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Recharge Wrap-up: Jason Hughes builds 1,000-hp EV, BMW considers Thai battery factory

Tesla hacker Jason Hughes is building his own 1,000-horsepower electric vehicle. To propel the insane DIY EV, Hughes is using two Tesla performance drive units powered by two Chevrolet Volt battery packs and six Tesla battery modules. Controlling them with a custom control board, Hughes expects to be able to wring out 500 hp from each motor – one at the front and one in the rear. He also predicts a driving range of 120 to 150 miles between charges. It also appears that Hughes, also known as wk057, has set up a website dedicated to the project. Read more at Electrek, and watch Hughes' first test video above. BMW might build a battery factory in Thailand. According to Thai Industry Minister Atchaka Sibunruang, the German automaker is considering building the plant for about $57 million, with construction beginning in the middle of 2017. Thailand is discussing possible tax incentives for BMW, says Atchaka, with the hopes of making the country friendlier to plug-in hybrids. "Hybrid vehicles are still expensive now but once there is a factory established and batteries are available this will make it affordable for consumers." Read more from Automotive News Europe. Samsung is investing $449 million in BYD. Shanghai Samsung Semiconductor bought 52.3 million shares of BYD, which will use the funds to expand its battery production and for research and development of alternatively powered vehicles. Samsung is leveraging its recent investments in the auto industry to make up for slowdowns in other electronics hardware. Samsung says its investment in BYD will help grow its semiconductor business. The purchase by Samsung and other investors dilutes BYD Founder, Chairman, and CEO Wang Chuanfu's stake by almost two percent, down to 18.8 percent. Read more from Automotive News. Related Gallery BYD Electric Buses News Source: Electrek, YouTube: Jason Hughes, Automotive News Europe, Automotive News Earnings/Financials Green Plants/Manufacturing BMW Automakers Tesla Green Automakers Electric recharge wrapup

2016 BMW X1 takes a more mainstream approach [w/video]

I really like the outgoing X1, simply because it's still an 'old' BMW. I say 'old' because all of the 'new' BMWs don't really feel that great to me – they just aren't the driver's cars they used to be. But the X1 still uses the rear-wheel-drive 1 Series architecture, and I love the way it drives. As for this new X1, it looks to be a vastly improved product in many key areas, but I worry that it, too, will suffer from the same sort of dulling that every other BMW has received. So it goes. Nevertheless, the new X1 should appeal to a broader range of luxury crossover shoppers. It ditches the cool, tall wagon shape of the old model in favor of a more traditional CUV shape. Think small X5. There's far more technology inside and out, passengers will enjoy an increase in spaciousness, and the X1 is more efficient than before, as well. Only one engine will be available in the US – BMW's 2.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-four-cylinder with 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive is standard, as is an eight-speed automatic transmission. While I'm not sure if this X1 will be as entertaining to drive as the outgoing model, the new car's improvements will surely help sales. That's especially important as small, luxury CUVs are hotter than ever. See the new car for yourself, live from Frankfurt, in the gallery above. The All-New BMW X1: - Greatest interior roominess and versatility in its class - Highest power with reduced emissions - Commanding presence, robust proportions, dynamic lines - Innovative connectivity and groundbreaking BMW EfficientDynamics technology unparalleled in the segment Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – EMBARGO: June 2, 2015 – 6:00pm EDT/3:00pm PDT... Today, BMW announced the all-new BMW X1 Sports Activity Vehicle. In its second generation, the new MY 2016 BMW X1 builds on the success of its predecessor (61,974 sold in the US to date) by incorporating a roomier interior, greater efficiency and technology on the forefront of innovation. The second generation takes to the stage with a body design typical of a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle. The BMW X1 xDrive28i will be the exclusive model in the US at launch featuring a 2.0-liter TwinTurbo 4-cylinder engine from BMW's new family of modular engines with maximum output of 228 horsepower, making the all new BMW X1 the most powerful entry model in the segment. It will be mounted to an 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission.

BMW now wants to build 'ultimate machine driver'

The lines between the auto industry and Silicon Valley have been blurring for a while now. Google, for example, is hiring people from deep within the automotive world to spruce up its autonomous driving project. Apple is doing the same, and Tesla's sort of on both sides. More examples are easy to find. That's why it's no surprise, really, that there's a movement happening behind the scenes at BMW to reinvent the roundel. Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show this week, BMW board member Klaus Froehlich told Reuters that the Bavarian automaker is refocusing its sights on Silicon Valley. The goal, Froehlich said, is to have half of BMW's research and development staff to be computer programmers. Their mission: to build the AI that will maneuver upcoming self-driving BMWs. In other words, after 100 years of building what the company calls the ultimate driving machine, BMW is shifting over to the ultimate machine driver. We should've seen it coming with that autonomous driving video last year. Many automakers are working on autonomous cars these days, and this is all nothing new for BMW, but Froehlich's comments show an increased focus on cars that will drive you. "For me it is a core competence to have the most intelligent car," Froehlich said. "Our task is to preserve our business model without surrendering it to an Internet player." Some of the tasks that Froehlich sees for an expanded software team will be developing better cloud connection, so that a self-driving car can get messages from a central network. It means perhaps licensing BMW's plug-in powertrains to smaller companies that maybe can't build their own but have other strengths that BMW can access. By developing its own staff and working with partners – the same strategy automakers have used for years – BMW is trying to get ready for the autonomous future. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images Green BMW Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Electric Future Vehicles bmw i research and development klaus froehlich