Why did BMW abandon carbon fiber?

The main reason is because of the production cost. Not only is the production cost of carbon fiber composite materials high, but the raw material cost of carbon fiber composite materials is also high. In addition, the resin system matched with carbon fiber is mainly epoxy resin, and the price is also relatively high. Therefore, although carbon fiber is harder and lighter than aluminum, in order to compete with rivals in lightweight electric vehicles and maintain profits, BMW has to reduce the use of carbon fiber materials and replace them with relatively low-cost aluminum, steel and other lightweight materials. thereby increasing profits.

Carbon fiber needs to be bonded together, which costs about 16 euros per kilogram, while welding ordinary steel is less than 1 euro per kilogram. Much of the reason for the sluggish sales of the BMW i3 is due to the heavy use of carbon fiber that makes it expensive. The original sales force of the BMW i3 is mainly for daily commuting, and it is normal to lose to such a dominant advantage as price. Therefore, to make the second-generation i3 electric vehicle have more competitive advantages, it is necessary to replace the carbon fiber body with an all-aluminum structure to preserve the existing development foundation and reduce production costs. This is how it competes with Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla market strategy.

Is the widespread application of automotive carbon fiber a "false proposition"? Is the application of automotive carbon fiber going to a "poor" end? Does the cost make the application of carbon fiber a "chicken rib"?

Carbon fiber users who follow the general trend will never succumb to temporary profit pressure forever. This is an expedient measure for automobile manufacturers to face market competition. From another perspective, what hinders BMW i3 from continuing to use carbon fiber seems to be the cost of carbon fiber, but in the final analysis, it is still a technical problem. With the popularity of new energy and new material concepts and the development of the market, as well as the guidance of policies, a large number of new material application cases including carbon fiber will emerge in the market.