We all knew this day would one day come; the day that an automobile manufacturer would come out with a way to make carbon fiber available for an entire new class of car owners. For too long carbon fiber has been left out of mass produced production vehicles due to the steep costs. However, due to some researchers backed by BMW this could all change within the next BMW generations. According to a BMW official they are over halfway to their carbon fiber cost cutting goal.
Due to BMW’s high demand of carbon fiber, which is used in the new i8, i3 and M3/M4 models, BMW needed to find a more cost efficient way to produce it. After seeing the benefits BMW, with the help of MAI Carbon Cluster Management (a research group that is funded by the German Federal Government) was able to make progress towards reducing carbon fiber costs by 90%.
BMW is not the only ones backing MAI, in search of a cheaper carbon fiber. Over 70 other automobile manufacturers, including Audi, are supporting MAI. These manufacturers have been seeking for a new product to replace the far less efficient steel. Merely years ago carbon fiber was only used for super cars but is now closer then ever to be used in every mass produced vehicle. This is because CF used to be $20 for every 2.2lbs while steel was compared at less than $1 for steel. With these huge advancements it is only a matter of time before we see carbon fiber and other composite materials on our cars more than steel or aluminum.
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