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BMW 3 Series set for mild facelift

The latest BMW 3 Series is pretty new, right? Well it's been on the market for the better part of three years now. And on a typical six-year production cycle, that means it's halfway through its life. It only makes sense, then, that BMW should be preparing a little mid-life facelift, and that's just what we appear to be looking at in these latest spy shots.
The changes will likely be minimal when the revised 3 Series debuts sometime in the middle of next year, with the visual changes to the exterior centering around a new front bumper. New lighting front and rear may also be part of the package, and you can also expect some updates to the interior while those Bavarian engineers are at it. Take a closer look in the gallery of high-res spy shots above for an idea of what to expect.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW tests AdBlue pumps, Drivr is a Tesla taxi service

BMW is testing AdBlue pumps in Germany. AdBlue fluid is used to remove NOx from diesel exhaust, and it is stored in its own tank within the vehicle. Filling AdBlue is easy enough for drivers to do it themselves, and with the proliferation of diesel vehicles in Europe, a pump filling system could make more sense than using the current hand-held containers. BMW is testing AdBlue pumps at three fueling stations in Munich and Berlin to help develop further AdBlue dispenser technology. Read more at Green Car Congress. Drivr Green Personal Transportation is a Tesla taxi service in Cincinnati. Two former employees of Tesla Motors founded the startup, which bills itself alongside ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Customers book a ride online, and are picked up by a Tesla Model S. The ride costs $2.50 per mile with a $15 minimum. Drivr currently operates three cars with seven drivers, with plans to lease another 10 Teslas and employ up to 30 drivers. The service will also be expanding to Denver soon, according to the website. Learn more at the Drivr website, or read more at Clean Technica. Ford is opening a research and development facility in Silicon Valley. The Ford Research & Innovation Center, which will be located less than three miles from Tesla Motors headquarters in Palo Alto, California, is expected to be one of the automotive industry's largest R&D facilities. "We're driving to be both a product and a mobility company, and ultimately to change the way the world moves," says Ford CEO Mark Fields. Read more at Automotive News. Law firms advising Fisker Automotive have been denied a $2.50-million fee enhancement in the car company's bankruptcy. Brown Rudnick LLP and Saul Ewing LLP were denied the extra fees, as a Delaware bankruptcy judge ruled there is "no evidence" that the firms provided anything more than what they originally expected. In denying the fee enhancement, the judge cited a "very high bar" for such awards. Read more at Law360. Featured Gallery BMW Tests AdBlue Pumps in Germany Related Gallery Tesla Factory News Source: Green Car Congress, BMW, Clean Technica, Drivr, Automotive News Green BMW Fisker Ford Tesla Transportation Alternatives Diesel Vehicles Electric recharge wrapup

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW integrates EV charging into streetlights, EV Fleet debuts electric pickup

BMW has unveiled prototypes of LED streetlights that also serve as EV charging stations. "Light and Charge is a simple and innovative solution to naturally integrate a reliable network of charging stations in the city," says BMW's Peter Schwarzenbauer. Connected to the ChargeNow network, they're simple to use, and would be readily available when tied to the lighting infrastructure. The two prototypes are currently in use at BMW World, with a pilot project planned for Munich in 2015. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the (translated) press release below. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is accusing retailers of price gouging E85 to discourage its use. An RFA study found that retailers in St. Louis were marking up E85 as much as a dollar, roughly twice as much as the markup on regular gasoline. "Sneaky E85 pricing strategies ultimately give oil refiners the opportunity to wrongly claim that consumers are 'rejecting' E85," Says RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen, "and it gives them an opportunity to claim they can't comply with Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirements above the so-called 'blend wall.'" Read more at Biofuels Digest. Charlotte-based EV Fleet has announced the Condor electric pickup (pictured). The vehicle-to-grid-ready Condor has a 1,000-pound payload capacity, and can travel over 100 miles on a single charge. The company plans to build 300 trucks a month when it revs up production next year, with sales targeted toward fleet managers. See the EV Fleet Condor in the video below, read more at Treehugger, or visit EV Fleet's website to learn more. Here's a bold claim. Mutual fund manager Ron Baron says that every home will have a Tesla vehicle in 25 years. The financial guru, well regarded for his predictive stock strategies, is confident about the long-term outlook for the electric carmaker. He feels that Tesla is far ahead of the electric car game compared to other automakers like BMW, whom he believes will end up switching focus from internal combustion to electric powertrains. Read more at ValueWalk. BMW Group presents innovative street lighting with integrated charging station for electric vehicles. Munich. As part of the Eurocities conference in Munich, discuss in from 5 to 8 November 2014 more than 500 representatives of major European cities on pioneering infrastructure projects, the BMW Group presents the prototype of a highly energy efficient street lighting that is both charging station for electric vehicles.