BMW officially revealed production version of BMW i8 car

BMW has officially revealed images of production version of BMW i8 car which is the hybrid sportscar. BMW is still putting finishing touches on i8 car.

The BMW i8 car is powered with 1.5-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine system and an electric motor. The combined maximum power output of the car will be 393 hp and 550 Nm of torque which will be passed to the wheels through specially designed four-speed transmission system. The car engine is mounted at rear and drives through dual clutch gearbox.

The BMW i8 car is accelerated from 0-100 km/h under five seconds with combined fuel consumption in European test cycle of less than 3 liters/100 km and average fuel consumption of the car is between five and seven liters.

The BMW i8 car weight is minimized, low center of gravity and finely judged balance. The car is connected with combined system output of upto 35hp. The BMW i8 car is expected to make its first debut in early 2014.

QNX joins Car Connectivity Consortium

This just in: QNX Software Systems has announced its membership in the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), the organization dedicated to developing the MirrorLink standard for car-smartphone connectivity.

MirrorLink offers a way to help car occupants access their smartphone applications. For instance, it could allow occupants to access their phone apps through the infotainment touchscreen, steering-wheel buttons, or other in-car controls.

Source: CCC

As a core member of the CCC, QNX Software Systems will have access to MirrorLink specifications under development and to various MirrorLink work groups. It will also be able to support future MirrorLink options in QNX-based systems, and help drive development of the standard.

“QNX Software Systems is a key player in the evolution of car infotainment technology and we are pleased to welcome them into the organization,” commented Mika Rytkonen, the CCC's chairman and president.

The announcement fits into QNX's strategy of enabling automotive developers to leverage widely supported industry standards.

“We believe in giving automotive customers choice and the flexibility to use the technologies best-suited to their requirements — contributing to the CCC helps us deliver on that commitment,” added Andy Gryc, automotive product marketing manager for QNX. (This is, of course, the same Andy Gryc who contributes to this blog.)

To read the press release, click here.

 

In-Car Wireless Charging

If you’ve ever been frustrated by a dead cell phone in the car, or by rummaging around your car for that special car-charger, there is a solution on the way.  Chrysler has announced that the new 2013 Dodge Dart will come equipped with a wireless charging station, located right underneath the car cd player or car navigation system.

 It will have the ability to charge MP3 players and the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android cell phones by using a special case.  It works by using a mat fitted with one induction coil that creates alternating electromagnetic fields, and a second coil that takes power from the electromagnetic fields and converts it back to electrical current to charge the battery of your mobile devices. The two coils combine to form an electrical transformer.

When the technology first started making the rounds a few years ago the efficiency was poor and caused the units to get hot – potentially damaging lithium ion batteries. Since then the technology has improved significantly to allow greater efficiency and less heat, charging the battery in record time with no damage done.

It is activated when consumers place their battery powered device on the 8.27” x 9.5” x 3.25” power mat. The units charge only when the vehicle is on. It will be available as a $199.99 option on all new 2013 Dodge Darts.

This is the first time this feature is available OEM from the dealership, but not the first time this technology has been on the market. Powermat has been making something similar, but aftermarket, for a few years now and for as little as $25. Users have had mixed results from them, which makes me wonder how great one that is pre-installed in your vehicle is going to be. One of the largest complaints seems to be that your device must be put directly on a very small “sweet spot” in order to get it to charge. We had in mind a mat you could put the device on anywhere, but whether the units installed on the new Dart will be better or not remains to be seen.