Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards honors GM Super Cruise, BMW i3
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/tech/" rel="tag">Technology</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/crossovers-cuvs/" rel="tag">Crossover</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/cadillac/" rel="tag">Cadillac</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/electric/" rel="tag">Electric</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/luxury/" rel="tag">Luxury</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2014-bmw-i3-debuts/"><img alt="2014 BMW i3" data-mep="14848" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/1059x715+92+72/resize/628x417!/format/jpg/quality/85/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/ac71146b21af37e27e1250d69 88a5d4/2014-bmw-i3-debut-077.jpg" /></a><br />
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<img alt="Super Cruise" class="right border" data-mep="15174" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/628x419+0+0/resize/250x167!/format/jpg/quality/85/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/924ed53b89052f82fdfac889f a4addba/cadillacsupercruise-opt.jpg" style="float: right;" />Our friends at <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/popular+mechanics/"><em>Popular Mechanics</em></a> have announced the winners of their 2013 Breakthrough Awards, which honor innovations and new technologies in a variety of fields, ranging from medicine to electronics to space travel. Among the winners were a pair of automakers.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/i3/">BMW i3</a> was named one of PM's product breakthroughs, and while the diminutive city car has a range comparable to other electrics, <em>Popular Mechanics</em> was impressed the i3's use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, which allows the i3 to tip the scales at just 2,800 pounds. But the i3's space-age materials wouldn't have been such a smash if it were priced beyond what the general public could afford. BMW's ability to offer a vehicle with such an advanced construction for around $42,000 (nearly <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2013/10/11/2014-cadillac-elr-priced-from-75-000/">half the price</a> of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/cadillac+elr/">Cadillac ELR</a> and only about $7,000 more than a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/chevrolet/volt/">Chevrolet Volt</a> or <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/ford/focus+electric/">Ford Focus Electric</a>) is wildly impressive and speaks volumes about the future of ultra-light composites in the auto industry.<br />
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The other big winner comes from <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/general+motors/">General Motors</a>, which was named an Innovator this year for its semi-autonomous <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/super+cruise/">Super Cruise</a> technology that's currently being tested on a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/cadillac/srx/">Cadillac SRX</a>. The technology, which <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/30/watch-cadillacs-new-semi-autonomous-super-cruise-in-action/">we've reported on before</a>, combines adaptive cruise control and lane centering into a super system that will allow hands-free driving under certain conditions.<br />
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For more on BMW and GM's awards, along with the entire list of winners, hop over to <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/breakthrough-award-winners"><em>Popular Mechanics</em></a>.<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/16/popular-mechanics-breakthrough-awards-honors-gm-super-cruise-bm/">Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards honors GM Super Cruise, BMW i3</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Wed, 16 Oct 2013 09:31:00 EST. Please see our <a href="/rss-term-of-use/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/16/popular-mechanics-breakthrough-awards-honors-gm-super-cruise-bm/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20744679/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/16/popular-mechanics-breakthrough-awards-honors-gm-super-cruise-bm/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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