Photos - BMW X5 with Carbon Fiber Unibody

[Leica]

BMW unveiled the plans of becoming the world leader in providing electric cars with passenger cells made from carbon fibers at the Innovation Days Mobility event. We will see this come into play in the Megacity Vehicle set to be released in 2013.

The use of carbon fiber allows for lightweight construction of the cars as these are 50 percent lighter than steel. We don't have to worry about the durability because they are at par with steel when it comes to strength. Carbon fibers can also survive extreme weather conditions, and are damage tolerant. Thus, safety will not be compromised.

BMW has been working on how they can use carbon fiber in their fleet since 2003. And one of the vehicles that first used carbon fiber is the first generation BMW X5 4.6.

This car's unibody, hood, roof and rear hatch, as shown in the pictures below, are all entirely made of carbon fiber. Only the doors were made out of steel. The weight of this car was reduced by 440 pounds!

This is the very first time that the BMW X5 with carbon fiber parts is shown to the public.

Source: BMWBlog