In << Forbes.com Magazine Article 2010/07/13 >>UD

BMW's Electric Car Innovation
Mellissa Hincha-Owenby - 07.13.10, 3.10 PM ET

BMW's Megacity Vehicle won't be the first mass-produced electric vehicle on the market, but it will be the first mass-produced to use a passenger cell made from carbon,specifically carbon fibre-reinforced plastic(CFRP). Carbon is known for its light weight and likely will allow BMW to offset the additional weight that comes with an electrical vehicle drive train.And a lighter vehicle will probably lead to an extended driving range.With American consumers focused on being able to drive longer distances on one tank of gas or one electric battery or electric charge,this could lead to more interest in the Megacity Vehicle as it's 2013 release date nears. BMW is creating this vehicle from the ground up and completely in-house,using what it calls "the LifeDrive concept."The company says electrifying its vehicles requires a completely new approach to vehicle architecture and body construction in order to optimize the electric vehicle platform."The LifeDrive concept consists of two horizontally seperated,independant modules,"the company said in a statement."The Drive module intergrates the battery,drive system and structural into a single construction within the chasssis.

Its partner,the Life module,cosists 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." Although the success of future electric vehicles will depend on the consumers'adoption of the technology,auto makers like BMW are continuing with their plans to bring all-electric vehicles to market.

As the technology improves we are likely to see longer driving ranges,which is one of the key factors that will influence Americans' electric vehicle purchase descisions.

BMW does not yet have details on the possible range of the Megacity Vehicle,but with several years to fine-tune this process,we may very well see a vehicle with an all-electric range near the 200-mile mark--the sweet spot for American buyers.

Melissa Hincha-Ownby blogs for the Mother Nature Network.

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