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10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

Mini Countryman Boardwalk limited edition strolls into the 2021 lineup

Mini released several limited- and special-edition variants of the Hardtop for the 2021 model year, but it's not forgetting about the bigger Countryman. It announced a new version of the crossover named Boardwalk that stands out with an eye-catching shade of blue borrowed from its smaller sibling, among other visual tweaks. If the Boardwalk looks familiar, it's because the metallic Deep Laguna blue was inaugurated by the Convertible Sidewalk edition (pictured in the gallery) introduced for the 2020 model year and sold globally in limited numbers. It was added to the Countryman lineup by popular demand, according to the BMW-owned firm, and its leap from the Sidewalk to the Boardwalk was accompanied by black paint on the roof and on the door mirrors. Mini pointed out its stylists drew inspiration from a boardwalk's wooden planks to design the emblems they put on both fenders. Edition-specific logos also appear on the roof, on the sill plates, and on the dashboard. Globally, the edition can be paired with the Cooper and the Cooper S. Mini confirmed to Autoblog that the Boardwalk will be sold in the United States, but it hasn't revealed how many examples it will send here, or how much the model will cost. We've asked, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Updated for the 2021 model year, the Countryman won't remain Mini's only crossover for much longer. Executives announced plans to realign the model range during the 2020s by putting a bigger emphasis on crossovers. One of the two upcoming high-riding cars will be a Countryman-sized electric models, while the other will arrive as a bigger people-mover that will allegedly ride on BMW's modular CLAR platform. Related video:

BMW could add all-electric Mini, X3 SUV

BMW's Mini sub-brand will add a battery-electric variant as the company looks to meet stricter emissions mandates around the world, according to an interview Bloomberg News conducted with CEO Harald Krueger. BMW is also planning an all-electric version of its X3 SUV and may start greening up models as large as its 7 Series sedan, though that prospect is far cloudier. The all-electric Mini will be available to the public as soon as 2019, while the battery-electric X3 SUV will likely start sales the following year. BMW didn't offer specifics about how much those models would cost or far they will be able to travel on a full electric charge, with Krueger only saying single-charge ranges would be "competitive" with other all-electric models. BMW this summer upgraded the battery in its i3 electric vehicle and boosted its single-charge range by about 40 percent to 114 miles. As for demand for BMW's i sub-brand vehicles, US sales of the i3 through September fell 27 percent to almost 5,800 vehicles, while sales of the i8 plug-in hybrid are down 19 percent to about 1,100 units, BMW said on Monday. Meanwhile, word got out earlier this year that BMW may dedicate the Rocketman concept hatchback as Mini's entrant to the electric-vehicle sector. BMW actually used a Mini as its first electric testing vehicle. The Mini E was produced in 2009 and 2010 before giving way to the BMW ActiveE, which was actually a converted 1-Series vehicle. Eventually, BMW started producing the i3. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Rocketman Concept View 25 Photos News Source: Bloomberg News Green BMW MINI SUV Electric