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      07-06-2010, 12:16 PM   #1
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Arrow Megacity Vehicle will be world's 1st volume-produced carbon fiber passenger cell car

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Megacity Vehicle will be world's 1st volume-produced carbon fiber passenger cell car
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Megacity Vehicle to become the world’s first volume-produced car with a passenger cell made from carbon.

* 06.07.2010
* Press Release


Munich. The BMW Group is once again breaking new ground with the Megacity Vehicle (MCV), due to come onto the market in 2013: “The Megacity Vehicle is a revolutionary automobile. It will be the world’s first volume-produced vehicle with a passenger cell made from carbon. Our LifeDrive architecture is helping us to open a new chapter in automotive lightweight design. Indeed, this concept allows us to practically offset the extra 250 to 350 kilograms of weight typically found in electrically powered vehicles.” says Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management for Development.

“The drive system remains the heartbeat of a car, and that also applies to electric vehicles,” said Draeger. “Powertrains also remain a core area of expertise of Bayerische Motoren Werke. Electromobility and the hallmark BMW driving pleasure make an excellent match, if you go about things the right way. For this reason we are developing the powertrain for the Megacity Vehicle in-house – that includes the electric motor, the power electronics and the battery system.”

The electrification of a vehicle requires new concepts in vehicle architecture and body construction in order to exploit the potential of the new emission-free drive system to optimum effect. With the revolutionary LifeDrive concept, the BMW Group engineers are developing the car’s architecture from scratch and adapting it to the demands and conditions of future mobility. The goal: to offset the additional weight of an electric vehicle – typically 250 to 350 kilograms. To this end, the BMW Group is focusing on the innovative high-tech material carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP).

The LifeDrive concept consists of two horizontally separated, independent modules. The Drive module integrates the battery, drive system and structural and crash functions into a single construction within the chassis. Its partner, the Life module, consists primarily of a high-strength and extremely lightweight passenger cell made from CFRP. Furthermore, the new vehicle architecture opens the door to totally new production processes which are both simpler and more flexible, and use less energy.

The BMW Group is also aiming to be the force behind the best drive systems over the years ahead – systems boasting outstanding efficiency, performance and smoothness, even if it is electricity rather than fossil fuels that are converted into propulsion. To this end, the BMW Group is vigorously driving forward the technical development of electric powertrains. The BMW Group’s centre of expertise for electric drive systems brings together development, manufacturing and procurement specialists under one roof. All their efforts are focused on the implementation and typically BMW interpretation of the new generation of drive systems. Ultimately, electric vehicles not only provide a zero-local-emission and low-noise form of propulsion; their ability to deliver a totally new and extremely agile driving experience is also impressive.

The new architecture of the MCV also gives the vehicle designers additional freedom when it comes to creating a new aesthetic for sustainable urban mobility solutions.





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      07-06-2010, 01:01 PM   #2
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wow looks nice!
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      07-06-2010, 03:26 PM   #3
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that passenger airbag is crazy
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      07-06-2010, 03:27 PM   #4
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      07-06-2010, 04:19 PM   #5
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Wow, that won't be cheap to insure, can't imagine the enormous costs to fix after any type of accident, significant or not...
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      07-06-2010, 05:48 PM   #6
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"[BMW] megacity Vehicle to become the world’s first volume-produced car with a passenger cell made from carbon."
To above statement is a fideism, which brings to mind Niels Bohr well known humoresque:
"Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future."
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      07-06-2010, 05:49 PM   #7
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Very interesting but how do they propose dealing with the issue of going to your local crash repairer to get panels fixed! Going to be $$$...
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      07-06-2010, 07:42 PM   #8
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      07-06-2010, 08:37 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alext View Post
Very interesting but how do they propose dealing with the issue of going to your local crash repairer to get panels fixed! Going to be $$$...
don't think its panels that are in CF but rather its the frame itself. my guess is the panels are still probably going to be in steel or aluminum like today's cars.
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      07-06-2010, 11:44 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gaifaun View Post
don't think its panels that are in CF but rather its the frame itself. my guess is the panels are still probably going to be in steel or aluminum like today's cars.
+1
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      07-07-2010, 12:03 AM   #11
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lol the dummys have clothes and shoes
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      07-07-2010, 04:41 AM   #12
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i believe the panels will probably stay aluminum to keep the cost of accidents to be low. Can't believe its actually happening! i wrote a report in my engineering writing class about the pros of carbon fiber frames on consumer cars.
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      07-14-2010, 04:50 PM   #13
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Here are some pics from AutoBild car mag...

Some call this car the MegaCity and some call it the new I-setta or Isetta. Enjoy.



Like the headlight accent that wraps around the front fender and side mirrors?




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      07-14-2010, 09:00 PM   #14
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Body shops will no longer need frame racks. Any structural damage to the monocoque appears to be end of life for that component. Insurance companies are going to have a field day with this. Perhaps BMW will start offering collision insurance with the sale of a new vehicle. I love this technology but right now the repair infrastructure in not capable is working with this. My bet is it will spawn a completely new industry for crash repair.

Carbon & CFRP has no memory like metal. It cannot be straightened back to it's original position and shape. It will have to be placed into a jig. The damaged piece cut and removed. Replacement part installed and bonded. This will be interesting to follow.
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      07-14-2010, 09:42 PM   #15
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freaking awesome. love the design of the steering wheel column crash structure
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      07-16-2010, 02:40 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silver-Bolt View Post
Body shops will no longer need frame racks. Any structural damage to the monocoque appears to be end of life for that component. Insurance companies are going to have a field day with this. Perhaps BMW will start offering collision insurance with the sale of a new vehicle. I love this technology but right now the repair infrastructure in not capable is working with this. My bet is it will spawn a completely new industry for crash repair.

Carbon & CFRP has no memory like metal. It cannot be straightened back to it's original position and shape. It will have to be placed into a jig. The damaged piece cut and removed. Replacement part installed and bonded. This will be interesting to follow.
I agree. I wonder how insurance companies will react to this methodology.
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      07-18-2010, 02:46 PM   #17
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that's going to look great! but isn't that going to be hard to repair?
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      08-28-2010, 02:12 PM   #18
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dont forget the M3 has a carbon roof, and people insure those..
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      08-29-2010, 11:08 AM   #19
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some of this CF tech might just trickle into the upcoming M3 =)
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      08-29-2010, 08:43 PM   #20
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Honestly, the thing looks like a deathtrap to me. One crash with an SUV, and that thing is gonna be a slinky.
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