BMW was not the first car manufacturer to experiment with carbon fiber in street legal cars. Already in 1992 the legendary McLaren F1 was one of the early lawyers. The less well-known Jaguar XJR-15 was even a few years ahead of the BMW V12 super sports car. Although these two were extremely expensive and rare exotic, the 2013 i3 was not the case. The quirky sloping rear is generally regarded as the first mainstream mass car for using carbon fibers.
BMW had previously worked with carbon fiber. In 2003 the roof of the E46 M3 CSL was made from plastic (CFRP) reinforced with carbon fibers. The following uses included the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, the 7-series 7 and the IX. Carbon fiber are still used in a variety of M models. In addition, the M-performance parts catalog with carbon components is filled for a variety of non-M products.
According to Munich, however, it is that new class models are “unlikely that carbon fiber will be used in detail”. It is an interesting statement given the advantages of the light material. BMW itself points out that a carbon body component is 20-30% lighter than an equivalent aluminum part and up to 50% lighter than steel.
Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be a big surprise. In 2017, BMW sold its 49% participation in the SGL Automotive Carbon fiber -Joint Venture, although it kept 18.3% of the SGL Carbon Company. In retrospect, BMW calls it an “interesting experiment” that “is unlikely that you will not repeat yourself, especially since the energy costs continue to rise worldwide”.
So what comes to carbon fiber? Although BMW CFK does not give up completely, he has already signaled that a replacement is in progress. Natural fiber composite materials for series production cars are planned. The light-based components are intended to reduce CO₂E emissions by up to 40% compared to a carbon roof.
To achieve this, BMW has worked with BCOP, a Swiss company that specializes in biological technologies in which the car manufacturer holds a share. It is unclear whether only M -cars take on natural fiber composite materials or whether regular models also use these renewable raw material components.
Although the technology has already been presented on the roof and the diffuser of a current M4-M4-M4-fact matter, only future models will switch to natural fiber composite materials. These environmentally friendly parts are not limited to the exterior, but are also presented in some areas of the cabin.
Source: BMW
