CFRP
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The limited-production Volkswagen XL1 ultra-economy two-seater gets astounding fuel efficiency from its two-cylinder diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain. It's well over 100 miles per gallon if you use the European test cycle (which differs from U.S. tests). But at a six-figure price and a production limited to a few hundred, it's not likely to have a huge impact on the car market. DON'T MISS: Volkswagen XL1 138-MPG Diesel Plug-In Hybrid: Drive Report (Dec 2013) Now comes news from German auto site Automobilwoche (via Auto Motor und Sport) that BMW is considering its own lightweight...
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Next BMW 7-Series To Use 'Carbon Core' Based on i3 Electric Car Body
The BMW i3 electric car and i8 plug-in hybrid sport coupe are audacious examples of advanced technology in many ways. Not the least of it are body shells made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) mounted atop an aluminum rolling platform carrying the powertrains and crash structures. BMW has...
John Voelcker -
BMW i3, i8 Electric-Car Tech To Let 2016 BMW 7-Series Shed 400 Pounds
BMW is aiming for a significant weight-reduction with its next-generation 7-Series luxury sedan. To do this, BMW will dip into lessons learned from its i3 electric car and i8 plug-in hybrid sports car programs, and use a selection of advanced and lightweight materials to slim down its flagship...
Antony Ingram -
BMW Says It Will Triple Production Of Carbon Fiber For Electric Cars
BMW plans to produce up to 9,000 tons of material per year at its Washington-state plant.
Stephen Edelstein -
Do The BMW i3 And i8 Electric Cars Pose A Threat To Tesla?
With the 2014 BMW i3 battery-electric car now being delivered to its first buyers, and the range-extended i3 REx version to follow within several weeks, BMW is at last in the business of selling electric cars in volume. And that, argues one financial analyst, may pose the most direct threat yet to...
John Voelcker -
2014 BMW i3: Cheaper To Repair, Insure Than You'd Expect
Carbon fiber is not a cheap material. If it was, we'd all be driving around in cars made from it--rather than it being limited to a few supercars and high-end sports cars. And the BMW i3, of course. The expense of its carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) chassis might lead you to assume repairing...
Antony Ingram