least it's a little glimpse into the new ways that BMW wants to sell us plug-in vehicles. It's going to update the current line-up with the i3 getting a 50-percent electric range boost and the BMW i8 Roadster in 2018. Kruger said that, when it comes to electric cars, its about more than specs and details: The discussion about e-mobility is an emotional one, but the decisive factor is that we move things forward. I am certain that government measures will prove effective. It is always better to make a decision than to wait – and the purchase incentive will directly benefit customers. There was never any doubt that we would participate. Such a participation by the industry is unique worldwide. After all, the only way to make progress is by manufacturers, customers, lawmakers and society all working together. Related Video: Featured Gallery BMW Vision Next 100 Concept News Source: BMW Green BMW Technology Emerging Technologies Electric Future Vehicles bmw vision bmw inext bmw vision next 100 concept

BMW X4 hatches its fastback shape in Shanghai

The day has finally come for BMW to pull the covers off its X4 Concept at the Shanghai Motor Show. The machine brings few surprises - we've already seen an official image gallery from the German automaker, so its exterior shape was well known - but at least now we get to see it with our own eyes, and with the lenses of our very own cameras.
You can clearly see the fastback roofline in our high-res image gallery above, along with the jacked-up stance that allows BMW to call this machine a Sports Activity Vehicle, which basically means "Crossover" to our friends in Munich. We've seen similar vehicle shapes before, most notably in the form of the BMW X6, but also as far back as the 1980s from the likes of AMC.
We fully expect the transition from concept to production to be pretty seamless, so what we see here is, for the most part, what we'll see on the showroom floor in 2014. Feel free to peruse the press release below, but first, be sure to browse through our live images from Shanghai and let us know what you think.