One Owner Premium Pkg Sport Pkg Nav Backup Cam 20" Wheels Msrp $65,675.00 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

BMW i8 fully revealed ahead of Frankfurt debut

It may be early in the morning here in the US, but in Germany, the first day of the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is in full swing. BMW took advantage of the early start and showed off its long-awaited i8 plug-in hybrid sportscar, a two-plus-two, swan-wing-doored coupe, to the Frankfurt crowd.
We drove a BMW i8 prototype back in August, so many of the things we're reading today are clarifications on our initial suspicions or speculations. Underhood sits a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine. On its own, it churns out a respectable 231 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, which is then channeled to the rear wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission. An electric motor, meanwhile, sends 131 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through a two-speed automatic to the front wheels.
With all-wheel drive at its disposal, the total system power sits at 362 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, and allows the i8 to scamper to 62 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds. That excellent performance is offset by an estimated fuel economy figure of 94 miles per gallon, though, making this a fast and efficient vehicle. Charging is impressively fast on the i8, with a full charge coming from a 110-volt outlet in under four hours. A BMW Charging Station will trim the charge time down to 1.5 hours.

BMW's EV tech is being used to resurrect the Karma

Saying that luxury electric-vehicle manufacturer Fisker was beleaguered before its demise a few years back would be a gross understatement. But despite the cars self-immolating and Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticizing everything but the Karma's design, a Chinese auto parts manufacturer is resurrecting the brand under a different name: "Revero." That's according to a report from Wall Street Journal. Wanxiang Group is moving production to EV-hotbed California from Finland and will unveil its new ride either in July or August, but pricing hasn't been announced yet. The previous Karma sold for $100,000. Perhaps most interesting, though, is how it's going to address the reliability issues that plagued the company's predecessor. WSJ says that the automaker is licensing BMW's electric vehicle control and charging systems – a deal finalized last year. "There are huge, serious, major upgrades throughout the electronics systems, wiring, charging, battery," Karma's chief marketing officer Jim Taylor says. In terms of looks, though, it doesn't sound like you should expect anything to change in that department because the overhauls aren't going to be visible, according to Taylor. Wanxiang picked up Fisker's remains for $149 million a few years back. This deal is important, especially for BMW: If the German automaker's licensed tech can help Fisker outrun its smoky, checkered past, that's a high-profile win for everyone involved. Related Video: This article by Timothy J. Seppala originally ran on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life. News Source: Wall Street Journal Green BMW Fisker Electric Future Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan transportation gear karma revero

Recharge Wrap-up: EVSR returns to Mt. Washington, China Mulls $16 Billion For EV Charging

Foxconn and electric carmaker BAIC are partnering to provide an electric car rental service in China. Slated to kick off next month in Beijing, Hangzhou and Jiangsu province, the company, called Henyu, will offer the EV rentals by the hour. Henyu hopes to offer 5,000, to 10,000 electric rental cars within a year, and wants to become the largest EV rental group in China. The company will also deploy BAIC's E150EV to ten cities for rental outside of Beijing. Read more at Want China Times. Hoping to convince more people to make the switch to electric cars, China is considering investing $16 billion to install charging facilities. Anonymous sources have said that an announcement about the program will be made soon. China has already announced and implemented various measures, such as incentives and tax breaks, to encourage more people to drive emissions free and improve urban air quality. China aims to have 30 percent of its government vehicle purchases be EVs by 2016, with higher targets after that. There's more from Bloomberg. BMW is launching a campaign to highlight technology features from the i8 to be used in other BMW vehicles. Called BMW Innovations, the program will include television ads showing how the i8's full-color heads-up display, LED headlight technology and Surround View Camera System are making their way into cars such as the 3 Series, 5 Series and X3, respectively. BMW Innovations also includes digital and social media campaigns, as well as hands-on technology presentations at dealerships. See the new ads below, and learn more in the press release. EVSR is set to return to Mt. Washington for the Alternate Energy Summit. It is the team's first time back since EVSR set the electric vehicle record at the Climb to the Clouds hill climb earlier this year. EVSR will run the cars up the hill again, and it will hold a workshop about electric racing, called "Redefining Motorsports - A How-To Guide for Creating a Revolution in Speed." The Alternative Energy Summit takes place on September 13 and 14 as part of National Drive Electric Week, and is free to the public. Read more in the press release, below. BMW Debuts BMW Innovations Campaign Showcasing Key Technology Features. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 27, 2014... BMW of North America will introduce a new campaign, BMW Innovations, which will highlight how the range of BMW vehicles share several key technology features with the visionary BMW i8, a plug-in hybrid high-performance vehicle.