Skip to main content

BMW i8 has lasers for headlights and a key fob that’s smarter than you

If you thought the whole idea of the BMW i8 as an extended-range EV was impressive, just wait until you get a look at some of the tech it has on it. After all, BMW designers are German and it is impossible for them not to do things perfectly. Even things like the key fob and the headlights are amazing.

The i8 will be the first production car to feature laser headlights. Sadly, these can’t be used to cut through the car crawling ahead of you, or even to blind your enemies. But they do illuminate five-times better than the LED versions currently in use.

Laser light much more closely matches the ‘color temperature’ of sunlight, which means that as well as being brighter than normal lights, it is also actually easier for the human eye to see with it. The technology behind laser headlights is both simple and complex.

It is simple in so far that lasers themselves are pretty well-understood technology. What BMW’s funless, gray-faced engineers have done is run these lasers through a phosphor which adds yellow tinged light, and then diffuse the beams so they form a tightly focused cone. They only turn on as high beams, and then only above 40 km/h. That’s because, despite being diffused, BMW doesn’t want them to shine in anybody’s eyes for too long, which might happen if the car was going slower.

However, the i8 is after all a BMW. This means  not only will it rarely be traveling below 40 km/h, the brights will always be on. At least we will know who is coming.

BMW i8 8
Image used with permission by copyright holder

As for the key, its more complicated than some phones. Bimmerfile reports that it will have its own high resolution LCD screen and will let you know information about the car wherever you happen to be. The main information you can expect will have to do with the car’s available range, how much charge is in the batteries and how much gas is in the tank.

Not only that, but you should be able to do things like preset the temperature for the car so it will be toasty warm in the winter or nice and cool in summer … before you ever get in.

This sort of attention to detail in the i8 suggests that BMW took this project very, very seriously. It also bodes well for what the car is like to drive. Frankly, I can’t wait to take one for a spin. 

Peter Braun
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Peter is a freelance contributor to Digital Trends and almost a lawyer. He has loved thinking, writing and talking about cars…
Ford ships new NACS adapters to EV customers
Ford EVs at a Tesla Supercharger station.

Thanks to a Tesla-provided adapter, owners of Ford electric vehicles were among the first non-Tesla drivers to get access to the SuperCharger network in the U.S.

Yet, amid slowing supply from Tesla, Ford is now turning to Lectron, an EV accessories supplier, to provide these North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters, according to InsideEVs.

Read more
Rivian offers $3,000 off select EVs to gasoline, hybrid vehicle drivers
Second-Gen Rivian R1S on a road

Early November typically kicks off the run-up to the Black Friday sales season, and this year, Rivian is betting it’s the perfect time to lure gasoline drivers toward its EVs.
If you own or lease a vehicle that runs on gasoline, which means even a hybrid vehicle, Rivian is ready to give you $3,000 off the purchase of one of its select fully electric vehicles -- no trade-in required.
The offer from the Irvine, California-based automaker extends to customers in the U.S. and Canada and runs through November 30, 2024. The program applies to Rivian 2025 R1S or R1T Dual Large, Dual Max, or Tri Max models purchased from R1 Shop.
Rivian’s new All-Electric Upgrade offer marks a change from a previous trade-in program that ran between April and June. There, owners of select 2018 gas-powered vehicles from Ford, Toyota, Jeep, Audi, and BMW could trade in their vehicle and receive up to $5,000 toward the purchase of a new Rivian.
This time, buyers of the R1S or R1T Rivian just need to provide proof of ownership or lease of a gas-powered or hybrid vehicle to receive the discount when they place their order.
Rivian is not going to be the only car maker offering discounts in November. Sluggish car sales from giants such as Stellantis and rising inventories of new cars due to improving supply chains suggest automakers and dealerships will be competing to offer big incentives through the year's end.
This follows several years of constrained supply following the COVID pandemic, which led to higher prices in North America.
According to CarEdge Insights, average selling prices for cars remain above what would be called affordable. But prices should continue improving along with rising inventories.
Stellantis brands are entering November with the most inventory, followed by GM and Ford, according to CarEdge. Toyota and Honda, meanwhile, have the least inventory, meaning they probably won’t be under pressure to offer big incentives.

Read more
What is an EREV? Hybrid electric vehicle tech explained
Scout Motors Terra truck front

Along with price, perhaps one of the biggest dissuaders for potential customers of new electric vehicles is range anxiety. It makes sense — electric vehicle range is getting better, but EVs still take a lot longer to charge than it takes to fill a tank with gas. Plug-in hybrids are one way to mitigate this, but it turns out there's another form of hybrid that helps ease range anxiety -- extended range EVs, or EREVs.

We've already seen a few EREVs from several different companies. Most recently, Scout Motors unveiled the Traveler SUV and the Terra electric truck, both of which are available as optional EREVs. But what exactly is an EREV, and how does it help make range less of an issue? Here's everything you need to know.
EREV basics
Put simply, an EREV leverages both an electric battery and a gas generator to extend the range of a vehicle. EREVs are electric first, and the battery inside an EREV is the only thing that drives the wheels. That means EREVs can get all the benefits of normal electric vehicles, like the longer all-electric range and the superfast responsiveness that EVs have become known for.

Read more