A couple of weeks ago, we traced the path of carbon fiber produced at BMW’s Moses Lake, Washington facility through final assembly at the Bavarians’ Leipzig outpost. Munich has now announced an additional $200 million investment in the plant, a joint venture with the SGL Group, with an eye toward utilizing the lightweight material in vehicles beyond the specialized i and M models.
Due to its high cost, carbon fiber has generally been used in models focused on performance. Initially used in racing machines and high-cost exotics, intensive carbon-fiber use trickled down into eco-specials such as the Volkswagen XL1, Tesla Roadster, and, most affordably, BMW’s i3. Now the Bayerische Motoren Werke wants to drive the cost down further via increased availability.
The Moses Lake facility’s two production lines currently boast an annual output of 3000 tons of carbon fiber, all of it earmarked for the hybrid/electric i range. SGL’s in the process of adding two more lines to double production. With BMW’s further investment, the factory will boast a total of six lines, churning out 9000 tons of the fibery stuff per year. The company is emphasizing the fact that all lines will continue to utilize hydroelectric power in the production process.
- Lightweight, Will Travel: Tracing the Carbon Fiber in BMW’s i3 and i8 to Its Source
- First Drive: 2015 BMW i8
- BMW i3 Research: Photos, Reviews, News, and More
What’s BMW to do with their looming surfeit of carbon? Expect M models to shed more weight via further application of the material. Expect non-M cars to utilize the material to increase performance and decrease emissions. We noted last month, “for now, carbon fiber remains a pricey proposition for any automaker.” For BMW, at least, this investment should ensure that it’s about to become a less-pricey one.
Davey G. Johnson has been writing about the machines that move us since 2001. His first automobile was an El Camino, his first motorcycle a Guzzi, and his first sports car a Porsche, informing his admittedly fungible belief that one should haul American, drive German, and ride Italian.
