BMW's Solar-Powered Carport Concept Charges EVs
In case owning a designer electric vehicle just wasn’t enough BMW has introduced an interesting solar carport concept that tops-off your EV’s battery while looking good at the same time.
Put together by the German firm’s DesignworksUSA division, this electron-harvesting charging station is styled to resemble the brand’s new i-cars, the i3 and i8 models. Supposedly it’s another building block on the road to holistic, sustainability mobility.
Highlighting the earth-friendly nature of this structure, a major portion of it is made from bamboo, a material that’s renowned for being renewable. Additionally the high-quality glass-on-glass solar cells are designed to be very durable and panels used in Europe are backed by a 30-year warranty.
Since everything needs a computer these days, BMW designers fitted this carport with a special energy meter. It analyzes vehicle charging and indicates how much electricity has come from the solar panels or from the power grid.
The BMW Group DesignworksUSA’s solar-powered carport will make its world premiere at the i8 media launch in Los Angeles, California.
GALLERY: BMW Solar Carport Concept
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Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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