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BMW confirms limited i3 Electronaut Edition, says i5* is in development [UPDATE]

Jacob Harb, head of electric vehicle operations and strategy for BMW, is excited these days. He's got a lot to sort out as the company's first large-scale production electric vehicle, the i3. Extending Electronaut leases, arranging tens of thousands of EV test drives and making sure there will be enough of the little city cars in the US when customer deliveries will start in May. Oh, and he's already working on the next BMW EV, which we think is likely to be the i5. During the Detroit Auto Show this week, Harb declined to name the model (surprise) but he did tell AutoblogGreen, "You can probably take an educated guess at the next thought process, something a little bigger, maybe a little more range, relative to the i3. We've got everything trademarked and we're exploring the best, next iteration. It is coming. It's in development now." [See update below.] An i5 has been rumored for years, but Harb said he's flying to Munich next week to "start the discussions further" on BMW's next-gen EVs. The Electronaut Edition i3 is "a thank you to them for being part of this broad journey with us" - BMW's Jacob Harb But there's much more to do, given the upcoming i3 launch. For one thing, leases for the first participants in BMW's Active E electronaut program - which started in January 20121 - will end in the next week or so, and those who want to get an i3 – and an "overwhelming majority" have said they are interested - may get their leases extended so they don't have to revert back to a gas car in the meantime. BMW dealers will be able to start ordering the i3 in "the next few days" and the Active E Electronauts will get the first of those cars off the production line, "as a thank you to them for being part of this broad journey with us," Harb said. There will also be a special Electronaut Edition of the i3, that will be upgraded from the standard i3 at not cost. Harb wouldn't say what's different, just that the "options and features" will serve to identify the car from the outside. It will be "as unique and compelling as possible," he said, with details coming in the next few weeks. The i3 is already on sale in Europe, the company won't start making US-bound vehicles until March. Since there are no official i3 orders in the system yet, Harb didn't know exactly what the split will be between pure EV and the range extender version, but that his estimate is 50/50. He also wouldn't talk about production numbers, but did say that.

BMW Films are on the way back [w/videos]

The BMW Films series caused a stir in 2001 and 2002 by combining top-quality cinematography, Hollywood names and driving excitement to sell its sporty wares in a whole new way. By arriving five years before YouTube, they ranked as some of the earliest viral videos on the internet. By now, these sorts of films are almost commonplace, but back when BMW hit upon the idea, the idea of brand-integrated short films on the internet was still a novelty. Now, for the first time in over a decade, the German automaker is planning on bringing back BMW Films for a new season.
Trudy Hardy, BMW North America Vice President of Marketing, announced the series' return at the 2014 Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, according to Ad Age. However, neither the German brand nor Anonymous Content, the original production company, have been willing to comment further on when the new videos are coming.
The original series of eight films starred Clive Owen as the Driver (back then, Owen was largely unknown to American audiences), a mercenary who would take a variety of jobs and always drive a BMW. David Fincher executive produced the first season and directors included top names like John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee and Guy Ritchie. All of the second season movies had Owen driving a Z4, but in our estimation, the quality had fallen off a bit compared to the outstanding first season.

Recharge Wrap-up: EV charging at IKEA, Tesla Model M just rendering

Despite rumors, Tesla will not be producing a "Model M" electric motorcycle. After a rendering of a Tesla motorcycle concept by a designer named Jans Slapins began circulating online, some folks mistakenly thought it was something Tesla intends to build. Slapins, though, has no relationship with Tesla, nor has he claimed to. As cool as it could be, Tesla hasn't stated an interest in producing an electric two-wheeler, and, as Green Car Reports explains, Tesla's batteries don't lend themselves to the size and shape of a motorcycle the way, say, Zero's do. Read more at Green Car Reports. Piaggio and KTM are partnering to develop an affordable electric commuter vehicle. The EU is funding the project in the hopes that commuters would choose such a vehicle over polluting, traditionally powered vehicles for their daily drives. The initial plan is to create two four-wheeled tilting vehicles for demonstration purposes. The two manufacturers will also receive support from Bosch and several universities. Read more at Visor Down. Total has opened a hydrogen filling station in Munich, Germany with both standard compressed and BMW cryo-compressed hydrogen (CCH2) technology. CCH2 involves storing the fuel on board at low temperatures and just 350 bar pressure. It allows for up to 50 percent more storage than standard 700 bar systems (and, subsequently, a greater driving range). Having CCH2 hydrogen available at a public station allows BMW to further its fuel cell research and development with real-world testing. Read more at Green Car Congress. IKEA will install free EV charging stations at all of its Canadian stores. Each of the 12 stores will offer, initially, two 60-amp chargers available on a first-come-first-served basis. Sun Country Highway will install the chargers by the end of this summer (that's right, you don't have to assemble them yourself). IKEA sees itself as a prime location for EV charging as most of its stores are located near major highways. All of Canada's IKEA stores get their energy from renewable sources. "Electric vehicle charging stations are an important step on IKEA Canada's continuing journey towards sustainability," says IKEA's sustainability manager, Brendan Seale. Read more from Sun Country Highway. Related Gallery News Source: Green Car Reports, Visor Down, Green Car Congress, Sun Country Highway Green BMW Automakers Tesla Alternative Fuels Motorcycle Electric Hydrogen Cars recharge wrapup