BMW i3 Touring caught for the first time, and that wagon rear is hard to miss

This is a car news item, not an energy-efficiency or home upgrade story, so it does not affect your house or any rebate program. Briefly, for context: BMW's electric i3 wagon, called the i3 Touring, was spotted in public for the first time, still wearing camouflage. It follows the i3 sedan, which went on sale in June as BMW's second "Neue Klasse" model after the iX3 SUV. In Germany the sedan starts around €65,900 ($75,500), with a First Edition version at €75,340 ($86,400). UK pricing starts at £53,005 ($70,000) for the standard model, arriving this autumn.

The sedan has a large 108.7 kWh battery and a rated range up to 566 miles in Europe's test cycle, or about 440 miles under the US EPA rating. It can add roughly 250 miles of range in about 10 minutes on a fast charger, and US versions will use BMW's NACS charging port, the same connector Tesla uses. The Touring wagon is expected to offer more cargo and passenger space than the sedan, but likely with somewhat less range and a higher price.

None of this involves home electricity use, insulation, heating, or rebate programs. It is simply an update on an upcoming electric car model. Production is set to start this summer at BMW's Munich plant, with deliveries expected this fall, and more details on the wagon version are expected soon.