LifeDriveisn’t just any carbon fiber shield . It ’s the earthly concern ’s first self-propelling body specifically design and design - built for the serial output of galvanizing railroad car — and the architecture underneath the gorgeously fluid skin of BMW ’s newi3andi8electric Concept cable car . LifeDrive is innovative , lightweight , and smartly engineered . It ’s also kinda like a gargantuan skateboard . Here ’s why .
Every electrical motorcar from a major carmaker suffer from the same problem . None of them started life as an electric auto . They ’re “ conversion ” vehicles — automobile in the beginning design with gas - guzzlin ’ internal combustion engines that have been repurposed for all - galvanising use . The result is the galvanizing drivetrain and battery large number get shoehorn into wherever they ’ll primed . That intend more weight , more complexity , and less efficiency .
Well , until now .
The LifeDrive was built from the earth up for an electric motor and stamp battery — allowing both to exist together in BMW ’s i car in perfect carbon fiber - ensconced harmony .
The architecture of theLifeDriveis consist of two disjoined independent functional units designed to copulate together like peanut vine butter and jelly . The upper mental faculty — called “ Life ” — is a eminent - strong point and promiscuous - as - a - feather rider cellphone made from carbon fibre - reinforce charge plate , or CFRP . How lightsome ? How about 50 % lighter than steel . In fact , it ’s so unaccented Formula One uses it in just about every part of the car they can get away with . But it ’s also rigid enough to answer as the cockpit of a Formula One car — just like it does in BMW ’s i cars . Pretty nerveless , right ?
Here is the CFRP Life module unmated to the Drive “ skateboard . ”
But it ’s the lower module — call Drive — that takes the frigidness cake . All of the car ’s weighty hooey – BMW ’s eDrive technology , battery inner circle , and suspension are packed into the aluminum Drive mental faculty . throw the gondola optimum weight statistical distribution and a gloomy centre of gravity .
It also appear , basically , like the world ’s most technologically - innovative , electric - powered skateboard . How cool would it be to ride it like one ? Hell , if I could slap on a seat , a steerage steering wheel , and some pedals — I ’d make it my daily driver in a second .
Photo byAndrew Link .
By Ray Wert
Gizmodo
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