2012 - Bmw X5 on 2040-cars

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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

BMW i5 could be a new kind of i PHEV

Just this month BMW North America CEO Ludwig Willisch made a point of saying "Not any time soon" to AutoblogGreen's question about the arrival of a BMW i5 - and that came after he clarified, in case we didn't know it, that no such model exists. But the rumors of its eventual appearance were swelled again by a report in Autobild that sticks more details and numbers on what could be the next offering in for the i brand. In February, Car magazine laid the i5 out as having a 245-horsepower four-cylinder engine in front, assisted by a 204-hp e-motor in the bow and a 90-hp e-motor in the stern, for about 544 total horsepower. Autobild claims the gas engine will have 218 hp, the front e-motor will have 150 hp and the rear will have 272 hp, for roughly 640 total horsepower. Where the two reports agree is that it - maybe called i5, maybe i7 - will be based on the China-market long-wheelbase 5 Series platform, it will incorporate cues from both the 7 Series and 6 Series Gran Coupe, and it will not be cheap: 100,000 euros ($105,686 US) is the estimate. The i8 starts at 130,000 euros in Germany. Weight for the i5 is figured to be around 3,300 pounds. Green Car Reports says what's important about the i5's drivetrain is that it's being maximized for electric running. Its evolution of the company's eDrive mechanicals will crank the ICE over only above 36 miles per hour, and even then, only in cases of "maximum power demand." Electric-only driving would offer a range of 78 miles, company officials suggesting that it could remain in that mode for "fully two-thirds of its usage cycle." Whenever a vehicle like this arrives, that is, which Autobild says could be in 2019.

BMW i3 gets official worldwide

Even though we recently drove a near-production version of the BMW i3, the car still wore light exterior and interior camouflage. Today, BMW took off that little bit of camo and made a big announcement: The i3 will go on sale in the US for $41,350 in the second quarter of 2014. That does not include any state or federal incentives that could lower the price or the $925 destination fee. The i3 will debut with three trim levels, which BMW is referring to as Worlds: Mega (standard in the US), Giga and Tera.
The BMW i3 is chock-full of new technology afforded by its design as an EV from the start of development, which has resulted in a vehicle layout unique to the i3. BMW has named it LifeDrive architecture, and it features the Life Module and the Drive Module. The Life Module is the i3's pillar-less passenger cell, which is the first mass-produced monocoque made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The tougher-than-steel material is also 30-percent lighter than aluminum, which contributes to the i3's relatively light weight of 2,700 pounds (preliminary US figure) and, in turn, increases its energy efficiency. Expect more of this technology to find its way into future BMWs.
The Drive Module, a 100-percent aluminum chassis mounted under the Life Module, houses everything that makes the i3 go. It includes the 22-kilowatt, 450-pound lithium ion battery mounted as centrally as possible, and provides power to a rear-mounted electric motor that turns the rear wheels. With 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque from zero rpm, the single-gear i3 can accelerate from 0-30 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds and 0-60 mph in about 7.0 seconds, but it has a top speed of only 93 mph. BMW says the i3 has a real-world EV range of 80-100 miles, and the standard charger can fill the battery in three hours. Opt for the SAE DC Combo Fast Charger and 30 minutes is all it takes for a full charge; 20 minutes will bump the battery to 80 percent. For customers who have range anxiety, BMW gives them the option to install a 34-hp, 650cc two-cylinder generator as a range extender for the electric drive system.