BMW 3 Series Electric to debut September, options cut to fund for EV R&D – reports

-

The all-electric BMW 3 Series sedan will reportedly be unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt motor show in September.

Sources have told Handelsblatt the 3 Series EV will make its debut in September, partially as a spoiler for the Tesla Model 3, which goes into production later this year.

It’s not clear when BMW’s electric sedan will go on sale, but an earlier report suggested electric versions of mainstream BMW models wouldn’t begin appearing in showrooms until 2019, although these models may now begin appearing earlier than that.


Above and below: BMW 330e plug-in hybrid.

In separate but related news, Nicolas Peter, BMW’s chief financial officer, confirmed to Reuters and others the Bavarian car maker will continue to spend heavily on electric vehicle development.

Aggressive CO2 targets from the EU, and EV and hybrid incentives in China are spurring BMW, as well as other manufacturers, to invest heavily in electrified drivetrains.

Over the next three years, the company plans on allocating between 5.5 and 6.0 per cent of its total revenue to its research and development budget.

To help offset the cost of developing and selling more electric vehicles, the company will streamline its options list, with Peter noting: “We have over 100 steering wheels on offer. Do we need that many variants?”

BMW will also pare back drivetrain options, with manual transmissions being dropped from the 2 Series coupe line in the US, and future models to feature fewer diesel variants.

MORE: 3 Series news, reviews, comparisons and video
MORE: Everything BMW

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JLR: Consumer confidence on the rise post-election

-
Jaguar Land Rover Australia believes consumer confidence has returned to the luxury car market following the recent Federal election, where the sitting LNP government was returned to power. Speaking to local media at this week’s launch of the new Range Rover Evoque, JLR Australia managing director Mark Cameron said the conservative coalition victory has already been felt in the company’s showrooms.
Read more

Teacher accused of using rented Toyota Supra for land-speed record attempt

-
Image
A high-school teacher in the US could be more than $6000 out of pocket if he is found to have violated the terms of use of a rented Toyota Supra driven to a top speed record. A US high school teacher is facing legal action – and $US4000 ($AU6000) in costs – after being accused of renting a turbocharged Toyota Supra performance coupe from a car-sharing service and used the vehicle in a racing competition without the owner’s knowledge. The high-school teacher from Indiana – and his team of female mechanic students – were on their way to compete in the 2023 U.S. Mile land-speed trials in Texas last month. The girls and their teacher had built a high-performance Chevrolet S10 pick-up for the ‘Texas Mile’ – a competition which sees vehicles try to achieve the highest possible speed from a standing start within one-mile (1.6km) on a runway. However, the 1997 Chevrolet S-10 ute suffered a mechanical failure on the way to the event. Due to the hard work put in to make the 1800km j...
Read more

Donald Trump’s Lamborghini Diablo sets new auction price record

-
Image
The 1997 Diablo VT Roadster – custom-ordered by the now-former US president – has smashed records after selling for more than a million dollars at auction. UPDATE, 1 February 2024: A 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster previously owned by former President Donald Trump has set a new record for the Italian supercar. Bidding pushed up the hammer price for President Trump’s Lamborghini to $US1.1 million ($AU1.67 million), far exceeding the average auction price paid for Diablo models at $US277,000 ($AU407,000). According to auctioneers Barrett-Jackson, bidding exceeded the $US1 million mark in just 90 seconds. According to Classic.com , the average value of the Lamborghini Diablo has risen almost 80 per cent in just three years. The original stories continues unchanged below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Barrett-Jackson (@barrett_jackson) 13 January 2024: A 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster reportedly on...
Read more

Honda confirms NSX successor in the works

-
Image
Honda boss has again confirmed the car maker is working on an electric sports car which may see the hallowed NSX badge return to showrooms. A successor to the Honda NSX supercar is coming, after Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe once again confirmed the car maker is working on a new halo electric sports car. Mibe told UK publication Autocar that work was ‘progressing’ with a ‘good analysis’ on an electric sports car being carried out by the Japanese brand’s research and development department. “We have not decided on mass production or timing but, personally, I would like to make it happen.” Honda – which began in September 1948 – has hinted that it would have a halo sports car in showrooms to celebrate its 75th anniversary year. Honda teased two electric sports car concepts in 2022 , seen as successors to the S2000 and the NSX, as it announced a $AU53.7 billion (five trillion Japanese yen) investment in electric technology. Honda also said it would introduce 30 electric cars by...
Read more

Most anticipated new cars of 2018

-
Image
2017 is almost over. It’s time for Christmas parties, sunshine and rose-tinted reflection on the year gone by. But here at CarAdvice , we aren’t taking our foot off the pedal just yet – instead, we’re taking the chance to look back at some of the most interesting, exciting and downright strange stories published this year. It’s also a chance to look at what at what’s coming next year. Here are the cars we’re most looking forward to in 2018. Holden Commodore There can be no bigger launch next year than this fundamental re-working of an icon. It’s from Europe, albeit tuned here. It’s front- or all-wheel drive. It’s a liftback rather than a sedan. There’s no V8 option. A diesel engine will be offered. There’ll be a jacked-up crossover wagon spinoff… The list goes on. Pricing will range from $33,990 to $55,990 before on-road costs, with the Mazda 6 and Kia Stinger shaping up as clear rivals, albeit for different reasons. The fact our pricing and specifications news story has clos...
Read more

2022 Nissan Qashqai and Pathfinder delayed, Juke and X-Trail production cut

-
Image
Nissan dealers are urging customers to get their orders in, so they can be at the front of the queue when delayed stock arrives next year. Nissan’s biggest model refresh in more than a decade is off to a stalled start after being struck by a fresh round of delays affecting the global automotive industry. The highly-anticipated, new-generation versions of the Nissan Qashqai small SUV and Nissan Pathfinder large family SUV were due in Australian showrooms at the start of 2022. However, a well-placed Nissan Australia insider says these two key models are now not due to arrive until closer to the middle of next year. The setback has prompted Nissan dealers to urge customers to order now so they can be at the front of the queue when the first shipments of the in-demand models begin to arrive in local showrooms. While the global semiconductor shortage has also impacted Toyota , Hyundai and Kia – among other automotive giants – Nissan also faces delays...
Read more

How many cupholders are too many? | Drive Flashback

-
Image
Drive pondered the vexing question of cupholders on 30 January, 2009 and along the way learned a few things about the humble little in-car convenience. Story by Tony Davis originally published in Drive on 30 January, 2009 What is it with cupholders? Indeed. To some they are the most moronic thing ever fitted to cars. To others – many of them Americans – cupholders are an essential and important part of the driving experience. Otherwise, like, where would you put your 1.3-litre Super Big Gulp soft drink? As with nuclear weapons, cupholders are here and are not going to be uninvented any time soon. Wikipedia claims the first was created by James Guillow in 1943. This may be the same James Guillow who was a titan of the balsa wood toy airplane industry but I can find no other reference. In more general terms – and perhaps more accurate terms – the cupholder emerged from the US tradition of the drive-in diner, which gave people the pleasure of being served in their ca...
Read more

2018 Ford Mustang pricing and specs

-
Updated versions of Australia’s top-selling sports car, the Ford Mustang, will be available in dealers from the middle of 2018. There are a number of substantial improvements for the MY18 Mustang. Its looks are being billed as more “athletic”, it comes in more bold colours, gets more in-car technology and active safety systems, and comes […]
Read more

Tesla cars to be banned from Chinese government buildings amid security fears — report

-
Image
Restrictions on where Tesla electric cars can be driven are reportedly increasing across China as concerns over the data the vehicles can collect grow. Tesla drivers in China are reportedly facing entry bans in government-affiliated buildings as security concerns with the US increase.  According to a report published by  Nikkei Asia , an increasing number of meeting halls and exhibition centres across the country are refusing entry to Tesla vehicles. The report states previous restrictions for the vehicles were generally limited just to military bases, but now a growing number of highway operators, local authority agencies, and cultural centres are reportedly enforcing them.  In an interview with  Nikkei Asia , a local claimed the Grand Halls conference centre in Shanghai has banned Tesla vehicles on its grounds completely, whether it be to park, or just passing through. “If you have a meeting there, the meeting organizer will actually give you noti...
Read more

Bear Grylls’ SAS Gulf War buggy for sale, with optional machine gun

-
Image
Here’s your chance to own Grylls’ SAS buggy equipped with a roof-mounted machine gun built for the Gulf War. Image credit: Classic Motor Hub An off-road buggy used by the British Army’s Special Air Service (SAS) and previously owned by celebrity adventurer and former SAS member Bear Grylls is up for sale, and includes a roof-mounted machine gun – with provisions to mount a rocket launcher and anti-tank missile systems, too. Offered by The Classic Motor Hub in Gloucestershire, UK, the 1990 Ricardo Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) is one of 20 built by the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) for use by the elite special forces unit in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. With an asking price of £35,000 ($AU66,400), the open-air LSV is shorter than a Volkswagen Golf hatchback at 4.08m but slightly wider at 2.11m and considerably taller at just over two metres. Classified by the MoD as a ‘Ground Mobile Weapon Platform’, it also includes a deactivated .50-calibre Browning machine gun on top of its ...
Read more