Deal done for BMW's 'Megacity'

BMW's plans for its upcoming Megacity hybrid sub-brand took a sizeable leap forward recently with the announcement of a trans-Atlantic joint venture deal with carbonfibre specialist SGL.

The 90 million euro ($145m) deal points to how extensive a role carbonfibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) will play in the company's super-low emissions vehicle plans for the next decade.

In a statement, BMW AG chairman Norbert Reithofer tellingly said of the deal that BMW is "acquiring pioneering future technologies and raw materials that we need for our Megacity Vehicle on competitive terms."

That last clause suggests they're going to need lots of carbonfibre -- a material whose market penetration has always been hindered by its expense.

"With our concepts within project i, we are breaking new ground when it comes to vehicle architecture, lightweight design and the use of materials," Reithofer added.

Project i is the company's umbrella name for a collection of low-emission city cars including the MINI E, the Megacity and the Z2, a tiny coupe/roadster scheduled for release in 2013.

According to Autobild magazine, it mates a 1.6-litre turbo petrol four with an electric motor, making it good for what the company estimates will be an average 5.0L/100km.

Suggestion has it that BMW might exhume the Isetta brand for the Megacity. Rumours also abound that the company is working on a rear engine, RWD city car to appear under the MINI brand in 2012.

There's also a minivan in the works, along with a widely reported reprise of the C1 enclosed scooter concept.

The C1 didn't set the world on fire a decade ago, but that was then, this is now and the new generation won't appear for several years yet.

A condition of the SGL deal was that the material be produced in ways "underlining [BMW's] position as the most sustainable vehicle manufacturer," the joint press release said.

Carbonfibre production is an energy intensive business -- something the companies intend to get around by using hydroelectric power throughout all production processes.

This is a legislative requirement in the US, where the operation will make the fibres. They will then be shipped to Germany for processing into the fabric which will then be turned into lightweight CFRP components.

Image: (artist's impression)

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