BMW Expands Leipzig Plant to Build Lightweight EVs

NEW YORK – Targeting a production start sometime next year, BMW is pushing through a major expansion of its Leipzig plant in eastern Germany to accommodate assembly of the i3 all-electric vehicle and i8 extended-range EV that are scheduled to launch in late 2013 and 2014, respectively.

The factory, which now assembles the 1-Series hatchback and X1 cross/utility vehicle, will have a dedicated line for the two cars that share the same architecture. BMW had a Richtfest, or roofing ceremony, for the plant expansion last month.

BMW i8 engine shifts from generating electricity to powering rear wheels during aggressive acceleration.

The new section of the factory is designed to use energy only from regenerative sources, which BMW claims is a first in the automotive industry. The auto maker soon will begin building a wind farm at the Leipzig site to supply electricity created by turbines to power the plant's operations.

The i3 and i8 make their North American showing here, and BMW will feature both at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this week. Concept versions of the cars were unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show in September.

The luxury-car maker says the pair represents a sea change because they will be the first mass-produced cars to use lightweight carbon-fiber bodies. Up to now, the material has been used exclusively in the building of Formula 1 race cars and some lower-volume production vehicles.

In order to ensure an adequate supply of carbon fiber, BMW entered into a $100 million joint venture with SGL Carbon of Moses Lake, WA.

The auto maker’s spokesman, Kenn Sparks, says if BMW had not partnered with SGL, it would have required one-third of the world's production of carbon fiber for the tens of thousands of i3 and i8 models it plans to build.

The JV’s new plant, constructed 10 months ago, is located on a 64-acre (26-ha) site in Moses Lake, which is midway between Spokane and Seattle and close to the Grand Coulee Dam, which will generate a plentiful supply of inexpensive and green electric power.

BMW i3 electric motor generates 125 kW (170 hp) and 184 lb.-ft. (250 Nm) of torque.

SGL carbonizes polyacrylonitrile, a synthetic resin known as PAN that is shipped to Washington from MRC SGL Precursor of Otake, Japan. That company is a JV between Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Rayon and the SGL Group.

MRC SGL is the exclusive supplier of the required precursor fiber for the project, and the Moses Lake plant is the world’s only facility dedicated to serial production of carbon fiber for automobile bodies.

The factory has capacity to produce 2.2 tons (2 t) of carbon fiber annually, which will be shipped to a second JV plant in Wackersdorf, Germany, where it will be turned into lightweight carbon fabrics. The fabrics will be made into parts and components at a BMW plant in Landshut, Germany.

The i3, scheduled for introduction in the U.S. in fourth-quarter 2013, has similar exterior dimensions to the Mini Clubman. But because it's a little wider, the EV provides somewhat more interior volume in the passenger cabin.

Although its carbon-fiber body gives it a futuristic look, the i3 is less radical in appearance than the i8, which has about the same exterior dimensions as the Z8 roadster. Both have the first rear doors that open toward the rear ever produced by BMW, if some Rolls-Royce models are discounted.

Designed as an urban car, the i3 EV will offer an optional range-extending 3-cyl. gasoline engine that works exclusively as a generator to recharge the lithium-ion battery pack. BMW has not announced the horsepower output of the optional engine.

Powered only by electricity, the i3 has a cruising range of about 100 miles (161 km). The range-extending gas engine gives it a total 200 miles (322 km).

The i3 electric motor generates 125 kW (170 hp) and 184 lb.-ft. (250 Nm) of torque. Acceleration from 0-37 mph (60 km/h) is claimed to be reached in less than 4 seconds and 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in under 8 seconds.

The i8 EREV, which has two 48-kW (64-hp) electric motors that drive each of the front wheels, only has a cruising range of 20 miles (32 km) on battery power. However, the car also has a 3-cyl., 220-hp gasoline engine providing 221 lb.-ft. (300 Nm) of torque that acts a generator, extending travel up to 300 miles (186 km).

For aggressive driving maneuvers or heavy acceleration, the engine shifts its power to drive the rear wheels. This essentially converts the i8 from front- to all-wheel drive. The combined 260 kW (348 hp) allows acceleration from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in under 5 seconds, BMW claims. Yet, the vehicle should achieve 40.4-56.5 mpg (5.8-4.2 L/100 km) even when driven hard.

The auto maker says the i3 and i8 have aerodynamic designs that contribute to their high fuel efficiency. Their lightweight carbon-fiber bodies add superior strength to the vehicle and increase crashworthiness. BMW declines to provide the cars’ exact drag coefficient, but says it is in the low 0.20s.

Neither car has a B-pillar, which makes for easier entry into and exit out of the passenger cabin. A flat floor covers the battery packs below, which also contributes to a spacious interior. The wheels on both vehicles are big and narrow to lower rolling resistance and contribute to fuel efficiency.

The auto maker has not announced sales targets, but the i3 and i8 will be distributed globally. The Leipzig plant has the capacity to fill market demand, assures Rich Steinberg, BMW manager-electric vehicle operations and strategy.

It's too early to announce prices, he says, but predicts they will be competitive with similar models on the market in 2013. However, BMW expects the two alternative-energy vehicles to command a premium commensurate with luxury products. Expect the i8’s base price to be close to that of the Z8.

The auto maker has yet to make a firm forecast for the new cars’ market share, but Steinberg says it could be a combined 5%-10% of the overall light-vehicle market by 2020.

BMW has been testing more than 600 Mini E cars in the U.S. and Europe, and feedback from that fleet is helping set the production parameters for the i3 and i8.

In addition, testing of more than 1,000 ActiveE vehicles that will begin by the end of this year will help engineers learn what issues EVs face in everyday use.