Thanks to its light weight and high strength, carbon fiber has long been the material of choice for high-end sports cars and even race cars. However, BMW will soon make this material mainstream by introducing the material into its entire lineup by 2013.
While carbon fiber has traditionally been associated with performance vehicles, BMW has more recently turned to carbon fiber panels to reduce weight in order boost efficiency, rather than speed. This can be seen in the upcoming Megacity Vehicle, BMW’s zero-emission urban vehicle.
“We will be the first manufacturer to take carbon fiber to effectively high volume,” said global sales head Ian Robertson amid last week’s Beijing Auto Show.
Together with partner SGL Group, a leading manufacturer of carbon-based products, BMW is planning to build a new $100 million carbon fiber plant in Washington state to help produce the vast amounts of carbon fiber needed to supply BMW’s lineup.
The carbon fiber used specifically for the upcoming Megacity will be produced and molded in Germany. BMW officials point out that the use of such material in a zero-emissions vehicle just makes sense.
“By using carbon fiber, which is a little more expensive but 30 percent lighter, you don’t need as many batteries for the same range,” Robertson said. “There’s a trade-off that actually works.”
* * *
Continue reading the latest BMW news on this blog. Subscribe now.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }