BMW has opened a new facility in Washington state, and while that means plenty of good jobs for the residents in and around Moses Lake, the move may have widespread repercussions for the future of automotive manufacturing. It’s not that the plant itself is particularly special, it’s what it builds. The project is a cooperation with SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers, a crew that specializes in -- you guessed it -- carbon fiber. While high-end manufacturers have been playing with the exotic material for years now, it has been cost-prohibitive to bring the strong, lightweight stuff to low-cost cars. At least until now. BMW plans to build the entire crash structure of its upcoming Megacity electric vehicle out of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics. Why? The move is largely a way to save weight. Since EVs are intrinsically heavier than their internal-combustion-engine counterparts because of hefty battery packs, any time a car company can find a way to trim a few pounds, it usually pays off in range, speed and braking performance.
It has been speculated that the cost of lightweight materials will fall considerably as more and more manufacturers explore mass production. Now that BMW has taken the plunge, especially for what’s expected to be a low-cost city car, we look to see other car companies follow suit. The Megacity is expected to hit the market on 2013.
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