If you live in an area with adequate sunshine around the year, BMW‘s new conceptual Solar Carport for electric cars sounds like an excellent idea – as long as the cost is not prohibitive, of course, of course.
Created by BMW’s DesignworksUSA division and showcased during the international media launch of the BMW i8 in Los Angeles, the Solar Carport is a simple yet effective idea on how to charge your car using only the power of the sun, much in the same way that homeowners use solar panels for their electric needs.
In fact, BMW says that, if the solar panels provide energy beyond the requirements of the vehicle, the excess electric power can be put to domestic use.
The Solar Carport directs the electricity to the car through the BMW i Wallbox Pro, which indicates the amount of solar energy used and offers a breakdown of recent charging processes with the respective proportions of solar and grid power.
The i8 plug-in hybrid sports car has a pure-electric driving range of around 37 kilometers or 22 miles.
According DesignworsUSA, along with the carbon elements on the side of the carport, the principal material used is its construction is bamboo in the form of struts. “Thanks to its rapid growth, bamboo is considered a particularly sustainable raw material,” says the company.
BMW did not mention any plans for consumer production.
By John Halas
PHOTO GALLERY
