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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.

Car Design News Contest 2008 - Deadline for entries in just over a week!

The Car Design News Contest 2008 deadline for entries is on Wednesday March 26th - just over a week's time! Entries in both the Professional Designer category and the Student Designer category will have to be submitted by this date - no late entries will be accepted - as the assessment process takes place directly afterwards. Each entry needs to be uploaded onto the Entry Submissions page of the Car Design News Contest site as "snap shot" views of a digital design model.

Two thirds using mobile phones while driving

TWO THIRDS of drivers in the UK admit to using their mobile phone while driving despite it being illegal and dangerous. A study has found 60% of drivers make calls, send texts and even browse the internet on their phones when behind the wheel. Research by Flexed shows six out of 10 drivers say they answer the phone or reply to texts when driving.