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BMW i3 starts near $35,000; NA first deliveries January 2014

While in Germany at the first early pre-production drives of the hotly anticipated BMW i3, BMW people finally hinted at a price ballpark. Numbers being tossed around by pundits have actually been pretty close to what BMW is discussing internally - between $35,000 and just over $40,000. We have been assured now that the base price, should one choose to buy and not lease in the Euro zone, is just over 35,000 euro, with some big taxes included in that price. In the US, the starting price for the fully EV plug-in version should be $34,500 or right thereabouts. In addition to new pricing, we've also gotten our best-yet look at the i3, with the freshly uncovered spy shots you see here.
European deliveries begin in November of this year for the fully electric version of the rear-wheel-drive i3 with 168-horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The e-motor mounted over the rear axle is supplied with energy by the 22-kWh lithium-ion battery pallet under the passenger compartment. Recharging happens in any of three ways: public or personal garage plug-in charge station (garage version not included in the price), the onboard system's Pro Eco mode that adds resistance to the drivetrain in a type of rolling brake energy recuperation, or through the normal brake energy and off-throttle coasting regeneration more common to EVs. Range on a full charge of this drivetrain is said to be upwards of 100 miles under hyper-miling conditions.
Perhaps the best bit of news is that the alternative, range-extending, two-cylinder 600cc engine supplied by BMW Motorrad for the hybrid version of the i3 - mounted in the rear together with the e-motor - will add only 2,000 euros in Europe and about $2,000 in the US. This is a range-doubling solution that could have brought a much higher price gouge, so thank you, BMW. The hybrid e-drive i3 version arrives a couple months after the full-EV launch version. Remember that, unlike the very similar system for the Chevrolet Volt, the system in the i3 supplies no mechanical torque to the driven axle and is only used as a generator (a system BMW first used last year in the 1 Series-based Active ). The US is seen as the clear number one market for the i3.

Recharge Wrap-up: Range-extended EV taxis in London, 2016 Chevy Volt interior two years old

The first Metrocab range-extended EV taxis are operating on the streets of London. The cabs use a 12.2-kWh battery and two 50-kW motors, as well as a 1.0-liter gasoline range extender. Fuel economy is 98 MPGe on the ECE101 cycle, and total driving range is over 348 miles before needing to charge or refuel. Cabbies can expect to save GBP20 to GBP40 (about $30 to $60) per day on average. "The cash savings on fuel are significant, the ride and comfort outstanding, and my first customers are thrilled with the new cab," says the first operator of the new EV taxi, Preston Morris. "With its air suspension providing unrivaled comfort, panoramic glass roof for views of the city and silent powertrain, what's not to like?" Read more in the press release below. Chevrolet has had the interior design of the 2016 Volt finished for two years already, according to GM interior designer John McDougall. Beginning around 2010, GM received sketches from designers worldwide before narrowing it down to a handful of designs. Then the top three choices were molded from clay. The chosen theme was then refined for up to 18 months. "Every little thing you can imagine goes into that," says McDougall. "The glare angle from the windows, the placement of the controls, the placement of the seat. You have to create something that's beautiful and functional." Read more at GM Authority and at Inside EVs. More details have emerged about the Second Life Batteries Alliance. Vattenfall has announced a research project in partnership with BMW and Bosch to use retired EV batteries for stationary, grid-connected energy storage in Hamburg, Germany. Over 100 lithium-ion batteries from BMW i3 and ActiveE vehicles will make up a two-mWh storage unit for grid balancing, enough to power 30 four-person households for a week. The system is "compact enough to fit in a small building," says Bosch. Such storage systems are especially fit for storing and moving alternative forms of energy, which often fluctuate in supply more than electricity from a traditional power plant. Vattenhall will operate the storage unit for 10 years, with Bosch managing the batteries, during which time the three partners hope to learn more about battery applications and their performance over time. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release below.

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe gets Bang & Olufsen Individual edition [w/video]

Not content with a bit part on the options sheet, high-end sound gets a starring role on the BMW Individual 6 Series Gran Coupe Bang & Olufsen Edition. There's no technical difference between the 1,200-watt, 16-speaker High End Surround Sound System in this run of 6 Series Gran Coupes and the $3,700 system you can order as an option on the standard Gran Coupe, but the special edition gets brushed black aluminum finish speaker grilles, a first for the range.
The packages and colors are what set these apart, exteriors available in either Brilliant White Metallic or Dark Graphite II Metallic, interiors possible in either black or Opal White and black. You'll also get upgrades like the Cold Weather, M Sport Edition Packages on the non-M car, the Competition Package and Executive Package on the M, plus piano black wood trim, special floor mats and lots of B&O badging.
This isn't just a special edition, it's a limited edition, with BMW saying only 100 will be produced. Prices start at $116,240 for the 650i B&O Edition and top out at $152,423 for the M6 B&O Edition. There's a press release below with more details, and we've included a video on the stereo itself to help understand why it might deserve a car named after it.