German motor manufacturer, BMW has produced its first sustainability report. Revealing that despite increases in production over the past five years, the energy consumed per vehicle produced has actually decreased. The report considers BMW Group’s four manufacturing locations in the UK, MINI Plant Oxford (MINI), Plant Goodwood (Rolls-Royce), Plant Hams Hall (four-cylinder engines) and MINI Plant Swindon (pressings and sub-assemblies) detailing the company’s achievements in the fields of ... read more

 With more motorists thinking green than ever before, the Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year award has taken on added significance in the industry - and now the 2009 contenders have been unveiled. The five finalists competing for the title of 2009 Green Car of the Year are: - The BMW 335d - Ford Fusion Hybrid - Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid - Smart Fortwo - Volkswagen Jetta TDI The five models have all attained important milestones for their manufacturers. The Volkswagen and BMW ... read more

Drivers want green cars without sacrificing performance, car manufacturer BMW claims. ‘Driving Change’, the report commissioned by the luxury vehicle producer also suggests that motorists are only interested in going green if it saves them money. BMW quizzed 2,068 drivers, 59 per cent said saving money was the main reason for driving a more environmentally friendly vehicle, whereas a tiny 13 per cent cited reducing emissions as the key motive. While the environment is fast becoming an ... read more

 Keen to close the gap on luxury green car makers Lexus and Mercedes, BMW is doing all it can to drive down fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) on its most prestigious models. According to Friedrich Eichiner, who is responsible for brand and customer development at the company, “a vow of poverty is not the solution”. Instead he hopes to rejuvenate the company’s luxury cars with a green philosophy, the latest example being BMW’s top of the line 7 Series, which ... read more

 The MINI is one of the most iconic vehicles in automobile history - and now it is embracing the green generation as the BMW Group announces it will introduce a battery-electric MINI E at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The MINI E will be based on the current MINI and will be initially available as a two-seater with a fleet of around 500 to be deployed for private use. However, where this version differs is that the space taken up by the back-seat passengers has now been reserved for ... read more

 When it comes to green cars, Toyota has set the benchmark for the industry. Its ultra successful Prius model has taken the world by storm and in the USA Toyota manufactured 82 per cent of the hybrid vehicles sold during April. Now however, several other car manufacturers are fighting back with green ideas of their own. Though the Toyota Prius dominates the hybrid car market, its cars from BMW, Honda and Chevy that could turn heads going forward - here are some of the vehicles to look ... read more

 Car drivers across western USA, and particularly in California, have been urged to drive in a more eco-friendly fashion to save cash and the environment - and now the EcoDriving programme has received support from some of the leading car manufacturers. Ten car manufacturers - BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen - have offered their support to the EcoDriving programme as Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California, and ... read more

A good end to the week now, with a picture of BMW’s extraordinary concept, the GINA Light. BMW proclaim that customers looking to buy in the premium segment demand cars that stir emotions and allow them to “express their individuality”. If the GINA Light’s key ideas ever escape into mainstream manufacture, you will have no trouble standing out. The GINA (Geometry and Functions In “N” Adaptions) principle grants more freedom for car design. It allows the creation of ... read more

 The tests used by car manufacturers to determine fuel economy and carbon dioxide figures have come in for criticism on a motoring website. Channel 4’s website claims the existing tests do not produce accurate figures for car buyers. It carried out ‘real world’ fuel economy tests on eight low-emission vehicles and found that they failed to meet the official figures. In fact, three cars were as much as 10mpg short of the advertised fuel consumption rates. The vehicles put ... read more

 The motoring industry may be feeling the pinch from the credit crunch, but sales of green cars are on the rise according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. According to its statistics, only 153,420 new vehicles were registered in July - down 13 per cent compared to last year’s figures, and the third successive month to show falling sales. However, despite the overall slump at dealerships across the UK, sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles actually ... read more