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Jeep Grand Cherokee, BMW i8, Ford F-150 win 2015 Green Car Awards in DC [w/video]

There were three shiny trophies handed out at the Washington Auto Show last week by Green Car Journal, and they went to three different examples of what "green" means in the automotive industry today. The Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel won the award for the 2015 Green SUV of the Year, the BMW i8 was named the 2015 Luxury Green Car of the Year and the Ford F-150 took the 2015 Green Car Technology Award honor. There is a case to be made that the aluminum body of the new Ford truck will make a bigger impact in the overall fuel usage in the US than almost any other vehicle, given the numbers of F-150s that Ford sells each year. The B20 biodiesel-capable Jeep gets up to 30 miles per gallon on the highway. And the i8 puts all sorts of new, fuel-saving technologies into an attractive package. Looking over the winners, and the list of finalists you can see in our photo gallery, and you can see that the definition of green is expanding every year. You can watch Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan hand out the 2015 awards in the video below and we'll for sure be paying attention to what wins next year. 2015 Luxury Green Car of the Year, Green SUV of the Year and Green Car Technology Winners Announced WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal has named the Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel its 2015 Green SUV of the Year™ and the BMW i8 its 2015 Luxury Green Car of the Year™, with the aluminum-bodied Ford F-150 earning the magazine's 2015 Green Car Technology Award™. Winners were determined by a jury of Green Car Journal editors and automotive experts. The prestigious awards were announced in Washington, D.C. today at a Green Car Awards™ press conference held during the Washington Auto Show's Public Policy Day at the Washington Convention Center. "These are truly commendable vehicles representing the 'best-of-the-best' in so many ways," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "The auto industry's very early focus on small cars and efficiency-for-environment tradeoffs has evolved to now include a more dynamic field of 'greener' models in all vehicle classes. Those wanting greater efficiency or better environmental performance are no longer constrained by limited choices or vehicle types that fall outside their top purchase preferences.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i app for Apple Watch, Tesla certified pre-owned web page

BMW has introduced ConnectedDrive and BMW i remote apps for the Apple Watch. The apps can show users battery and charging status, give service alerts, and control certain vehicle functions from the wearer's wrist. It can tell the owner if the doors are locked, or if the sunroof or trunk is open. Users can activate the climate control remotely from their watch, or honk the horn to help find the car in a crowded parking lot. It can even guide the owner back to the car using the navigation system. Read more in BMW's press release below. Higher octane gasoline could provide better fuel economy. According to a panel at the SAE World Congress that included folks from Ford, General Motors, Chevron and an ethanol group, a higher-octane fuel could boost fuel economy by three to six percent and reduce CO2 emissions by two percent. While higher octane fuel is more expensive, building cars calibrated to higher octane ratings could help automakers raise fuel economy and meet CAFE standards. Cars not calibrated to the higher octane levels would likely not see any significant benefit in fuel economy. Read more from Automotive News. Tesla Motors has added a Certified Pre-Owned section to its website. Tesla didn't make any announcement before it quietly added the CPO page. The used Model S electric cars sold by Tesla include a warranty good for four years or 50,000 miles. Plus, the cars have been inspected by technicians at Tesla to make sure everything is in working order and up to company standards. Explore the page yourself, and read more at Teslarati. BMW ConnectedDrive and BMW i Remote app. World premiere: Apple Watch controls functions of BMW i models. Munich. BMW is pressing its claim to automotive brand leadership in the world of mobile vehicle connectivity through its BMW ConnectedDrive technology. As the BMW i Remote app confirms, nowhere else is the link-up of driver, car and outside world raised to such an advanced level. The app can already be used to remotely check and control functions of BMW i models. It is an application that customers will also be able to use from day one on the new Apple Watch, due for imminent release. Apple Watch uses the BMW i Remote app – which can be downloaded free from the Apple iTunes Store – to keep users updated on the car's current battery status, for example, and alert them when the high-voltage unit is fully charged.

BMW won't bring front-drive 2 Series tourers to US

BMW may have rolled out a new front-drive 2 Series in overseas markets, but according to the latest from Automotive News, it won't be bringing it to the United States anytime soon. The model line consists of the 2 Series Active Tourer – the company's first front-drive model – and its extended counterpart, the 2 Series Gran Tourer, which was introduced just last week at the Geneva Motor Show. Though available with all-wheel drive, their front-drive underpinnings make them a radical departure for the Bavarian automaker, which has made a name for itself on rear-drive architecture. The development is not unlike the path which Mercedes has pursued with models like the A-Class hatchback, B-Class minivan, CLA four-door coupe and GLA crossover. BMW evidently thinks, however, that even in its longer Gran Tourer form, the 2 Series hatchback is still too small for the US market, where minivans have grown far beyond their miniature dimensions. The 2 Series name will continue to be offered on the rear-drive coupe and convertible that were spun off of the 1 Series and which are unrelated to the front-drive hatchback and minivan. The X1, however, is slated to switch to the front-drive platform shared with the company's Mini brand.