Print 33 comment(s) - last by Keeir.. on Jan 10 at 12:47 AM

CFRP will also make the BMW i3 more lightweight with extra space

BMW said the i3 will have lower repair and insurance costs thanks to the use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). 
According to a new report from Autoblog Green, the BMW i3's use of CFRP will make repairs easier because most bumps at a traffic light or a parking lot will only damage exterior plastic parts, which are easily replaced. But for bigger collisions that actually do affect the carbon fiber, the damage stays local to that one spot. 
"When we evaluated carbon fiber, we started doing the safety, crash and repair concepts right from the beginning because just deciding on carbon fiber and then, when we're done, looking at [the details] would be a huge risk," said Manuel Sattig, communications manager for BMW i.
"Carbon fiber is, of course, a new material. Our dealers need to be trained for that specific repair system. But, if you look at the i3, if the car has a small bit of damage, someone hits you at a traffic light or bumps into you in a parking garage, you don't hit carbon fiber, you mostly damage the exterior plastic parts. They can very easily be replaced because you click out the damaged part and replace it with a new one. If you have a stronger accident, then, of course, carbon fiber will be damaged. The interesting thing is that carbon fiber is not deforming, so the damage only happens locally and it breaks only at that specific area."

Sattig noted that BMW has already talked the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the insurance industry about the use of the new material, and they've decided to go with a "very low" insurance system. 

CFRP will also make the BMW i3 more lightweight with extra space. 

BMW officially announced the all-electric i3 back in July, giving the new vehicle a price tag of $41,350 USD. 

For those concerned about range, the i3 has an electric range of 80-100 miles, and the battery can be charged with a standard system in about three hours.

In October, it was reported that BMW may boost production of the i3 EV due to early demand. At that time, the automaker said customers reserved over 8,000 i3s ahead of the official launch in Europe. 

The i3 will go on sale in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2014.

Source: Autoblog Green

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RE: Deforming
By Jeffk464 on 12/12/2013 3:11:28 PM , Rating: 2
I'm not convinced that carbon fiber is more environmental than aluminum. Aluminum is easily recyclable and is non toxic.

RE: Deforming
By Solandri on 12/12/2013 3:32:01 PM , Rating: 2
Aluminum takes a boatload of energy to refine. Its naturally occurring forms are at very low energy states, so you have to add a ton of energy to convert it back into elemental aluminum. That's the reason the Shuttle's solid rocket boosters used aluminum for fuel - it releases a whole lot of energy when oxidized.

Aluminum cans and aluminum foil are only stable because oxidation forms a thin airtight layer of aluminum oxide (aka corundum - same stuf as rubies and sapphires) which protects the remaining aluminum from oxidation.

So while the aluminum itself is environmentally friendly, making the aluminum is not.

RE: Deforming
By TheBlackbrrd on 12/12/2013 5:13:45 PM , Rating: 2
Making aluminium is environmentally unfriendly, but it's environmentally friendly to recycle, since there takes little energy to melt aluminium. It's one of the few materials that makes sense to recycle economically too.

RE: Deforming
By TheBlackbrrd on 12/12/2013 5:18:36 PM , Rating: 2
Regarding the energy required in the process, if it's in countries like Iceland or Norway that are mostly hydroelectric, it really doesn't matter that it takes a lot of energy.

On the other side, the refinement process prior to the melting process is anything but environmentally friendly. Aluminium is poisonous (until it's in it's pure form, when it's quite inert)

RE: Deforming
By ritualm on 12/12/2013 5:13:08 PM , Rating: 2
Aluminum requires LOTS of energy to produce. Elemental aluminum itself melts at 3600 degrees F, so refiners have to first convert bauxite ore into cryolite and then apply 1740-1800 degrees F of heat to get the metal out.

Ever wonder why most aluminum mills are situated next to major power generation installations? Because those mills will then have access to huge amounts of cheap electricity required to make the metal itself.

It's easily recyclable and non-toxic, but environmental friendly it is not.

RE: Deforming
By Jeffk464 on 12/12/2013 6:15:58 PM , Rating: 2
Interesting I wonder if the weight benefits of aluminum over steal pays for itself environmentally. One thing that's kind of mitigating factor is I believe the metal in cars is almost all recycled.

