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BMW i3 EV will cost from £30,680 – less than we expected

The new BMW i3 EV (teased above) will costs from £30k The new BMW i3 electric City Car is due to be revealed in production guise on 29th July, ahead of which BMW has revealed it will cost from £30,680 – meaning a showroom sticker price of £25,680 after the EV taxpayer ‘grant’. That price is for the pure EV i3 – not the range-extender – which comes with a rear mounted 168bhp electric motor, a top speed of 93mph and a range (in ideal conditions) of around 80 miles between charges. At a retail price of £25k, the i3 compares favourably with other EVs like the Nissan LEAF, which costs from £21k, and the Chevy Volt at £30k (although that is a range extender).

Two of Detroit Three bail on Tokyo show, Ford wavering

Two of Detroit's three automakers are confirmed no-shows for this year's Tokyo Motor Show, with the third uncommitted as the deadline nears. General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC will sit out the December event, skipping the show for a second straight time.

Fiat to build crossover on 500 platform

Fiat plans to start production of a crossover variant of its 500 minicar next year. The new model will be called the 500X, with the letter X standing for cross, company sources told Automotive News Europe. The car will replace the Sedici in Fiat's Europe lineup.