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BMW just the latest automaker to realize China will want a lot of EVs

News about China and cars isn't in short supply these days. With several of the world's largest cities, millions of cars on the road and huge problems with air pollution, it's no wonder that the nation is trying to make some changes. Along with decommissioning many of its aging vehicles, China is also expected to see huge growth in its electric vehicle market. BMW, as other automakers already have done, sees this as an opportunity to sell more cars. "We expect that the Chinese car market for electromobility will become the largest markets for those cars in a few years," says Karsten Engel, BMW's China head. BMW is collaborating with Shanghai's State Grid municipal power company to put public EV charging points at the former World Expo site, and the city plans to create 45 more by the end of the year. These will charge many different vehicles made by BMW and other brands. Tesla, which began delivering its Model S to China last month, plans to build its own supercharger network for the country. BMW plans to begin selling the battery-powered i3 and i8 plug-in hybrid in China this fall. BMW hopes to sell more than 400,000 vehicles in China this year. Fewer than 1,000 of those will be the i3, though, says Engel, due to a lack of supply. So far, China is falling drastically behind its own targets to get EVs on the road. With a goal of 500,000 by 2015, fewer than 70,000 EVs are currently operating in China. This numbers gap doesn't necessarily mean that the demand is or isn't there yet, but more and more automakers are betting it will be, and soon. Volkswagen is planning a fleet of electrified models for China by 2018 (at least 15 models according to Bloomberg). Daimler is teaming up with China's BYD to build EVs (and, of course, Your Dreams). Other Chinese companies are getting into the game as well. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3: First Drive View 33 Photos Related Gallery 2015 BMW i8: First Drive View 62 Photos News Source: Bloomberg via Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green BMW Tesla Electric Shanghai charging station pollution exports

BMW i3 wait list grows to six months

This could make one real expensive decision a little easier to make. The latest official word is that BMW remains undecided if or when it will expand its sub-brand of i plug-in vehicles beyond the i3 and i8, but the i3 city EV has certainly struck a chord in Europe. Citing BMW executive Ian Robertson, Automotive News Europe reports that the German automaker is running a six-month wait list for the i3, which started sales in Europe in November. Bimmer has taken about 11,000 orders globally, and about 1,200 of those are from the US, where the car will debut in May. BMW executive Harald Krueger recently said that the German automaker will hold off on making plans to broaden the i sub-brand until more sales results come in. That said, BMW has trademarked all of the single-digit "i" names from i1 through i9, so should these EVs remain popular, BMW has room to grow. We won't be surprised if we do see more vehicles, since BMW North America chief Ludwig Willisch is already on record as saying the US demand for the i3 will likely exceed supply this year. For a taste of why, check out our first drive here. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3 View 107 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Green BMW Electric ev sales wait list

2014 BMW Z4 sDrive35is

The BMW Z3/Z4 roadster has never really had a widespread following because it has either been too humble and small a roadster (albeit with some fun and very low-volume M editions) or it has been - in this E89 generation - too casual an image leader with no racier aspirations. The current 480-hp Z4 GTEs don't count, since they are as stock a Z4 as today's Pamela Anderson is the same blonde actress we knew as Heidi on Home Improvement. You know, sort of like those ever-so-slightly modified Toyota Camry coupes competing in NASCAR.
The ultimate highpoint for the BMW Z roadster franchise was at the very start of its life in the mid-90s, in the James Bond film GoldenEye with Pierce Brosnan. The Stinger missiles that Q's team installed behind the Z3's headlights were never fired, and BMW never even offered this self-defense package as an option. Yet another case of the ol' bait and switch.
And in all these subsequent years of Z3s and Z4s strutting their long-hooded stuff, the little sporting Bimmer could really have used a live Stinger missile or two to spice things up. The current Z4 exists, it is pretty dang sexy, and BMW seems content to let it linger there. We just drove the new midlife version of the roadster near BMW headquarters in Munich, and it served to reinforce our feelings.