I love that BMW is making the carbon fiber for the BMW i3 in Washington - it's basically my backyard since I live in the Seattle area!
I found an article in the Columbia Basin Herald that talks a little more about the search that BMW did in order to decide they would make the i3 in Moses Lake.
For production of the BMW i3 carbon fiber body, BMW had a few requirements:
- BMW wanted to build a sustainable vehicle so green power was necessary. Since the sun isn't always shining and the wind isn't always blowing, hydro power was decided on.
- BMW needed a dry climate with little rain since humid climates can hinder carbon fiber production
- the location needed to be friendly to BMW and a place where its executives and staff would not struggle to communicate. China would not work.
According to Dennis Baumann, head of business development for SGL automotive carbon fibers:
"We looked all over the world," Baumann said. "There were two finalists, a French-speaking country and Moses Lake."
"I was impressed with the wide open spaces in Moses Lake," said Baumann, who visited a dozen times in 2011. "The land is flat, and you can see for miles and miles."
BMW invested over $100 million into the facility, and 80 jobs were created in the initial phase of the partnership between SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers and BMW. The plant was built on a 60 acre site with an option for additional land. It is one of the most cost-efficient carbon fiber plants and uses the latest technology.
The BMW i3 will be the first widely produced vehicle that uses a body comprised fully of carbon fiber.
I found an article in the Columbia Basin Herald that talks a little more about the search that BMW did in order to decide they would make the i3 in Moses Lake.
For production of the BMW i3 carbon fiber body, BMW had a few requirements:
- BMW wanted to build a sustainable vehicle so green power was necessary. Since the sun isn't always shining and the wind isn't always blowing, hydro power was decided on.
- BMW needed a dry climate with little rain since humid climates can hinder carbon fiber production
- the location needed to be friendly to BMW and a place where its executives and staff would not struggle to communicate. China would not work.
According to Dennis Baumann, head of business development for SGL automotive carbon fibers:
"We looked all over the world," Baumann said. "There were two finalists, a French-speaking country and Moses Lake."
"I was impressed with the wide open spaces in Moses Lake," said Baumann, who visited a dozen times in 2011. "The land is flat, and you can see for miles and miles."
BMW invested over $100 million into the facility, and 80 jobs were created in the initial phase of the partnership between SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers and BMW. The plant was built on a 60 acre site with an option for additional land. It is one of the most cost-efficient carbon fiber plants and uses the latest technology.
The BMW i3 will be the first widely produced vehicle that uses a body comprised fully of carbon fiber.
