Solar charging is indisputably one of the best ways of running an electric vehicle. It certainly mitigates any lingering worries about fueling your car with a smoke-belching coal-fired power plant.

BMW is backing solar too, commissioning its BMW DesignworksUSA arm to design a stylish solar carport, perfect for the i3 electric car and recently-tested i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

It's the latest part of BMW's holistic view on electric mobility--making step of the process greener, rather than churning out electric vehicles and leaving it at that. BMW announced the idea last year, but this is the first time we've seen the finished product.

With sustainability in mind, BMW's solar carport takes its cues from the cars themselves, employing high-tech and sustainable materials in equal measure.

ALSO SEE: Do The BMW i3 And i8 Electric Cars Pose A Threat To Tesla?

Where i-car interiors are filled with naturally-dyed leathers, eucalyptus wood and carbon-fiber accents, the carport uses carbon accents and bamboo struts--the latter picked for its rapid-growing, easily-renewable attributes.

Sitting atop the structure, the solar panels themselves are high-grade glass-on-glass units, both translucent and durable. They should last longer than you're likely to keep the car--in Europe, the solar panel manufacturer offers a 30-year warranty.

It also does a nice job of shading your car from the sun--cutting down on that initial need for a blast of air-conditioning in hotter climates. No energy yield is quoted, but the large flat panels should comfortably feed the i8's 22-mile range through BMW's own 'i Wallbox Pro' charging unit.

No price is quoted either, and we can't imagine such a structure will be cheap. It is, however, one of the best ways of charging your electric BMW, and enhances their green credentials just a little further

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GM and the Environmental Defense Fund asked the EPA to develop emissions standards yielding a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the 2030 model year.

Faraday confirmed that the rating is for models with a 142-kwh battery pack. Faraday is taking pre-orders for the Futurist and a Futurist Alliance model, with pre-orders for an unnamed base model to open at a later date.

Volvo announces the EX90 electric SUV. Tesla recalls more than a million vehicles. And should we tax the rich to pay for EV infrastructure? This and more, here at Green Car Reports. Californians will get to vote later this year on a ballot measure that would increase taxes on those making over $2...

Over 1 million Teslas have a window-safety issue; company promises over-the-air fix is in the works.

California voters will soon get to decide whether to raise taxes on residents making more than $2 million a year and use some of that for EV-related initiatives.

The EX90 will use next-generation sensors and software that might help prevent deadly crashes.

Fisker chose Wallbox for home charging. Sono is applying its solar tech beyond its Euro-market Sion EV. And GM and Hertz are teaming up for more electric vehicles in the rental fleet. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. The rental-car giant Hertz plans to order 175,000 GM EVs over five years. The models potentially purchased by the plan will span a wide range of categories, sizes, and price points, according to the companies, and the deal will start with Bolt EV and EUV models to be delivered in early 2023. Fisker has confirmed Wallbox as its official partner for home charging...

Deliveries will start in the first quarter of 2023 with the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV and will eventually include EVs from the Chevy, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and BrightDrop brands.

Wallbox will market its Pulsar Plus charger to North American Fisker owners, and the Pulsar Max to European owners, with units for purchase through the Fisker website.

Power from the sun could save up to 396 gallons of diesel per bus, annually, or 50% of the additional energy needs for refrigerated trailers.

The dealerships that take buyouts for their Buick and Cadillac franchises could actually end up selling Chevrolet models exclusively, an executive explained.

Upfits are big business, and the ID.Buzz Cargo might be a template good for a wide range of professional uses.