Collaboration, LLC: Tesla Might Tap BMW For Carbon Fiber, Exchange Battery Tech

Through cynical eyes, BMW’s i division is a hyper-expensive experiment that hedges against strict emission laws, all so Munich can preserve developing cars that truly make a profit. Although this is true, there are many tangible advantages to BMW’s sophisticated carbon fiber manufacturing—such as driving down the material’s cost and receiving ahead of competitors—and now it has even drawn the praise of one Elon Musk. Yep, overlook the diesel and hybrid Bimmers that sell for regular-ish money—Tesla CEO Musk is turned on by the i lineup’s exotic building.

According to a Der Spiegel interview translated by Reuters, Musk has been chatting with BMW executives about a possible collaboration that would include the sharing of lightweight components and batteries. Musk says he desires to open a battery plant in Germany inside the subsequent 5 to 6 years—his “Gigafactory” in Reno, Nevada will be on-line in 2017—and that the carbon fiber components on the i3 and i8 were “relatively expense-efficient.” Tesla itself has not confirmed any deal with BMW, only that a “casual conversation” amongst a self-made billionaire and some German engineers did in reality take place.

As items sit, both firms are all-in on electrification and currently have alliances at play. BMW is functioning with Audi and other researchers to develop carbon fiber that is 90-% less costly as it triples material production to 9000 tons a year. It’s also tagging along with Mercedes to standardize wireless charging and recently signed a deal with Toyota to develop much more effective lithium-air batteries (in addition to jointly-building a new sports vehicle and advancing Musk’s favored brand of haterade, hydrogen fuel).

Smile! You are on corporate collaboration candid camera!

Tesla, aside from spending billions to construct the world’s biggest battery plant for an expanded lineup of higher-volume cars, doesn’t have any willing automotive partners who’d like to split R&D expenses. And while Tesla investors do not genuinely seem to care about such items right now, sooner or later they’d like to see the firm make a profit every quarter or 2. A partner like BMW—which has sold only about 13,000 i models since late 2013 versus the 50,000 Model S sedans Tesla’s peddled since 2012—would be important to producing true income.

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Tesla still builds powertrains for the electric Smart For2, Mercedes B-class Electric Drive, and Toyota RAV4 EV, yet these are limited-time contracts for quite little numbers of vehicles. (Toyota is killing the RAV4 EV in about a month, although Daimler sold its 4-% Tesla stake around the very same time.) BMW is one of the handful of key automakers to invest so heavily in electric vehicles, even if numerous of the Bimmer EVs are really plug-in hybrids, anything Musk also derides. (In the very same Der Spiegel interview, he associated them to “an amphibious automobile, not excellent in the water and not ideal on land.“) But do not anticipate that to be a deal-killer after all, Smart, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota predominantly build fossil fuel–powered autos, and, generally, Musk does not say issues with out putting his considerable funds exactly where his mouth is. So, humble observers , you would be smart to watch how this small “conversation” concludes.

Collaboration, LLC: Tesla Might Tap BMW For Carbon Fiber, Exchange Battery Tech

Collaboration, LLC: Tesla Might Tap BMW For Carbon Fiber, Exchange Battery Tech

By means of cynical eyes, BMW’s i division is a hyper-pricey experiment that hedges against strict emission laws, all so Munich can hold building automobiles that really make a profit. Whilst this is correct, there are several tangible positive aspects to BMW’s sophisticated carbon fiber manufacturing—such as driving down the material’s price and getting ahead of competitors—and now it has even drawn the praise of one Elon Musk. Yep, neglect the diesel and hybrid Bimmers that sell for typical-ish money—Tesla CEO Musk is turned on by the i lineup’s exotic construction.

According to a Der Spiegel interview translated by Reuters, Musk has been chatting with BMW executives about a feasible collaboration that would include the sharing of lightweight parts and batteries. Musk says he desires to open a battery plant in Germany inside the subsequent 5 to 6 years—his “Gigafactory” in Reno, Nevada will be on the web in 2017—and that the carbon fiber parts on the i3 and i8 had been “relatively expense-efficient.” Tesla itself has not confirmed any deal with BMW, only that a “casual conversation” among a self-made billionaire and some German engineers did in reality occur.

As issues sit, both organizations are all-in on electrification and currently have alliances at play. BMW is working with Audi and other researchers to develop carbon fiber that is 90-% more affordable as it triples material production to 9000 tons a year. It is also tagging along with Mercedes to standardize wireless charging and recently signed a deal with Toyota to create a lot more effective lithium-air batteries (in addition to jointly-constructing a new sports auto and advancing Musk’s preferred brand of haterade, hydrogen fuel).

Smile! You’re on corporate collaboration candid camera!

Tesla, aside from spending billions to construct the world’s biggest battery plant for an expanded lineup of higher-volume automobiles, does not have any prepared automotive partners who’d like to split R&D charges. And whilst Tesla investors don’t really seem to care about such things correct now, sooner or later they’d like to see the business make a profit each and every quarter or 2. A companion like BMW—which has sold only about 13,000 i models because late 2013 versus the 50,000 Model S sedans Tesla’s peddled since 2012—would be key to producing genuine income.

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Tesla still builds powertrains for the electric Smart For2, Mercedes B-class Electric Drive, and Toyota RAV4 EV, however these are limited-time contracts for really small numbers of cars. (Toyota is killing the RAV4 EV in about a month, whilst Daimler sold its 4-% Tesla stake around the same time.) BMW is one particular of the handful of major automakers to invest so heavily in electric vehicles, even if several of the Bimmer EVs are actually plug-in hybrids, some thing Musk also derides. (In the same Der Spiegel interview, he related them to “an amphibious car, not perfect in the water and not best on land.“) But don’t count on that to be a deal-killer after all, Wise, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota predominantly build fossil fuel–powered cars, and, generally, Musk doesn’t say things without putting his considerable income where his mouth is. So, humble observers , you would be smart to watch how this small “conversation” concludes.

Collaboration, LLC: Tesla Might Tap BMW For Carbon Fiber, Exchange Battery Tech

If 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber is the Future, It’s Already Here

At the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan suggested an idea at once futuristic and intuitive: Automotive components should be quickly and easily replaceable with the help of a 3D printer. The IDx NISMO concept featured removable fenders that could be hypothetically upgraded with the proper conceptual hardware. One obvious implication was that a tech-savvy track rat could print fattened fenders to fit thicker aftermarket rubber; long-term, it promised a world with everything from suspension components to wheels printed on demand. It sounded great. It also sounded like vaporware. Just how realistic is it?

From a production standpoint, 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping, has myriad advantages over pieces created by computer-numerical-control (CNC) machine work. The latter requires tremendous time and brain power to design the milling process. Most notably, material cost plummets when you’re not cutting shapes from excess material, as you do with any CNC setup. But plastic, the customary media for modern rapid prototyping, lacks the necessary strength-to-weight ratio for most automotive components. So the fiction-to-fact turning point for car parts is the advent of 3D-printable carbon fiber.

READ THIS: Get a crash course in 3D printing from Christian von Koenigsegg

Right now, that’s actually possible with the brand-new MarkForged Mark One printer, which can print parts from continuous carbon fibers. Previously, only short fibers could be used in 3D printing, which limits strength and stiffness. The Mark One means the 3D-printing process can now create finished parts, not just prototypes, that match the strength and durability of those molded or machined from high-performance composites.

The man behind MarkForged, MIT-educated aerospace engineer Greg Mark, comes from the racing world. His first company, Aeromotions, built carbon-fiber wings for motorsport the old way: laying up material by hand, with huge delays between engineering and manufacturing. And given that every wing was built specifically for each model, the material waste and long delivery time line ensured that even expensive wings barely turned a profit.

But once you can print carbon fiber, the cost model shifts. Manufacturing time evaporates, and iterating and troubleshooting become almost immediate. Schedule a track test, capture data, then build new ground-effects components or bodywork right at the track—just hit “print” and come back 4 hours later.

READ THIS: You can 3D print these free Honda concept car models at home

That potential has drawn the interest of several Formula 1 teams. “Imagine how quickly they could experiment with different downforce models between races,” Mark notes, without naming the interested parties. That nimbleness could also benefit automakers. “You could build an entire car frame in just a week or print suspension components to update a vehicle during its life cycle,” Mark says.

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Working parts are trickier, but the potential is huge because printed carbon allows for precise construction with a far higher carbon-to-resin ratio. And mass-production applications won’t have to make identical parts: With a set of fixed body dimensions and mounting points, manufacturers could build custom interiors while still using factory assembly, by printing bespoke parts right at the line.

For now, buying a replacement fender is still cheaper than printing your own. But 3 years ago, Mark didn’t know he could 3D-print carbon fiber. Who knows what will be possible in 2017.

READ THIS: Print yourself a 3D Porsche Cayman

This story originally appeared on roadandtrack.com

If 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber is the Future, It’s Already Here

If 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber is the Future, It is Already Here

At the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan recommended an thought at after futuristic and intuitive: Automotive elements must be quickly and easily replaceable with the support of a 3D printer. The IDx NISMO idea featured removable fenders that could be hypothetically upgraded with the suitable conceptual hardware. One apparent implication was that a tech-savvy track rat could print fattened fenders to match thicker aftermarket rubber lengthy-term, it promised a planet with every little thing from suspension components to wheels printed on demand. It sounded great. It also sounded like vaporware. Just how realistic is it?

From a production standpoint, 3D printing, also identified as additive manufacturing and fast prototyping, has myriad positive aspects over pieces designed by personal computer-numerical-handle (CNC) machine perform. The latter requires tremendous time and brain power to design the milling method. Most notably, material price plummets when you are not cutting shapes from excess material, as you do with any CNC setup. But plastic, the customary media for modern rapid prototyping, lacks the required strength-to-weight ratio for most automotive elements. So the fiction-to-fact turning point for automobile components is the advent of 3D-printable carbon fiber.

Read THIS: Get a crash course in 3D printing from Christian von Koenigsegg

Correct now, that’s actually attainable with the brand-new MarkForged Mark One particular printer, which can print components from continuous carbon fibers. Previously, only short fibers could be utilised in 3D printing, which limits strength and stiffness. The Mark 1 signifies the 3D-printing approach can now develop completed parts, not just prototypes, that match the strength and durability of those molded or machined from higher-efficiency composites.

The man behind MarkForged, MIT-educated aerospace engineer Greg Mark, comes from the racing planet. His 1st business, Aeromotions, constructed carbon-fiber wings for motorsport the old way: laying up material by hand, with large delays amongst engineering and manufacturing. And provided that each and every wing was built specifically for every single model, the material waste and long delivery time line ensured that even pricey wings barely turned a profit.

But when you can print carbon fiber, the price model shifts. Manufacturing time evaporates, and iterating and troubleshooting become nearly immediate. Schedule a track test, capture information, then construct new ground-effects elements or bodywork right at the track—just hit “print” and come back 4 hours later.

Read THIS: You can 3D print these free of charge Honda concept automobile models at home

That possible has drawn the interest of numerous Formula 1 teams. “Imagine how rapidly they could experiment with different downforce models in between races,” Mark notes, with no naming the interested parties. That nimbleness could also advantage automakers. “You could build an entire vehicle frame in just a week or print suspension elements to update a automobile throughout its life cycle,” Mark says.

---

---

Operating components are trickier, but the potential is enormous due to the fact printed carbon allows for precise construction with a far higher carbon-to-resin ratio. And mass-production applications will not have to make identical parts: With a set of fixed body dimensions and mounting points, producers could construct custom interiors whilst nevertheless employing factory assembly, by printing bespoke components appropriate at the line.

For now, getting a replacement fender is nevertheless cheaper than printing your personal. But 3 years ago, Mark didn’t know he could 3D-print carbon fiber. Who knows what will be achievable in 2017.

Study THIS: Print your self a 3D Porsche Cayman

This story initially appeared on roadandtrack.com

If 3D-Printed Carbon Fiber is the Future, It is Already Here