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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