Davidfromdigswell
Well-known member
A friend in the car industry forwarded this to me:
BMW i-Series: BMW’s Risky Project
Spiegel Online
By Tom Grünweg
(Summary)
July 09, 2013
GERMANY --- Although there are already plenty of electric cars on the market, none of the other manufacturers are take things as far as BMW with its i-Series. Not only are those models fuel-free, they also shun the use of steel.
BMW banks on carbon fiber to offset the weight of the batteries and is the first automaker to do so for a production model. BMW is thus treading unchartered territory in terms of chassis construction. That necessitates a budget amounting to billions of euros and BMW is thus extremely risky: If it doesn’t pan out, the impact will be two-fold: On the one side, BMW’s earnings will suffer because the cars won’t sell; on the other is a lack of funding for other vehicles that BMW could have sold otherwise.
Within the automaker, the project is highly controversial as a result, although nobody who works for BMW will admit this officially. The expected difficulties with regard to the battery, the carbon fiber body and the powertrain turned out to be much less severe than expected. But there were problems related to the classic production process. How does one paint a carbon fiber body, for instance; how does one add components, and how is the suspension to be tuned? "We were surprised at how mundane the problems were," said Ulrich Kranz, who heads the project.
What also puts the project in jeopardy is the rapidly changing public opinion regarding electric cars. The project was launched during a period of euphoria regarding alternative powertrains. At present, however, consumers seem much less enthusiastic.
"BMW’s i-models will initially not be profitable. In fact they will weigh on earnings," said the German auto expert, Ferdinand Dudenhöffer. The expert nevertheless regards BMW’s choice as the right one. "As much as we currently still have our doubts regarding electric vehicles, in the long term there will be no alternative in places such as China’s megacities." By combining electric engines with high-tech carbon fiber bodies, BMW is setting itself apart from other battery-powered offerings and securing a technological advantage for years to come, Dudenhöffer believes.
What counts in the end is whether customers can be won over by the product. Earlier fuel misers such as VW’s three-liter Lupo or the Audi A2 have serve as proof that good intentions and public pressure do not guarantee success.
BMW i-Series: BMW’s Risky Project
Spiegel Online
By Tom Grünweg
(Summary)
July 09, 2013
GERMANY --- Although there are already plenty of electric cars on the market, none of the other manufacturers are take things as far as BMW with its i-Series. Not only are those models fuel-free, they also shun the use of steel.
BMW banks on carbon fiber to offset the weight of the batteries and is the first automaker to do so for a production model. BMW is thus treading unchartered territory in terms of chassis construction. That necessitates a budget amounting to billions of euros and BMW is thus extremely risky: If it doesn’t pan out, the impact will be two-fold: On the one side, BMW’s earnings will suffer because the cars won’t sell; on the other is a lack of funding for other vehicles that BMW could have sold otherwise.
Within the automaker, the project is highly controversial as a result, although nobody who works for BMW will admit this officially. The expected difficulties with regard to the battery, the carbon fiber body and the powertrain turned out to be much less severe than expected. But there were problems related to the classic production process. How does one paint a carbon fiber body, for instance; how does one add components, and how is the suspension to be tuned? "We were surprised at how mundane the problems were," said Ulrich Kranz, who heads the project.
What also puts the project in jeopardy is the rapidly changing public opinion regarding electric cars. The project was launched during a period of euphoria regarding alternative powertrains. At present, however, consumers seem much less enthusiastic.
"BMW’s i-models will initially not be profitable. In fact they will weigh on earnings," said the German auto expert, Ferdinand Dudenhöffer. The expert nevertheless regards BMW’s choice as the right one. "As much as we currently still have our doubts regarding electric vehicles, in the long term there will be no alternative in places such as China’s megacities." By combining electric engines with high-tech carbon fiber bodies, BMW is setting itself apart from other battery-powered offerings and securing a technological advantage for years to come, Dudenhöffer believes.
What counts in the end is whether customers can be won over by the product. Earlier fuel misers such as VW’s three-liter Lupo or the Audi A2 have serve as proof that good intentions and public pressure do not guarantee success.