After teasing glimpses of its first all-electric 5 Series for weeks, BMW has globally debuted the first two available trims of the i5, including an M performance version with 590 horsepower. The German automaker has introduced a lot of new technology in its latest generation of its long-running series, including in-car gaming, a range conservation mode, and eye activated lane changes.
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Finally! The all-electric BMW 5 Series has arrived
We’ve been talking about an all-electric 5 series for six years now, but it wasn’t until recently that BMW began hinting at its inevitable arrival.
As a combustion model, the 5 series has been a staple in BMW’s lineup since 1972 and remains the German automaker’s second best-selling vehicle behind the 3 series. We saw BMW kick off its all-electric models with the i3, and the automaker has used that now-defunct EV as an appetizer to larger, better-performing models, like the revamped i4 sport coupe, iX SUV, and i7 sedan.
For months now, we’ve known an all-electric version of the 5 Series was in the works alongside plug-in and combustion variants, but we didn’t really get a feel for what to expect in the new i5 until late April when the sedan was seen enduring summer testing. Still, those images were camo’d.
Last week, we got our first genuine image of the all-electric BMW i5 which we can now recognize as the eDrive40 (seen below). Today however, BMW has pulled the entire veil off both all-electric 5 Series variants, and there’s a lot to get excited about if you’re a fan of the brand.
The electric BMW i5 is longer, wider, taller, and lit up
Boy are German automakers passionate about their work. Their pride in new features is apparent in their consistently “detailed” press releases that leave no tidbits of information left to the imagination. There’s only so much we can cover before you scroll on, so we recommend checking out BMW’s latest press release for all the details of the i5.
The new lineup of the 5 Series is larger all around compared to its previous generation. Its length has been stretched by 3.4 inches to 199.2, it’s wider by 1.3 inches (74.8 in total), and it’s taller by 1.4 inches (59.6 inches in all). As a result of the length, the 5’s wheelbase has been increased by 0.8 inches to 117.9, adding a tad of interior seating space, particularly in the back.
At launch, BMW will provide two all-electric variants of the i5 that feature the automaker’s fifth-generation eDrive technology. Customers can choose from a single-motor RWD i5 eDrive40, or an M60 xDrive performance model, positioned as the pinnacle of the entire 5 Series range.
The M60 variant especially showcases some new exterior features joining the 5 Series, including a black front apron with large air intakes, a grill featuring horizontal slats and the recognizable M performance logo, side skirts and exterior mirror caps finished in high-gloss black, and 19″ M light-alloy wheels.
BMW has also introduced an M Sport Package available to add to all versions of the 5 Series that includes an illuminated kidney grill framed in high-gloss black (seen above), M Shadowline headlights, and a rear spoiler. Customers can also add red calipers to the brakes if they just co choose.
Game on! The 5 Series gets an interior facelift
Moving inward, BMW has introduced a new fully-digital curved display which the automaker states now “represents the heart of the interior redesign.” The electric i5 models will come standard with a new Interaction Bar complete with ambient lighting in the instrument panel and door areas, plus a new gear selector switch in the center console.
The new frameless curved display is comprised of a 12.3″ information screen behind the steering wheel and a 14.9″ control display, merged into one high-resolution unit powered by BMW’s latest generation Operating System 8.5 – complete with a new graphic display, start screen, and “QuickSelect” access.
BMW says OS 8.5 offers more digital information and entertainment to future drivers, including new streaming programs and for the first time ever in a 5 Series – in-car gaming thanks to the AirConsole platform.
While the EV is stationary, the driver and their passengers can connect their smartphones using a QR code on the curved display, and use them as controllers to begin gaming instantly. BMW says AirConsole already has about 20 game titles including Go Kart Go, which looks similar enough to MarioKart that I’m surprised legal action has not been taken.
Anyways, you can game while you charge, nice!
Hands-free driving and eye activated lane changes
One of the cooler features on the upcoming electric i5 is BMW’s optional Driving Assistance Professional package, which includes Highway Assistant. This ADAS features enables the i5 driver to operate hands-free at speeds up to 85 mph where conditions and speed limits allow, as long as they keep their eyes up.
The driver’s attention is continuously monitored by an interior camera, and they are fully responsible for driving and anything that happens on the road, even when Highway Assistant is activated. That means this is still a Level 2 autonomy feature at best.
BMW has utilized its eye monitoring technology in a new and unique way that alleviates the need to activate a turn signal in order to initiate a proposed hands-free lane change. When BMW begins deliveries, electric i5 owners will be able to confirm the movement by simply peering over to the respective sideview mirror.
The i5 can recognize the visual cue, then perform the lane change at speeds again, up to 85 mph (traffic conditions and speed limits permitting). Can’t wait to try this feature out.
Specs, pricing, and an introductory video
Alright, it’s been a journey to get here, but let’s dig into how these two versions of BMW’s first all-electric 5 Series break down. As we previously mentioned, initial customers will get to choose between the standard RWD i5 and the dual-motor M variant.
The i5 M60 xDrive as well as an eDrive40 donning the optional M Sport package, come equipped with a shift paddle left of the steering marked “Boost” that can be tapped to activate the electric BMW’s full drive power and trigger maximum acceleration. The i5’s electric sound design also automatically shifts to “sport” to add to the sensory driving experience.
The single motor in the rear of the electric BMW i5 eDrive40 delivers a maximum power output of 335 hp and of 295 lb-ft maximum torque (317 lb-ft when the Sport Boost or Launch Control function is activated). Its acceleration from 0-60 mph is laggard 5.7 seconds and its max speed has been electronically limited by BMW to 120 mph. The automaker also described what the i5 M60 is packing:
Two highly integrated drive units on the front and rear axles, in which the electric motor, power electronics, and transmission are compactly combined in a common housing, form an electric all-wheel drive system that enables the BMW i5 M60 xDrive to deliver captivating dynamic performance. The electric motor acting on the rear wheels generates a maximum power output of 335 hp, while the motor at the front axle produces 257 hp. The total system torque generated by both motors is 549 lb-ft, or 605 lb-ft when M Sport Boost or the M Launch Control function is activated.
The new BMW i5 M60 is significantly quicker than the eDrive40, accelerating 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Its max speed has been electronically limited to 143 mph when equipped with performance tires (130 mph with all-season tires).
Like the motors themselves, BMW’s battery packs also make up its fifth-generation iDrive unit and consist of four modules with 72 battery cells each and three modules with twelve cells each. The modules combine for a usable capacity of 84.3 kWh and deliver the following estimated ranges and charge rates:
The i5 eDrive40 is estimated to travel up to 295 miles on a single charge on 19″ wheels (BMW estimated, not EPA)
i5 M60 xDrive delivers a (BMW) estimated 256 miles of range
Combined Charging Unit enables Level 2 AC charging up to 11 kW
The i5 can reach a rate of 205 kW on a DC fast charger, replenishing from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes
To help conserve range during dire situations, BMW has introduced a new drive system function owners can activate called Max Range. In this mode, drive power and top speed are restricted, while comfort functions are reduced to conserve battery power. Per BMW:
Max Range mode is primarily for critical situations where drivers are unable to recharge mid-journey where they had originally planned and must continue to an alternative charging point. The Max Range mode can be selected using the control display’s touchscreen functionality, the iDrive Controller, or voice commands to the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. It can also be deactivated by full-throttle acceleration (kickdown), engaging the M Sport Boost function, or switching the window defrost to maximum.
Still with us? Almost done, promise.
The new all-electric i5 models will be be built at Plant Dingolfing, BMW’s largest European plant – which has been home to Series 5 production since its birth 50 years ago. The global market launch will begin in October 2023 with the all-electric versions and will be followed by plug-in hybrid variants in the US in 2024. Here’s how initial pricing will break down.
i5 eDrive40 – $66,800 (+ $995 destination and handling)
i5 M60 xDrive – $84,100 (+ $995 destination and handling)
Want to see more? Check out the introductory video of the all-electric i5 posted to BMW’s YouTube page today.
Are you into the first electric 5 Series? Is the eye activated lane change a gimmick or the future of hands-free? Tell us what you think in the comments!
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The Trump administration is confident that a massive liquified natural gas project in Alaska will find investors despite its enormous cost.
President Donald Trump has pushed Alaska LNG as a national priority since taking office. Alaska has already spent years trying to build an 800-mile pipeline from the North Slope above the Arctic Circle south to the Cook Inlet, where the gas would be cooled and shipped to U.S. allies in Asia.
But Alaska LNG has never gotten off the ground due to a stratospheric price tag of more than $40 billion. Trump has pushed Japan and South Korea in particular to invest in the project, threatening them with higher tariffs if they don’t offer trade deals that suit him.
“If you get the commercial offtakers for the gas, financing is pretty straightforward,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. “There [are] countries around the world looking to shrink their trade deficit with the United States, and of course, a very easy way to do that is to buy more American energy,” Wright said.
Energy analysts, however, are skeptical of the project. Alaska LNG “doesn’t have a clear cut commercial logic,” Alex Munton, director of global gas and LNG research at Rapidan Energy, told CNBC in April.
“If it did, it would have had a lot more support than it has thus far, and this project has been on the planning board for literally decades,” Munton said.
Defense Department support
Wright said the project would be built in stages and initially serve domestic demand in Alaska, which faces declining natural gas supplies in the Cook Inlet. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the Department of Defense is ready to support the project with its resources.
“They’re ready to sign on to take an offtake agreement from this pipeline to get gas to our super strategic, important bases across Alaska,” Burgum said of the Pentagon in a CNBC interview at Prudhoe Bay.
Alaska LNG, if completed, would deliver U.S. natural gas to Japan in about eight days, compared to about 24 days for U.S. Gulf Coast exports that pass through the congested Panama Canal, Burgum said. It would also avoid contested waters in the South China Sea that LNG exports from the Middle East pass through, the interior secretary said.
Wright said potential Asian investors have questions about the timeline and logistics of Alaska LNG. The pipeline could start delivering LNG to southern Alaska in 2028 or 2029, with exports to Asia beginning sometime in the early 2030s, Wright said.
Glenfarne Group, the project’s lead developer, told CNBC in April that a final investment decision is expected in the next six to 12 months on the leg of a proposed pipeline that runs from the North Slope to Anchorage. Glenfarne is a privately-held developer, owner and operator of energy infrastructure based in New York City and Houston.
Swiss solar manufacturer Meyer Burger has pulled the plug on its US solar module factory in Arizona and laid off nearly 300 workers; now, there’s more bad news.
June 2, 2025: On Saturday, May 31, Meyer Burger announced that its subsidiaries in Germany have each filed for insolvency proceedings. As we wrote below last week, the employees in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in Saxony and Bitterfeld-Wolfen in Lower Saxony were furloughed last year, but they’ve now been laid off.
Meyer Burger Germany in Hohenstein-Ernstthal employs 289 people in mechanical engineering and technology development. Meyer Burger Industries’ solar cell factory in Bitterfeld-Wolfen employs 331 people.
Subsidiary Meyer Burger (Switzerland) AG, which employs around 60 people in Thun, will remain in operation. Meyer Burger (Americas) Ltd. will also remain a company.
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Due to ongoing financing discussions on restructuring, the company has requested an extension of the deadline for presenting its 2024 financial results, which expires today.
May 30, 2025: On May 29, all 282 remaining employees at the Goodyear, Arizona, factory received termination notices, and operations were shut down immediately. The site was still in its ramp-up phase and had a planned annual production capacity of 1.4 gigawatts. Meyer Burger had just started assembling solar cells imported from its factory in Germany.
The company says it’s been forced to shut down the US plant due to a lack of funding. The future of the Goodyear facility is now uncertain.
Meyer Burger is currently in talks with bondholders as it tries to restructure debt tied to two convertible bonds that mature in 2027 and 2029. Those bonds were issued by its subsidiary MBT Systems GmbH and guaranteed by the parent company.
It’s unclear what this means for Meyer Burger’s factories in eastern Germany, a company spokesperson told German press agency dpa. Around 300 employees at each site, in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in Saxony and Bitterfeld-Wolfen in Lower Saxony, were furloughed last year.
Meyer Burger has struggled for a few years, in no small part due to competition from cheaper Chinese solar imports. In 2024, it cut around 20% of its 1,000-person workforce, even as it moved ahead with US expansion plans. In December, the company secured nearly $40 million in bridge financing from creditors to keep things afloat, but that money appears to have run dry.
Meyer Burger says it will share more information as it becomes available.
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That’s not a typo. Lucid (LCID) is offering over $31,000 off select 2025 Air models this month as part of the EV maker’s strongest promotions so far.
Lucid Air EV gets over $31,000 in discounts this June
The Lucid Air is an impressive car inside and out. It’s not only pretty looking, but the 2025 Lucid Air is the “world’s most efficient car” with over 420 miles of EPA-estimated driving range and the highest MPGe rating of any EV at 146 MPGe.
This month, you can snag some serious savings on the luxury electric sedan with Lucid launching its largest discount program yet.
The 2025 Lucid Air is now available with up to $31,500 in discounts. The offer includes a $2,000 On-Site bonus, a $2,000 conquest bonus, a $20,000 Air Credit, and a $7,500 EV Credit. That’s for the Air Grand Touring trim with $6,819 due at signing.
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Lucid is offering a generous $26,500 and $21,500 off the Touring and Pure trims, respectively. The discounts are up significantly from last month.
2025 Lucid Air EV offers in June (Source: Lucid)
In May, the 2025 Lucid Air Grand Touring was listed with a $15,500 discount, while the Touring and Pure models had discounts of $20,500 and $18,000, respectively.
If you drive a Tesla, you save an additional $4,000. Lucid sweetened the deal for Tesla drivers last month, doubling its trade-in bonus.
Lucid Gravity and Air models (Source: Lucid)
Lucid’s offers end on June 30, 2025. You will need to take delivery by then to be eligible. The 2025 Lucid Air Grand Touring starts at $110,900, with 819 hp and 512 miles range. The base Air Pure trim starts at $69,900, with 430 hp and 420 miles range.
For those of you looking for something a bit larger, you might want to check out Lucid’s first electric SUV, the Gravity.
2025 Lucid Air trim
Starting Price
Lease Discounts
Lease From (per month/ 36 months)
EPA-estimated Range
Lucid Air Pure
$69,900
-$18,000
$579
420 miles
Lucid Air Touring
$78,900
-$20,500
$599
406 miles
Lucid Air Grand Touring
$110,900
-$15,500
$849
512 miles
Lucid Air Sapphire
$249,000
N/A
N/A
427 miles
2025 Lucid Air prices and range by trim
The Gravity fits seven comfortably and boasts a driving range of up to 450 miles. According to Lucid’s payment calculator, the 2026 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring can be leased for around $1,100 a month.
The offer is based on the GT’s MSRP of $94,900 with a down payment of $8,030. Later this year, the Touring model will be available, starting at $79,900.
With over $31,000 in discounts, Lucid is launching its largest promotions to date. If you’re ready to check out the luxury EVs for yourself, you can use our links below to find current offers on Lucid Air and Gravity models near you.
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