[spademonkey]

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

The i9? What have I missed?

BMW has confirmed that they are going to build an i9 or maybe i8s that is more performance/super car style than the i8.

[///Mangler]

Originally Posted by Golden Arrow

Georgia resident here. What do you mean "basically free?"

Meaning if you make enough money and pay enough taxes you can get tax credits (direct tax reductions, not a deduction at your tax rate) the amount of the leaf.

Buy the leaf get the tax credit(s) that amount to the cost of the leaf.

Don't buy the leaf and pay the taxes.

T

[modkrazy]

I don't like the current transitional anime robot styling of many modern cars, including BMW, but this i8 styling I approve of. I hope the 2022 M3 still pairs a nice petrol motor to the electric one.

[georgere]

Originally Posted by Thumper333

Unless it has 500+ mile range, can recharge in less than 5 minutes, and recharge stations at every gas station.......guess I won't be in a 3 series after that.

These things are fun tech fads, but can never replace a real car. Sad.

100% agree. We have lots of tesla's in my area and it is painful to see these rich people baking in the sun in the summer charging their cars.

[TheBingoBalls]

I wouldn't be surprised. Environment regulations get stricter and stricter and you can only use so many turbos and downsize an engine so many times. the introduction of the BMW i has become extremely important to BMW. With CFRP starting to trickle down and BMW playing more with hybrid setups with the i Brand, I'm not worried about BMW one bit if the auto industry is forced down this road - they'll be more than ready for it when the time comes.

[Golden Arrow]

Originally Posted by ///Mangler

Meaning if you make enough money and pay enough taxes you can get tax credits (direct tax reductions, not a deduction at your tax rate) the amount of the leaf.

Buy the leaf get the tax credit(s) that amount to the cost of the leaf.

Don't buy the leaf and pay the taxes.

T

I wasn't aware the incentives were that high. I'll have to check it out!

[ORIGIN M.]

In most cases you are crazy to buy a Leaf, or any Electric car for that matter.

Most Leaf's are leased! Still are mad incentives.

Originally Posted by Golden Arrow

I wasn't aware the incentives were that high. I'll have to check it out!

[Rupes]

Is anyone really surprised?

[deadfresh]

Originally Posted by ///Mangler

Meaning if you make enough money and pay enough taxes you can get tax credits (direct tax reductions, not a deduction at your tax rate) the amount of the leaf.

Buy the leaf get the tax credit(s) that amount to the cost of the leaf.

Don't buy the leaf and pay the taxes.

T

This is true. I will be getting the full rebate in February which will almost cover the entire two year lease cost of the Leaf.

[ORIGIN M.]

Lease yes but not on a purchase

[DCG]

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

Future BMW 3-series to lead EV revolution.
Attachment 1140677
[I]BMW is getting ready to embark on a radical engineering and technology drive which could see all future models from the 3-series upwards, including the Rolls-Royce range, become all-wheel-drive range-extender electric cars.
Attachment 1140678

Awesome renderings! Now this what the i3 should have looked like from day one.

[DCG]

Originally Posted by spademonkey

I think this is a smart move, and technology from the i3, i8, and eventual i9 will trickle down into these cars. It's where the industry is heading so adaptations need to be made. Besides, electric torque is awesome.

+1 & AWD!

[Mahzari]

It's much more likely that BMW will introduce one plug-in hybrid model to each series (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc.), just as Porsche intends to do. I cannot see every car becoming a hybrid, even within the next decade.

[grimlock]

There is no need for this. Gas is cheap.
Let's hope oil continues to fall and bankrupts Tesla and is taken over by BMW..

[psuibmw]

With gas prices very low nowadays, investment in e-cars makes no sense

[dmboone25]

Hopefully every car can be front wheel drive by then too!

One platform to save $$$ as well...

[gangzoom]

It's not just the cost of fuel, it's the need to drive down emissions. Hybrid power trains are the cheapest way to meet emission targets, and in reality much more reliable than complex tri-turbo-petrol units.

BMW is evolving with the times, and it's good to see. We've just bought a Lexus IS hybrid for my wife, and I have to say I do love the nearly silent drive train.

Personally I cannot see my self buying another traditional petrol car to replace my E90 335i. I was fully intent on getting a Tesla 3 when it become available in 2017/18, but this news from BMW means I may well hold off till I see what BMW can offer....Providing the N54 block in my E90 will keep going till than

[jadnashuanh]

What people don't seem to understand is that some of the most efficient (and powerful) transportation devices in existence are series hybrid devices: trains. Pull (torque) is huge at start, and if you make the engine big enough with a battery buffer, you can go quite well, thank you. They are quite efficient as well. The i3 REx is the same type of device, but does not have a big engine. You could easily put in a larger electric motor, bigger gas tank, and bigger ICE, and either get a hybrid similar to the i8 design, or just a bigger i3 REx design. I find driving my i3 very much fun, but also have a second car for when it wouldn't get me where I want or carry what I needed, but it isn't used all that much. On my typical short trip, an ICE would be in cold-start, warm-up mode, and isn't very good for either the engine or the environment. Conversely, the i3 is pretty much as efficient on a cold start as cruising, but is range/output limited based on its design. Building a chassis for longer range can be done. I doubt we will see inductive charging roadways in the near term (maybe at home you might see them, and BMW has shown prototypes), and rapid dc recharging is possible, but expensive and still takes longer than a common gas fillup. Hydrogen refueling is not going to become as common as gasoline stations in the next ten years for world-wide use, so a series-hybrid makes the most sense - an on-board generator is much more efficient than a similar engine driving the wheels directly. There's a big reason why trains went from wood to coal, to the electric motor...much more efficient. You don't need to take a performance hit, either.

[Kiwi]

Nissan even with a 50% drop in price cannot sell the leaf in Australia or New Zealand. The look is hideous.

[MRV99]

Originally Posted by jadnashuanh

What people don't seem to understand is that some of the most efficient (and powerful) transportation devices in existence are series hybrid devices: trains. Pull (torque) is huge at start, and if you make the engine big enough with a battery buffer, you can go quite well, thank you. They are quite efficient as well. The i3 REx is the same type of device, but does not have a big engine. You could easily put in a larger electric motor, bigger gas tank, and bigger ICE, and either get a hybrid similar to the i8 design, or just a bigger i3 REx design. I find driving my i3 very much fun, but also have a second car for when it wouldn't get me where I want or carry what I needed, but it isn't used all that much. On my typical short trip, an ICE would be in cold-start, warm-up mode, and isn't very good for either the engine or the environment. Conversely, the i3 is pretty much as efficient on a cold start as cruising, but is range/output limited based on its design. Building a chassis for longer range can be done. I doubt we will see inductive charging roadways in the near term (maybe at home you might see them, and BMW has shown prototypes), and rapid dc recharging is possible, but expensive and still takes longer than a common gas fillup. Hydrogen refueling is not going to become as common as gasoline stations in the next ten years for world-wide use, so a series-hybrid makes the most sense - an on-board generator is much more efficient than a similar engine driving the wheels directly. There's a big reason why trains went from wood to coal, to the electric motor...much more efficient. You don't need to take a performance hit, either.

Yes railway did convert to electric but if you look at a locomotive and compare its size and duties to a car it is very difficult to make the comparison.

1) the average person does not need the torque which electric provides. If you look at heavy rail, it is not speed, it is weight

2) What does a DISIEL locomotive consists of..... Thousands of gallons of fuel, massive electric generators and electric motors. The size and standard rail and duties is perfect for this. A locomotive does not have massive batteries, why because it has a generator running 100% of the time

3) there are plenty of electric powered trains but once again they run on designated tracks with dedicated power sources.

Electric may be great in some aspects but is is also lacking in today's technologies. Once we have a Mr. fusion 2000 I will agree.

Wait a minute, shouldn't we have flying cars by 2015???????

[Law]

Originally Posted by Golden Arrow

I bet cowboys said the same about the switch from horses to automobiles.

Interesting you bring it up because one of the reason the automobile became popular was that it solved the problem of horse pollution in urban centers during the 19th century and early 20th century.

Back then, 100,000 to 200,000 horses lived in the city. A typical horse produced from 15 to 30 pounds of manure (with the average output about 22 pounds) and about a quart of urine a day, usually distributed along the course of its route or deposited in the stable...

...each year 20,000 New Yorkers died from “maladies that fly in the dust, created mainly by horse manure.”

Now its car exhaust emissions & safety. Same old story; history often repeats itself. There's gonna be issues with electric drivetrains as well we have just yet to see it.

[traabil]

I think it's quite obvious that this is the direction the car industry is/has to be heading in. In my view, BMW is doing what they'll be forced to do sooner or later anyway, taking the dirver's seat rather than the passenger' (so to speak)

I'm not American, so YMMV