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BMW ready to bring more i3, i8 plug-ins to US

BMW has found a receptive audience for its first batches of plug-in vehicles in the good 'ole USA. The German automaker, which started selling its first mass-produced i plug-ins in Europe late last year, will send a higher percentage of those vehicles to the US because of strong demand here, according to Automotive News, which talked with BMW executive Ian Robertson. And the Americans might cause Bimmer to speed up production, to boot. BMW makes the i3 electric vehicle and i8 plug-in hybrid in Germany, and has sold about 10,000 units of the former and 280 of the latter worldwide. Since August, BMW has been selling about 1,000 i3s a month in the US (it sold just 58 i8s in September). The bigger story, though, may be that Bimmer has sold out of its US allocation of i8s through the end of next year. Pretty heady stuff for a car that starts at around $137,000. Currently, BMW builds around 100 i-series vehicles a day in Germany, and may speed up production of the i8 for the aforementioned reason. As for the i3, which comes with an option of a gas-powered range extender, we'd reported earlier this year that the waitlist for that model had grown to about six months. Our i3 First Drive report is here if you'd like to know what all the fuss is about.

BMW denies collaborating on Apple Car

BMW and Apple already have a few possible partnerships coming in the future. For example, the Bavarian brand is likely using CarPlay at some point, and there may be an Apple Watch app for the i3 and i8 eventually, too. However, there is absolutely no plan for the German company to collaborate on the oft-rumored Apple car, the automaker says. The rumor of this shared development first cropped up in the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, according to Reuters. The report claimed that the Apple cars could be sold from Apple Stores but serviced at BMW dealers. "We are in regular talks with companies from the IT and telecommunications sector, including Apple, concerning topics like connected vehicles. Developing or building a car is not a topic of these discussions," said a BMW spokesperson responding to the allegations to Reuters. The Apple car has been a scorching hot topic as of late. The tech giant reportedly has assigned around 200 people to the project, including former employees from Tesla and A123 Systems. The EV model could be ready as soon as 2020, according to some stories. This latest collaboration rumor seems especially dubious when you consider BMW's investments to develop the i3 and i8, though. With more models possibly on the way, it doesn't seem to make much sense to take on a development partner so late in the game. Last year, there were similar stories about a deal between the automaker and Tesla, which were also dismissed.

BMW wants to expand DriveNow carsharing program to 25 new cities

Daimler's Car2go car-sharing service just announced that it will debut in Rome, its 26th global city. Now, BMW says it wants to expand its own carsharing program to, wait for it, 25 more cities. Coincidence? We think not. BMW is looking to bring its DriveNow carsharing program, with its Mini Coopers and 1 Series, to as many as 15 new cities in Europe as well as 10 in the US, Bloomberg News says, citing comments BMW executive Peter Schwarzenbauer made at the Geneva Motor Show last week. The service is now operational in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Dusseldorf and San Francisco and serves about a quarter-million people. Of course, it's that last city, where DriveNow started operations in August 2012, that's been somewhat problematic. San Francisco has tough guidelines when it comes to where the cars can be parked, with so few public parking areas to choose from. DriveNow charges $39 for membership in San Francisco, then $12 for the first half hour of driving and 32 cents for each additional minute. DriveNow competes directly against Car2go, which charges around $25 to become a member and then 41 cents a minute to rent a Smart ForTwo.