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E.U. executive conditionally approves Daimler, BMW car-sharing deal

BRUSSELS — The European Union's competition authority said on Wednesday it had approved the plan of German luxury carmakers Daimler and BMW to combine their car-sharing businesses, subject to conditions. Under the deal, which includes car-sharing units Car2Go and DriveNow as well as ride-hailing, parking and charging services, Daimler and BMW will each hold 50 percent stakes in a joint venture. They have offered concessions to address E.U. antitrust concerns over the deal they hope would let them better compete with U.S. rival Uber and China's Didi Chuxing. The European Commission has found the deal would raise competition concerns for free-floating car sharing services in Berlin, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Munich and Vienna. It said Daimler and BMW agreed to a remedy package in the six cities. "The commitments thus fully address the Commission's concerns as they will reduce the barriers to entry for competing free-floating car sharing providers," the Commission said in a statement. "Therefore the Commission concluded that the proposed transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns. The Commission's decision is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments." Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska and Philip Blenkinsop. Related Video:

2017 BMW i3 rumored to get more electric range

BMW will reportedly give the 2017 i3 a jolt of extra range that will increase the EV's max driving distance to around 120 miles. If true, that would be quite a boost from the current EPA-estimated 81 miles. An upgraded lithium-ion battery will make this improvement possible, according to Automotive News. Ian Robertson, BMW's boss for sales and marketing, told AN the upgrade to the i3 "puts it into a much more usable range." The company has more tweaks in store for the 2017 model but doesn't want to discuss details about them yet. Rumors late last year hinted that the extra range for the i3 would come thanks to a higher-density battery, improved electronics, and new software. The changes could push range to over 124 miles on the European testing cycle. BMW would also offer the improvements on the i3 REx range-extended model, and the company would even allegedly allow current owners to purchase the upgrades. The German automaker wants to offer these updates every three years to keep the EV fresh. If BMW can achieve 120 miles of range, then the electric i3's driving distance would come significantly closer to the current REx's EPA-estimated 150 miles. Of course, the range-extended model can always be topped up with a tank of gas to keep its wheels spinning further. The i3's rumored boost would also still put it short of the roughly 200 miles that Chevrolet promises from the Bolt when that model arrives late this year. In any case, it's an exciting time for proponents of electric cars. Related Video:

We'll finally see the BMW M2 in Detroit

Despite being unveiled in October, the world will finally get to meet the BMW M2 at the Detroit Auto Show. The entry-level M coupe brings 365 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque from the M TwinPower Turbo engine, as well as an active rear diff and lightweight components. We'll also get close-up looks at the intense exterior design, which seems to have opinion divided opinion concerning its front fascia. The X4 M40i will also storm Detroit, its inline-six M Performance TwinPower Turbo with 355 hp and 343 lb-ft is also making a world debut. This isn't a proper M version of the X4, but there's been heavy revision throughout the crossover-coupe, and it gets special 19-inch wheels to stand out. Elsewhere of note on the stand will be the 330e and 740e plug-in hybrids that we first met in Frankfurt, and the i8 with laser lighting. The press release below has more. BMW M2 AND BMW X4 M40i TO MAKE WORLD DEBUTS AT THE 2016 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW IN DETROITAdditional Featured BMW Vehicles include: BMW 330e, BMW X1, BMW 7 Series and BMW i8, among others.18.12.2015 - The BMW M2 and X4 M40i will make their world debuts at the 2016 North American International Auto Show on Monday, January 11, at the BMW Stand at 10:05 a.m. in Detroit's COBO Center (One Washington Boulevard Detroit, MI 48226). In addition, BMW will feature the new, BMW X1, BMW 7 Series, the plug-in hybrid BMW 330e, the high-performance BMW i8 and the all-electric BMW i3 among other BMW models at the BMW Stand. English, German and Spanish speaking BMW representatives will be available for interviews throughout the day.Making its highly anticipated world debut, the 2016 BMW M2 features the renowned BMW M Performance complimented by a sleek interior and exterior design. A newly developed M TwinPower Turbo technology 3-liter, 6-cylinder engine produces 365 bHP and 343 lb-ft of torque, catapulting the high performance vehicle from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds. Inspired by its motorsport history and enhanced by BMW EfficientDynamics technology, the BMW M2 sets the pace in its segment when it comes to agility, driving feeling, directional stability, steering precision and controllability at the limit, without any compromise in everyday use. The 2016 BMW M2 will be available in US showrooms in spring 2016. Pricing will be announced shortly. BMW M2 Press Kit.The BMW X4 M40i also will make its world debut in Detroit.