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BMW's first plug-in hybrid, the i8, just made its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. In addition to sharing full specs -- including a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine; 362 horsepower with all-wheel drive and a fuel economy figure of 94 miles per gallon -- the German carmaker shared the model's substantial MSRP; the i8 will go for $135,925 and up when it arrives stateside in spring 2014. As we suspected, the wing-doored coupe is made from lightweight materials including carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, and it even utilizes chemically hardened glass to reduce the vehicle's noise and weight. Charging with a 110-volt outlet should take just less than four hours, and BMW says its charging station trims fuel-up time to just 1.5 hours. There are plenty more figures to dazzle you just past the break -- it's not quite the same as stepping behind the wheel, but today's other announcements prevent us from making the jaunt to Frankfurt.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Remember the Volkswagen's E-Up! concept from 2009? The company just announced that it plans to launch a production version of the tiny EV at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall. It's been tweaked a little since we last saw it, with proper seating for four (vs. 3+1 on the concept), a revised snout and updated wheels. Under the hood you'll find an 18.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a 60kW electric motor which provide a range of 150km (93 miles) with a respectable top speed of 84mph and a leisurely 0-62mph time of 14 seconds. The car supports quick-charging to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes via DC but also handles traditional AC circuits thanks to a Combined Charging System. The E-Up! will join the existing Up! and Eco-Up! (natural gas) models in Volkswagen's lineup, but it's unclear if the company plans to bring the EV to the US. Hit the source link below for the full PR and some additional photos.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Autoblog green