The BMW Group entered a new era in automotive construction today with the start of series production of the BMW i3. The world’s first premium electric vehicle to be purpose-designed for this form of drive system is the result of an all-encompassing development approach targeted at reducing fuel consumption and emissions in urban areas. This is the first time that carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) has been used in automotive volume production. The body structure of the BMW i3 consists entirely of this extremely lightweight and durable material, allowing the extra weight of the batteries for the electric drive system to be cancelled out. By industrializing the manufacturing process for CFRP, the BMW Group has become the first company worldwide to make its use in vehicle production economically viable. This November the i3 will be available for sale in Germany and select European countries with US deliveries beginning 4 > 5 months later.
[ bmwi3 blog ]
about phil patton
BMW rousted grumpy press up early on Monday in New York for the unveiling of its electric car, to sync the event with London and Beijing and make a point about globalism and megacities in the future. The megacity car has become the i3, and goes on sale in Europe in the fall. With a range of 80 to 100 miles and a price of some $42,000, the BMW i3 might be seen as a near competitor to the Chevy Volt. But its carbon fiber is made with sustainable, hydroelectric energy, according to the Governor of Washington state, who was there in person. The factory where it is built in Leipzig uses windpower. BMW boss Norbert Reithofer declared the car meant nothing less than a revolution in urban mobility. He compared the potential impact of replacing traditional cars with the electric ones with the social and business effects from replacing wired phones with mobile phones.
The car has center joining doors, for easier access, and black band that sweeps from hood to rear. The black glass like surface of this band is supposed to evoke the face of a mobile phone: tail lights and and other images appear from its depth when illuminated like images on the phone. [ i3 at-a-glance ]
<a href="about phil patton
