BMW to Build Carbon Fiber Plant in North American
According to a local Washington State TV station BMW and partner SGL are looking at several locations in North America to build a plant specifically for producing carbon fiber material likely for the upcoming iSetta range of cars. According to sources BMW is looking at a location near Moses Lake Washington (US) and an unnamed Canadian city. The project is so secret that those inside the Washington county where Moses Lake resides are only calling it “Project Chinook”.
With labor and material cheaper in North America than Europe, BMW is looking to make a strategic decision to shift some production of components outside of Europe and closer to what is currently BMW’s largest market and closer to what could eventually eclipse it, China.
What does this mean for MINI? Unlike some technologies, BMW has been adamant that Carbon Fiber will be used in it’s new range of small and highly efficient city cars sub-branded iSetta. Assuming BMW can get the carbon fiber components down (we’re talking large components like entire chassis, not spoilers) then we could see this technology coming to MINI in the 4th generation car late this decade.
BMW and SGL are expected to make a decision and a formal announcement in the coming weeks.
<p>While I like the idea of lighter and more efficient vehicles I can’t help but wonder about the wisdom of using carbon fiber for a whole car. There are stories about Lotus Elises that have had minor body damage becoming total write-offs due to the cost and chemicals involved in repairing their carbon fiber bodies. I see big insurance premiums.</p>
<p>The other thing is how recyclable are these cars. A steel bodied car can be melted down and made into another car. What do you do with carbon fiber besides land fill it?</p>
<p>Happy Motoring,
Jack</p>
<p>This is a very interesting development.</p>
<p>BMW obviously observes the EU’s End-of-Life Vehicle Directive, so this move to more carbon components is going to be in line with those recycling and reclamation requirements.</p>
<p>Apparently, a market for recycled carbon exists, but there’s also a stigma attached to the notion of including “recycled carbon fiber” in the construction of new goods. Research is being conducted that will demonstrate the integrity of recycled carbon, which should go a long way to reversing current perceptions.</p>
<p>Regarding your comment about repairing carbon, I’ve got a bit of experience here (albeit far removed from automobiles).</p>
<p>Most of my cycling components and frames are now made from carbon fiber, and I’ve damaged some of it while training. Repair of damaged frames, for example, is done by remarkably small number of companies and it’s bloody expensive. Last summer I nearly totaled one of my carbon frames (Scott CR1 Limited) when the rear derailleur folded into the chainstay. A repair such as this is in the many hundreds-of-dollars, but on a $4,000+ frame there was a case to be made.</p>
<p>I suspect finding an outfit qualified to do expert level repair on an automobile chassis will be even more difficult to find and radically more expensive, but I plead ignorance here.</p>
<p>@Jack07734…..the Lotus Elise body is not made of carbon fiber. While they can be quite costly to repair, when an Elise clamshell or any other body part is damaged, it won’t be carbon fiber.</p>
<p>Vehicles made mostly or entirely out of carbon fiber should theoretically have greater longevity than steel. Corrosion is not an issue with carbon components. Also, if the parts are designed to be replaceable, then junked cars can be great sources of repair parts. So re-use in addition to recycling.</p>
<p>Currently carbon fiber is an exotic material. As it becomes more common, more people will have the training to repair it. Larger volumes should also drive cost down.</p>
<p>A carbon fiber plant, eh? I didn’t know carbon fiber grew on trees!</p>
<p>its not so much a tree but a low lying shrub like plant. It prefers low humidity and low light and is most commonly found in the more affluent built up areas of metropolitan centers. A carbon fibre plant cannon regerminate after you take clippings as those clipping automatically die and become useless. One misconception about the carbon fiber plant is that they only come in black. There are new species being found that include blue, red, and silver in adition to the common black. These new colours represent an evolution in the growing process of the carbon fibre and should sprout to even more colours over time…</p>
<p>its true…</p>
<p>trust me – I’m a Doctor :D</p>
<p>I wonder what this means for my R53….</p>
<p>Anyone remember the carbon fiber tail wing breaking on Airbus planes? Carbon Fiber is probably not the ultimate to chassis longevity. Sure, it won’t rust, but what about the mushrooming strut towers? Carbon won’t mushroom, it’ll stress crack and shatter. Then you’re left with a repair bill in the 4 digit range and MINI saying it’s not their problem. I don’t think I want a carbon chassis on a daily driver.</p>
<p>true, carbon fiber is not as “malleable” as steel…. which is why I bought an R53</p>
<p>It would be nice if to buils such cars. Then you won’t have to change parts by yourself. I’ve found the video <a href="http://www.tubesfan.com/watch/bmw-135i-carbon-fiber-mirror-cover-install" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.tubesfan.com/watch/bmw-135i-carbon-fiber-mirror-cover-install</a> which shows how to remove the factory mirror cover and replace it with a BMW Carbon Fiber Mirror Cover. It is pretty easy but still it is better when everything is done from the very beginning. It is strange that the plant will be built in the USA, but not somewhere in Europe or at least China.</p>