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BMW to Boost Electric-Car Capacity due to Strong Demand for i3 [VIDEO]

BMW will have to increase investment in electric-car production if demand for the new i3 model continues in line with initial orders.

Customers have reserved more than 8,000 of the battery-powered i3, which will cost $US41,350 ($43,500) in the US, even before the car hits showrooms in Europe next month, Chief Financial Officer Friedrich Eichiner said today in Amsterdam.

BMW expects to sell more than 10,000 of the four-person car next year and “will adjust capacity according to demand,” he said at a press conference. “If demand holds, which is what it's looking like, we will soon have to invest more.”

The maker of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles is upgrading its lineup with the i3, the new 4-Series coupe and a revamp of the X5 sport-utility vehicle to maintain its sales lead over Volkswagen AG's Audi and Daimler's Mercedes-Benz. Both competitors have vowed to surpass Munich-based BMW in deliveries by the end of the decade.

The i3 will go on sale in Germany for 34,950 euros ($50,100) on Nov. 16, followed by the US, China and Japan in the first half of next year. The model made its public debut July 29 at simultaneous events in New York, London and Beijing. The push to sell the electric car and recoup investments in the technology underpinning the vehicle include an international print, TV and Internet advertising campaign.

The spending on development of new models and expanding production capacity caused the operating profit margin at BMW's auto division to narrow to 9.6 per cent in the second quarter from 11.6 per cent a year earlier.

“We'll have to work very hard to keep profitability within our target corridor” of 8 per cent to 10 per cent in the coming years because of large investments required to meet stricter emissions regulations and the weak car market in Europe, Eichiner said today.

Sales gains in China and the US have helped BMW cushion the effects of the sovereign-debt crisis on Europe's car market, which is sliding to a 20-year low. BMW, which doesn't anticipate a recovery in demand in its home region before the second half of 2014, expects deliveries to rise this year for its third straight annual sales record.

“Demand in China and North America continues to be strong,” Eichiner said. “It makes sense for us to think about expanding production capacity in North America,” with the US and Mexico both options, he said.

The rollout of the i3 will go ahead as planned next month and won't be impacted by issues that typically affect the ramp up of a new model, he said. The executive was responding to a report by Wirtschaftswoche over the weekend that problems bonding carbon-fiber components for the car led to a 10-day production halt.

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Shell: “By 2070, the passenger road market could be nearly oil-free” [VIDEO]

According to the 2013 Shell Lens Scenarios, which tries to predict what the world’s energy dependence could look like in 2100, by 2070 we could be living oil free.

There are lots of factors that went into this prediction, such as increased urbanization, more efficient urban planning, and regulations on CO2 emissions. But the people at Shell believed these factors were so powerful that it made the following claim: the rise in the use of electricity and hydrogen as transportation fuels will result in oil having a meagre 22% of the global transportation market by 2060. It further claims:

By 2070, the passenger road market could be nearly oil-free

Shell lumps electric and hydrogen into the same group, which they project will have a 60% market share by 2060. Shell has a vested interest in pushing the hydrogen barrow as they and Total are currently the only two major oil companies that have stated they are actively developing hydrogen based fueling technology for vehicles.

The rest of the oil industry does not seem to share Shell's opinion. BP predicted in Feb 2012 that electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, will make up only 4 percent of the global fleet by 2030 while Exxon said electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and vehicles that run on natural gas would make up only 5 percent of the fleet by 2040.

Let's hope big oil are only trying to fool themselves with these predictions, because if market trends in the third largest oil exporting nation in the world, Norway, where fully-fledged electric cars have already captured a combined market share of 9.1 per cent, is an accurate leading indicator, even Shell's time scale might be conservative.

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Team Eindhoven Win Bridgestone World Solar Challenge Michelin Cruise Class [VIDEO]

The Dutch have dominated this year’s 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. Having already won the elite Schneider Electric Challenger Class title when team Nuon crossed the line first on Thursday, Team Eindhoven made it two from two winning the Michelin Cruiser Class category announced at the Awards Ceremony in Adelaide on Sunday night.

With a score of 97.5% to Eindhoven it was perhaps closer than the Dutch had predicted, with Germany’s Hochschule Bochum team a close second on 93.9%, in turn just beating Australia’s UNSW Sunswift team, who scored 92.3% taking third place.

The Michelin Cruiser class was judged on the key criteria of solar kilometres travelled, passenger kilometres, speed, energy efficiency, and a subjective element of design and practicality.

Of the eight Cruisers built especially for the Australian event, four completed the 3020 kilometres on full solar power, the University of Minnesota from the USA joining the ranks with the Dutch, German and Australian teams, taking out fourth place with 79.2%.

Each of the top teams had differing strategic approaches to the contest. Eindhoven being a four seater car easily accounted for the most passenger kilometres; Bochum were the most energy efficient, and UNSW Sunswift were the fastest to the finish line.

Final judging occurred on Saturday afternoon with the expert panel assessing characteristics such as: ease of access, comfort, controls, features, style, ease of charging, overall desirability, road registration, parking and cargo space. Judges put the cars through their paces on the finish line. Teams were tested for their parking skills, their ability to load the trunk with numerous suitcases and the ultimate cargo test – could the Aussie esky also be stowed the right way up in the trunk?

The judging panel spent hours deliberating final scores with the topl three cruisers all shining in their own right. Team Bochum’s Powercore Suncruiser scored high on accessibility and desirability and Sunswift’s ‘eVe’ was the most stylish. In the end it came down to just five points between the three top teams with the world’s first four seater solar family car , ‘Stella’ taking the honours.

The remaining four cruisers completed the Challenge with a combination of solar kilometres and trailer kilometres: Goko High School from Japan (2288 km); Apollo Taiwan (1558); Australia’s TAFE SA (1469) and University of Calgary (719).

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge started October 6th in Darwin and finished 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.

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2014 Toyota Prius Plug-In to Start Under $30,000

Toyota is cutting the price of its Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicle by more than $2,000, making it the latest automaker to cut prices of electric vehicles.

Toyota reduced the price on the 2014 Prius Plug-in hybrid by $2,010 to $29,990, a 6 percent price cut.

The automaker is also cutting the price on its 2014 Prius Plug-in Advanced model by $4,620 to $34,905, an 11 percent price reduction. That model has more features including navigation and infotainment, heated front seats and a heads-up display.

Moe Durand, a Toyota spokesman, said the new pricing was a reflection of its competitors’ moves.

“It’s dictated by market conditions. When somebody starts that trend of allowing a little softer prices, market demand can determine price,” Durand said.

Toyota has sold 8,000 plug-ins in the first nine months, behind its target of 12,000 for the year. Durand said the automaker has been offering some “considerable” incentives on the 2013 model to help boost sales, but acknowledged it was behind were it had hoped to be at this point. Incentives vary by region.

Toyota’s price cuts come nearly two months after General Motors Co. said in August it was cutting the price of its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt by $5,000. The Detroit-based automaker cut the base price 12.5 percent, from $39,995 to $34,995. The price cut came shortly after the automaker announced a $5,000 incentive on the 2012 Volt and $4,000 on the 2013 model.

The first Volt, a 2010 model, cost $41,000. Sales jumped in August to their highest level ever to 3,351 vehicles.

In July, Ford Motor Co. said it would reduce the price of its low-selling Focus EV by $4,000 for the 2014 model year to $35,200.

Ford also offered lease discounts of more than $10,000 and $2,000 off the base price for cash purchases.

Sales of Nissan’s all-electric Leaf have jumped since the Japanese automaker dropped the base price by 18 percent, to $28,800 for the 2013 model year. Nissan also added extra cargo room, and for higher-end trims, an on-board charger that reduces electric charging times by half.

Honda Motor Co. said in May it was cutting the monthly lease price of its Fit EV from $389 to $259 a month, and reducing by $130 a month the cost of existing Fit EV leases. The revised lease has unlimited mileage.

Most of the vehicles are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit. The Prius with a smaller battery pack is eligible for a $2,500 federal tax credit.

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Top Teams Nuon and Tokai Race to World Solar Challenge Finish [VIDEO]

A familiar scenario is being played out between two champion teams in the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. After nearly 2,800 kilometres just 20 minutes separates the two leading cars. It is almost a repeat performance of 2011 except on this occasion the order is reversed, with the Netherlands Nuon Solar team leading Team Tokai from Japan.

The flying Dutch team have maintained an average speed of around 93 kilometres an hour accelerating at some points today up to 113 km but the Japanese matched their pace, refusing to let the gap between the two teams widen. Unless the Japanese team has something more in reserve, Nuon in their solar car ‘Nuna 7’ look poised to take back the title they lost to Team Tokai in 2009 and again in 2011.

Both teams are camped south of Port Pirrie and are due to make their final run to the official finish line in Hindmarsh Square Adelaide, arriving mid-morning tomorrow.

Netherlands Team Twente with their ‘Red Engine’ is in third place some 240 kilometres behind the leaders with Stanford University from the USA hot on their heels in 4th just nine kilometres behind, 49 kilometres south of Woomera. Belgium’s Punch Powertrain is in 5th with Solar Energy Racers about 25 kilometres behind in 6th. Still flying the flag for Australia, team Arrow holds 7th position. Other teams still under solar power include Onda Solare from Italy, Blue Sky Solar from Canada and Australia’s UWS Solar team in SolAce.

Strong wind gusts today played havoc with some of the teams including the American solar champions Michigan, who were bumped to the side of the road coming into the Coober Pedy Control Stop. They are now frantically working on their solar car Generation hoping to resume tomorrow morning.

All Michelin Cruisers are now in Coober Pedy for their last mandatory overnight stop before they resume tomorrow morning for the final stage. It will be a battle between Team Eindhoven from the Netherlands in their four seater Stella; the German Hochschule Bochum’s Powercore SunCruiser and Australia’s UNSW Sunswift Team, in their solar sports car ‘eVe’ who flew into Coober Pedy today hours ahead of the field. Final judging of the Cruiser class will be held in Adelaide on Saturday, taking into account design, practicality and person kilometres travelled which could put Eindhoven in a strong position as they have the capacity to carry four passengers.

In the GoPro Adventure Class Australia’s Aurora arrived into Coober Pedy, their final overhead stop, ahead of the other contender still running on solar power, team Antakari from Chile.

The leaders are expected to reach ‘finish of timing’ in Angle Vale tomorrow morning before proceeding to the Official Finish Line at Hindmarsh Square. Even if a team is first to Angle Vale they must still reach the official finish line to claim victory.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge started October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later tomorrow in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.

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Nissan Sold 4,700 LEAF Units Globally in September

Nissan achieved a new global record of 4,700 LEAF units sold in September.

Of the 4,700 LEAFs sold globally, 1,953 were delivered in the United States.

Nissan credits part of the US market success with the proliferation of 1,900 DC quick chargers installed by a variety of companies. Of these, 800 are installed at Nissan dealerships, and plans to install 700 more by the end of this fiscal year.

By the end of September, cumulative global sales of the Nissan LEAF since launch totaled 83,000 units.

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Tesla Model S proves to be ‘safest car ever made’

Tesla Forum member 'jdovi' from Long Island, New York recently posted photos of an accident he was involved in while driving a Tesla Model S.

The Model S was hit side on at an intersection by a driver who was talking on her cell phone and ran a red light. While the other driver left the scene of the accident in an ambulance, the Tesla Model S owner not only walked away without a scratch, the car which was extensively damaged on the drivers side front wheel by the impact, didn't so much as smoke or release any fluids onto the roadway.

This 'real world' evidence only backs up the NHTSA Five Start crash test results for Frontal, Side and Side Pole impacts awarded to the Model S in August.

'jdovi' feelings about the Tesla Model S:

This is the safest car on the road hands down, and for me, I can honestly say it saved my life. Thank you Elon.

Source: Tesla Forum

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CNN review gives Chevy Spark EV two Thumbs Up [VIDEO]

It would be safe to say Peter Valdes-Dapena, the editor for automotive and other consumer content at CNNMoney.com, 'gets it' when it comes to EVs.

Back in February of this year, when a reviewer at the New York Times drove a Tesla Model S around New Jersey determined to miss as many freeway exits as possible to get a photo of the Model S on a Flat bed truck, Peter Valdes-Dapena over at CNN volunteered to do the same trip to prove the doubters wrong.

Here the CNN reviewer gives the Chevy Spark EV two thumbs up, saying the only down side is it's limited distribution in California and Oregon only.

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Nuna 7 Takes Early Lead in 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge [VIDEO]

Team Nuon from the Netherlands, in their solar car Nuna 7, took an early lead in the Schneider Electric Challenger Class of the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge and at the end of day one are approximately 633 kilometres south of Darwin. Just 32 kilometres behind at the Dunmarra Control Stop there is one minute separating second placed Team Twente in ‘Red Engine’ also from the Netherlands and the 2011 Champion team Tokai from Japan, who as predicted, made up time early from 20th position on the starting grid.

USA solar champions, team Michigan, are in fourth place approximately 10 kilometres out of Dunmarra with Australia’s Team Arrow showing they can mix it with the elite international field just behind in fifth place.

In the Michelin Cruiser Class team Bochum from Germany are in first place approximately sixty kilometres north of Dunmarra, with team Eindhoven from the Netherlands just five kilometres behind in second place, Minnesota Solar team from the USA in third place and University of NSW Sunswift team in fourth place approximately 100 kilometres north of Dunmarra.

Leading the GoPro Adventure Class was Australia’s team Aurora who have never missed a solar challenge; followed by IVE from Hong Kong and Antakari from Chile.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge started today October 6th in Darwin and finishes 3,000 km later on Sunday 13th October in Adelaide.

Disclosure: EV News has been engaged by the South Australian Motor Sport Board to help promote the World Solar Challenge 2013.