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The BMW Concept i4 previews the forthcoming 2021 BMW i4 and boasts a 523hp electric powertrain and a range of 373 miles.

BMW has taken the covers off the Concept i4, an all-electric coupe-style concept car with a range of 373 miles. It is effectively a preview of the ‘almost production-ready’ i4, BMW’s first four-door electric saloon scheduled to arrive in 2021.

The final production i4 model is likely to look very similar to this concept car, but the final design, price and specifications will be confirmed in due course but we already know that the i4 will slot in between the i8 supercar and the i3 hatchback in BMW’s electric model range.

The Concept i4 features the fifth-generation eDrive battery technology by BMW, with an 80kWh battery providing a claimed range of 373 miles. BMW says that the car’s battery features an ‘extremely slim’ design and weighs only 550kg. The car produces 523hp and is capable of 0-62mph in four seconds with a top speed of 124mph.

The Concept i4 shares its underpinnings with the forthcoming BMW 4 Series Coupe and features a number of styling tweaks hinting at its electric powertrain, including larger kidney grilles at the front, blanked-off air vents in the front bumper, narrow LED headlights and blue contrast detailing.

The interior features a large curved display housing the digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen. BMW has already confirmed that this setup will be used on the forthcoming electric iNEXT SUV as well as the i4.

As is the current norm, the touchscreen controls nearly all of the car’s functions, including the climate control, satnav and stereo. BMW’s iDrive rotary control dial is still present on the centre console, suggesting that owners will have the option to use physical controls if they prefer. BMW has also done away with a gear lever for the concept, replacing it with a toggle shifter. There’s also a start/stop button and drive mode buttons labelled ‘Efficient,’ ‘Core,’ and ‘Sport.’

The cabin features a four-seat layout, with seats trimmed in sustainably sourced materials, including microfibre and natural leather. Elsewhere, bronze detailing is dotted around the dashboard and door panels.

BMW: Sleek, near production-ready i4 revealed

The Sony Vision-S concept car has been unveiled at CES to showcase the firm’s latest vehicle safety and infotainment innovations.

SONY stuns with all-electric car at CES Las Vegas

If you thought that SONY was just going to announce the new PlayStation 5 at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas…you’d be right, along with millions of others.

What no-one expected was SONY’s reveal of its concept Vision S prototype car, built to showcase what SONY can do for the cars of tomorrow. 

The electronics brand has dipped its toes in everything from cameras to 8K televisions and everything in between, so it actually isn’t all that surprising that they would decide to use CES to jump into the auto industry.

Looking remarkably similar to the Tesla Model 3 with hints of Porsche in the front, the four-door Vision S rolled silently onto the stage. The Vision S packs 33 sensors, including radar, LiDAR and cameras, but SONY says its real innovation is infusing the data collected from all those things to produce cleaner data with fewer errors.

Although it’s not widely known, SONY isn’t entirely new to this game: Its CMOS sensors, like those used in its cameras, are already used in vehicles like the Toyota Corolla and Lexus NX.

SONY’s foray into LiDAR — the ‘eyes’ of an autonomous car that allow it to sense how far it is from obstacles around it – comes as a bigger surprise. The race to build cheaper, more reliable LiDAR has become one of the hottest contests in automotive technology and SONY will face upstarts like Quanergy and LeddarTech, along with established players like Velodyne and Bosch.

Inside, the Vision S looks like what you would expect from a company that built its reputation on televisions, with a massive panoramic dash screen that stretches below the entire windshield. The rear seats both have screens of their own and SONY says the car provides a 360-degree panoramic audio experience.

“We believe that the evolution of mobility will also redefine cars as a new entertainment space,” said Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida.

The EV chassis the car rides on was built by Magna Steyr, a Canadian manufacturer that also supplies GM, Ford, Mercedes and yes, Tesla. Not surprisingly, SONY had help from a number of other partners, including Qualcomm, Continental, and Nvidia.

Few technical details of the prototype were made available at the reveal, but we know it’s powered by a pair of 268hp electric motors (one per axle), which give it a 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 149mph.

SONY will show the Vision S concept at its CES 2020 booth, but don’t expect SONY dealerships to spring up anytime soon – it’s merely a demonstration to get other automakers interested in Sony’s automotive-related technologies.

Tag: concept

BMW: Sleek, near production-ready i4 revealed

Sony Vision-S All-Electric Concept Car

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