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BMW recalling a grand total of three X3s over instrument panel defect

We've seen big recalls and we've seen small ones. Some involve millions of vehicles, and some - like the Infiniti Q50 recall on which we reported just the other day - involve just a couple dozen. But this has to be the smallest recall we've seen yet.
"Due to a production process error" in the BMW X3, states the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the notice below, "the team seam on the instrument panel was not manufactured correctly." Big friggin' whoop, you say? Well, NHTSA points out that it could hinder the deployment of the airbag and send fractures flying everywhere.
The problem was discovered in a select few examples of the 2013 BMW X3 - both xDrive 28i and 35i models - manufactured in the later part of February this year. And by "select few," we literally mean a few - as in three. Three examples are being recalled. If you happen to be one of those three owners, expect to hear from your local dealership.

BMW won't build M4 Gran Coupe

Over the last few years, it feels like BMW has looked at its lineup and decided to offer a vehicle in every possible segment that it can find, no matter how small. The company is finally showing some restraint, though, at least when it comes to the high performance M division. For example, don't expect to see an M4 Gran Coupe at your local BMW dealer in the future.
M GmbH sales chief Jörg Bartels told Cars Guide in Australia, "It was definitely considered, but there is no plan to build an M4 Gran Coupe." The sport sedan just wouldn't make financial sense, he said. BMW already builds the M3 and M4 at separate factories, adding a third for such a niche model would be too much. Plus, the M3 already fills out the segment.
If you wanted an M model with a bit more storage space in the back, Bartels dashed those dreams, as well. He said that there isn't an M3 Gran Turismo hatchback in the pipeline, either.

Recharge Wrap-up: New Mitsubishi Evo PHEV, Amsterdam buses go all electric by 2025

Mitsubishi hopes to launch a new vehicle badged as the Evo based on the Concept XR-PHEV II. Mitsubishi President and COO Tetsuro Aikawa tells Autocar the new vehicle will share characteristics with the outgoing Lancer Evolution loved by enthusiasts, but will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the body of a compact crossover. "In Japanese, when you pronounce 'Oh,' it means 'king,'" says Aikawa. "So we would like to launch this type of car, featuring EV and PHEV technology, which is the ultimate of its kind. 'EV' for electric vehicle, 'O' for king - Evo." The Mitsu boss also envisions the four-wheel-drive Evo to be "light and fast - something performance-oriented." Read more at Autocar, or at Hybrid Cars. Amsterdam aims to have all its buses running on electric power by 2025. Within two years, the city will have 40 electric buses in operation, and will phase out the rest of the diesel fleet in the following years. "This project means we are saying goodbye to symbolic behavior and pilot projects," says transport alderman Abdeluheb Choho. "We have decided to just do it, not to experiment with five buses." Read more at Clean Technica. BMW and General Motors are both listed in the top five US organizations generating and using green energy onsite. In an EPA list, BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina manufacturing facility is number four, with credit going to its use of landfill gas. In 2013, 69,383,477 kWh - or 37 percent of its total usage - came from green energy. GM's Fort Wayne Assembly was number five, with 43 percent of its power coming from methane from a nearby landfill. Volkwsagen also made the Top 30 list, at number 15, for its Chattanooga assembly plant's use of solar power. See the EPA's full list, and read more at Green Car Congress. Volkswagen will release its 2014 sustainability report on Twitter on Monday, May 4. It will be the first step in using the social medium to distribute information on economic, environmental and social sustainability to a larger audience. The report will include a section called "Electrifying China with a tailor-made efficiency strategy," which focuses on reducing CO2 emissions through the use of electric vehicles. Volkswagen has already begun releasing highlights from its report on its Twitter account with the hashtag #VWCSR. Read more in the press release below and, of course, on Twitter next week.