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BMW may show off autonomous concept at 100th anniversary

BMW celebrates its 100th birthday in 2016, and the brand might mark the occasion by showing a concept with a nearly production-ready autonomous system, according to Autocar. Company sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson hinted that the automaker could be close to introducing the next-gen tech. "We've reached the 'feet off' phase of autonomy, and now we're in the 'hands off' and 'eyes off' phase, but only for brief periods," Robertson told Autocar. He thinks fully autonomous driving could be possible in 15 years because the company needs to work out how to make it safe. In addition to talking about autonomous tech, Robertson said the company's March 7th centenary would focus the future. "There will be some products we will share," he told Autocar. "Maybe what I've been alluding to will be the direction of that." BMW has tested autonomous technology for years and already impressively showed an M235i that could drift by itself. An i3 (pictured above) was even able to park without driver assistance in a multi-story garage at CES last year. Recent rumors about Google's piloted ridesharing service suggest this could be the perfect time for the German automaker to take the next step. BMW's bigger challenge could be determining how much autonomous ability to give drivers. Tesla might soon reduce features from its Autopilot system because a few owners aren't responsible enough to use the tech safely. California also proposed regulations that could limit the capabilities of driverless vehicles. Related Video:

Daimler, BMW partnering up on wireless charging

Plug-in vehicle advocates can get all warm and fuzzy about two Germany heavyweight automakers getting together for the sake of wireless charging. That's because Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and BMW will work together to speed up development of a wireless charging system. While not a ton of details were divulged, we can still rejoice. Daimler says the system will consist of an on-board coil and another coil that can be placed within the garage floor or someplace similarly stationary. The system will charge at 3.6 kilowatts and with 90 percent efficiency. No details were released about the system's price or when it would be available, but Daimler shouldn't wait too long, since other OEMs are already talking about their own wireless charging systems. Daimler obviously has some skin in the game here, since Mercedes-Benz will start sales of its S500 plug-in hybrid in September. That model, which was first shown off last August at the Frankfurt Auto Show, can go as far as 20 miles on electric power alone and will get fuel economy of about 84 miles per gallon equivalent. And it's easy to imagine an i3 or i8 driver getting a kick out of never needing to touch a cord. This spring, reports sprung up that fellow German automaker Volkswagen was preparing a wireless charging option for its electric vehicles as soon as 2017. You can check out Daimler's press release below. Wireless charging of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles: PLUG IN HYBRID - unplugged One of the next steps on the way to perfect electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles is wireless charging. Daimler and BMW have now agreed on jointly developing and implementing one common technology. Wireless charging of the battery will make the handling of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles even easier. Mercedes-Benz will commence fleet testing of this "unplugged" technology with the S 500 Plug in HYBRID soon, in order to develop a real S-Class solution in recharging the high voltage battery in terms of comfort and ease of operating in the near future. The system consists of two components: a secondary coil integrated into the under tray of the car and a primary coil integrated into a floor plate that can be placed on a garage floor for instance. Electrical energy is transmitted contact-free without the need for a cable, at a power rate of 3.6 kW and with a degree of efficiency of 90%.

BMW discussing new plant with Mexican authorities

Drawn in by low wages and manufacturing costs, BMW could be the next automaker to set up a manufacturing facility in Mexico. Automotive News is reporting that the German automaker has had discussions with local Mexican governments regarding a possible assembly plant, but there is no word as to when a decision may come down. Last we heard, BMW was reportedly looking to build the 3 Series in Mexico.
A key determining factor for this new plant is a free-trade agreement between the US and Europe, which according to the article, would give BMW better "flexibility and cost structure" to open another plant in North America. In terms of luxury automakers, Audi is currently building a new plant in Mexico and Mercedes-Benz is considering opening one in conjunction with Nissan for the CLA-Class, and in the bigger picture, Honda and Mazda are also preparing to kick off vehicle production in Mexico.