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BMW i3 officially gets EPA-rated 81-mile range, delivered to first US customer

It's official. The first U.S. BMW i3 customer is now happily zipping along somewhere in his new car. Or possibly staring lovingly at it in his garage – we're not sure which. That man, Tufts University professor and electric vehicle aficionado Charles Rabie, was handed the keys at the BMW of Boston dealership earlier today, thus beginning a flood of upcoming deliveries from the pool of hundreds currently awaiting for their owners at the Port Jersey Vehicle Distribution Center in Jersey City, NJ. And now, when Mr. Rabie sets off in his spiffy electric Bimmer, he'll know exactly how far the EPA thinks he can go on a full charge of its 22-kWh battery. Speaking with Dave Buchko from BMW Corporate Communications, we learned the government agency has given the i3 an official range rating of 81 miles. Efficiency-wise, that breaks down to 138 MPGe city, 111 hwy, and 124 combined for the city car. Of course, we don't expect the good professor to experience any difficulties dealing with the sub-100 mile range. As a former BMW ActiveE driver, he's had plenty of opportunity to become accustomed to the foibles (and advantages) of piloting a battery-powered vehicle. You can read our First Drive impression of the BMW i3 here. Scroll down for the official press release. BMW Delivers First All-Electric i3 in the U.S. Tufts University professor of practice Charles Rabie to receive the first U.S. BMW i3. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – May 2, 2014... Today, BMW delivered the first all-electric BMW i3 in the U.S. to Boston resident and Tufts University professor of practice Charles Rabie at the BMW of Boston dealership. Hundreds of BMW i3 vehicles are currently at U.S. facilities and ready to be delivered to customers nationwide, ushering in a new era of electromobility. Rabie is an electric vehicle advocate and has been driving the BMW ActiveE since 2012. Also among this first group set to receive a BMW i3 is Los Angeles-based former E! Entertainment leading correspondent Ashlan Gorse Cousteau, married to renowned documentary filmmaker and environmentalist Philippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau. "Today marks a big day at BMW of North America - What started out as a dream for an innovative sustainable vehicle under the BMW i brand can now be found on streets across the U.S.," said Ludwig Willisch, President & CEO, BMW of North America. The BMW i3 is the first of the BMW i vehicles constructed from the ground up primarily of carbon fiber to enter the U.S. market.

BMW discussing new plant with Mexican authorities

Drawn in by low wages and manufacturing costs, BMW could be the next automaker to set up a manufacturing facility in Mexico. Automotive News is reporting that the German automaker has had discussions with local Mexican governments regarding a possible assembly plant, but there is no word as to when a decision may come down. Last we heard, BMW was reportedly looking to build the 3 Series in Mexico.
A key determining factor for this new plant is a free-trade agreement between the US and Europe, which according to the article, would give BMW better "flexibility and cost structure" to open another plant in North America. In terms of luxury automakers, Audi is currently building a new plant in Mexico and Mercedes-Benz is considering opening one in conjunction with Nissan for the CLA-Class, and in the bigger picture, Honda and Mazda are also preparing to kick off vehicle production in Mexico.

BMW X4 Concept is no Shanghai surprise

"One in four new BMW cars is now a BMW SAV." If you're new to BMW parlance, SAV stands for Sports Activity Vehicle, a vehicle type most of us more commonly refer to as a crossover, and that statistic, which comes straight from the automaker itself, tells you all you need to know about why the X4 Concept you see above exists.
Like its larger X6 sibling, the BMW X4 Concept tries to shove a crossover in a mold shaped vaguely like a fastback coupe. Put another way, the X4 is likely to be a polarizing design, though perhaps not to the extent that the X6 divided opinions. As for us, we definitely prefer the styling of this X4 Concept, with its strong character lines and impressive wheel-to-bodyside ratio, over that of its bigger brother. That said, we're sure the AMC Eagle comparisons will begin in earnest starting right about... now.
Dimensionally, it seems the most obvious machine with which to compare this X4 Concept is the 3 Series Wagon - we're not sure if it will be as spacious inside as the 3 Series Gran Turismo. A two-inch stretch in the wheelbase ought to bring a commensurate improvement in legroom, and a body that's nearly five inches longer should be a boon for cargo capacity. Of course, that fastback roofline will surely cut down on the car's roominess inside, but we'll have to wait for the final production model to judge its true capabilities.