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BMW i3 EV revealed. It’s clever, but it’s not exactly pretty

The BMW i3 electric city car (pictured) has been officially revealed The BMW i3 – the first of BMW’s production ‘i’ electric cars – has finally been revealed at events in London, New York and Beijing as BMW plots its course to bring a premium electric city car to the world. Looking much like the original Mega City Concept, the i3 debuts a number of innovations from BMW – which are very clever – but it also debuts perhaps the worst looking BMW we’ve ever seen, with its incongruous lines, bulging bonnet, odd shapes on the flanks and slab-backed rear view. But what underpins the i3 is clever indeed, with a lightweight inner body made from carbon fibre and carbon fibre reinforced body panels providing the skin, all conspiring to make the i3 light – 1195kg, despite 25 per cent or so of that being batteries – and very rigid.

Chevrolet Orlando MPV Paris debut

The Chevrolet Orlando MPV (left) seems a bit bland after the concept (right) Chevrolet first penned the idea of the Chevrolet Orlando with a concept in 2008 (which you can see on the right in the picture above). That has now turned in to the production Orlando which will debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, but it does seem to have lost something in the process of going from concept to production. Quelle surprise (well, it is the Paris Motor Show).

Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon recalled for missing hood latch

General Motors is recalling a group of 2010-2012 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks because they could be missing a second hood latch. If the primary latch is not engaged, the hood could open while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Nearly 120,000 pickups are affected.