Electric cars : BMW iNext

Mobileye (MBLY) and Intel (INTC) are providing technology that BMW (BAMXY) will use in a fleet of self-driving cars it plans to introduce in 2021, the companies announced on 1 July 2016.

BMW said it will use Mobileye and Intel technology for "highly and fully automated driving" in the BMW iNext, an all-electric vehicle. It will be the foundation for BMW Group's autonomous driving strategy and set the basis for fleets of fully autonomous vehicles "for the purpose of automated ride-sharing solutions," the announcement said.

BMW initially announced the iNext at its annual shareholder meeting in May. CEO Harald Krueger told shareholders the iNext will be the company's "new innovation driver, with autonomous driving, digital connectivity, intelligent lightweight design, a totally new interior and ultimately bringing the next generation of electro-mobility to the road."

"Today marks an important milestone for the automotive industry as we enter a world of new mobility," Mobileye Chairman Amnon Shashua said in the companies' press release. "Together with BMW Group and Intel, Mobileye is laying the groundwork for the technology of future mobility that enables fully autonomous driving to become a reality within the next few years."

He said Mobileye will provide its "expertise in sensing, localization and driver policy to enable fully autonomous driving in this cooperation."

Intel said it will provide "a broad set of in-vehicle and cloud computing, connectivity, safety and security, and machine-learning assets to this collaboration, enabling a truly end-to-end solution."

Apple is rumored to be developing autonomous car technology. Apple hasn't confirmed those reports, but it recently invested $1 billion in Didi Chuxing, a ride-hailing service competing with Uber in China. Analysts theorize that its $1 billion investment in Didi is seen as part of those plans.

Electric cars: BMW i3

BMW has unveiled its first mass-production electric car, the i3:

The German car maker says the i3 can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just over seven seconds and deliver up to 100 miles of driving between charges.

The car has caused a stir because it is battery powered, costs less than some run-of-the-mill BMWs at $41,350 and is said to perform more like a sports car than a golf cart. However, people may wind up talking just as much about an optional on-board gasoline powered generator that extends its range. BMW seems to have borrowed the feature from the Chevrolet Volt.

The i3 also stands out because its main body, called the passenger cell, is made of plastic.

This isn’t ordinary plastic, but carbon fiber reinforced plastic or CFRP, which BMW said is as strong as steel but weighs half as much. The material, which is used in racing cars and a few exotic sports models, also weighs 30% less than aluminum. The i3, which has the space of BMW 3 Series sedan but the smaller footprint of a 1 Series car, weighs about 2,700 pounds, or about the same as a Mini Cooper S.

The car’s structure is part of what BMW calls the “LifeDrive architecture concept” in which the vehicle is formed of a life module, or passenger compartment, and a drive module that contains the electric drive system, rear suspension and energy-absorbing framework for protection in a crash. The drive module is made of aluminum.

The standard i3 has a range of 80 to 100 miles on a charge and can be recharged in three hours with a 220-volt, 32-amp “level 2” charger. Fast charging, which charges the battery in 30 minutes, is available as an option.

To cut down on the range anxiety that keeps some drivers from considering electric cars, BMW is offering a 650cc, 34 horsepower, two-cylinder gas engine that is mounted in the rear of the car and serves as a generator to maintain the battery’s charge and keep the car going for about double its normal electric-only range. This range-extending system adds about 330 pounds to the vehicle, BMW said.

While the optional engine doesn’t drive the car’s wheels, it would change its character to that of a plug-in hybrid, not a pure electric car like a Tesla Model S or Nissan Leaf.

Tesla Model S vs BMW i3