2014 Bmw 435 I on 2040-cars

Auto blog

BMW i Collection puts upscale treehugging in the palm of your hand

If BMW's new i sub-brand sounds more like it belongs to consumer electronics than it does to automobiles, that's probably no mistake. After all, electric vehicles bridge the gap between conventional automobile and electronic gadget - just ask our compatriots over at Engadget that report on them all the time. But to drive the point home even greener, BMW has, together with the new i3, launched a new collection of electronics accessories that make the Bavarian automaker as much a competitor with companies like Belkin or Griffin as it is with Audi or Mercedes-Benz.
The new BMW i Collection includes items like a solar charger for phones and MP3 players, a laptop bag made from felt-like recycled PET plastic and vegetable-tanned leather, and of course the requisite USB dongle. Other items include keyfobs, a shopping bag, notebook and ballpoint pen.
All the items, of course, are designed to extend the i3's upscale tree-hugging image to items you can hold and use while your EV is charging in the driveway. They go on sale starting next month with prices ranging from 15 euros ($20) for the pen or lanyard to 99 euros ($135) for the shopping bag. Details in the press release below and images of the whole collection in the gallery above.

2016 BMW 330e Plug-In Hybrid First Drive

Piecing together the i8 eco sports car taught BMW some valuable lessons, some of which you'll see in the next generation or two of the company's electrified mainstream cars. You won't have to wait that long for BMW to deliver on the key lesson, which can be seen right here in the 330e: make hybrids fun to drive and don't make people compromise on what they like. The 330e neatly sidesteps the traditional character-blanching entry ticket you get with hybrids by delivering almost as much torque as the 340i and a sprint time to 62 miles per hour of 6.1 seconds. For most people eco-conscious enough (especially in a time of cheap gas) to bother with plug-in hybrids, that's going to be quick enough. And so is the 140-mph top speed. It won't quite manage the precision of a normal 3 Series because it's 353 pounds heavier, but it's not far away. This 330e is (theoretically) capable of delivering 25 miles of electric-car range or ridiculous amount of range as a gasoline-electric hybrid. It will post a 44-gram CO2 emissions figure and officially deliver 1.9 liters/100km on the NEDC test cycle in Europe, which translates to 124 miles per gallon equivalent in the US, though it's unclear what the EPA-certified number would actually be. While punching in a straight line is always good, and sipping fuel like it's being rationed is nice, the key part to the 330e is that still handles like a 3 Series should every time you arrive at that one fun corner. It won't quite manage the precision of a normal 3 Series because it's 353 pounds heavier, but it's not far off. BMW has buried the 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack beneath the cargo floor, while the electric motor resides up front, so the weight distribution moves from 50:50 to 49:51, leaving it a touch heavier in the back. Effectively, it's a 3 Series with the 320i's 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline powertrain, the standard eight-speed automatic transmission, and an electric motor sandwiched in between to create a hybrid. The electric motor adds 87 hp to the gas engine's 181 horsepower to offer 248 hp of total power (yes, we know they don't directly add up, but that's the total output). While it has 74 pound-feet of continuous torque, the electric motor can overboost to 184 lb-ft when it needs to. Add that to the gas engine's 214 lb-ft and the car has a maximum of 310 lb-ft – 22 lb-ft shy of the 340i, without pumping out as many emissions.

Which of these five plug-ins should win the 2017 Green Car of the Year?

It's going to be a competitive race for the 2017 Green Car Of The Year. With a minivan in the running for the first time in ages, the five finalists announced by Green Car Journal today include five very different plug-in vehicles. As Ron Cogan, the editor and publisher of Green Car Journal, said in a statement, "electrification is now considered by most automakers an essential technology for current and future high-efficiency models." Let's check out the list: Toyota Prius Prime, the updated plug-in version of the world's best-selling hybrid. Chevy Bolt, GM's all-new entry into the long-range EV game. Chrysler Pacifica, a family hauler with the ability to go 30 miles on electric power. Kia Optima. The nomination is for the full line-up, but really the hybrid and plug-in hybrid models are the green stars here. BMW 330e iPerformance, one of the automaker's many new plug-in hybrids that bring battery power to models outside the i sub-brand. Green Car Journal will announce the winners at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 17th, along with some, "other green transportation announcements," whatever that means. Last year, the winner was the 2016 Chevy Volt, the first model to snatch up two wins. Which do you think should win this year? Related Video: News Source: Green Car JournalImage Credit: REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian Green LA Auto Show BMW Chevrolet Chrysler Kia Toyota Chevy Bolt chrysler pacifica green car of the year toyota prius prime bmw 330e