BMW commits €400 million for Megacity Vehicle production

The all-electric, carbon fibre-bodied Megacity Vehicle (MCV) will be built at an East German plant, BMW has announced
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Leipzig will be the home base for production of BMW's Megacity. The German manufacturer is set to spend €400 million (AUD$550 million) on new buildings and component manufacturing equipment at its production plant in the East German city between now and 2013.

Currently building 1 Series variants, the Leipzig plant will build the carbonfibre-bodied city car, which has been jointly developed with BMW's partner in the project, specialist carbonfibre company SGL. The picture here shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel with one of the workers at the plant during a ceremony to mark the announcement of the investment in Megacity production.

This spend takes the total cost to date for the pair to around €530 million (AUD$730 million) in the project. BMW expects the first cars to roll out of the factory in 2013.

Where most EVs to date have started life on platforms designed for internal combustion power, the MCV will be among the first clean-sheet designs to go to market. The most immediate evidence of that is in the bodywork: it will be the world's first mass production vehicle with a full carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) body.

The so-called LifeDrive concept is the company's answer to power-to-weight ratio disadvantages that go with large battery packs. It divides the bodywork into two discrete modules: a lower 'Drive' module integrating the power pack and drivetrain into an aluminium space frame providing base crash protection and an upper 'Life' module that puts a light but super-strong CFRP safety cell around the passengers.

Part of the joint investment with SGL will go into a carbonfibre manufacturing plant in the US state of Washington.

The details of the electric drive system have yet to be finalised, but it will draw power from a 96-cell Li-ion power pack divided into eight modules, each putting out 44.5V. Power will go to the rear wheels. To ensure no dilution of its Sheer Driving Pleasure brand values, BMW will produce the tiny four-seater's zero-emissions powertrain in-house.

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