I-CAR and BMW of North America will partner to offer a SEMA-first presentation on the carbon fiber and aluminum BMW i3, the first mass-produced vehicle with a passenger compartment made completely of carbon fiber. The free half-hour presentation will be offered four times throughout the 2013 SEMA Show: Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.; and Friday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m.
The live presentation will cover the BMW i3’s LifeDrive Concept body architecture and the sustainability advantages of similar lightweight vehicles made of carbon fiber and aluminum. It will also highlight repair considerations for the vehicle, as well as information on the vehicle’s all-electric propulsion system.
"To introduce an all-electric carbon fiber and aluminum vehicle like the BMW i3 requires a new way of looking at the automotive experience," said Steve Marks, I-CAR industry support manager, who will co-present with Tom Brizuela, body and paint technical team leader at BMW of North America. "I-CAR is excited to partner with BMW to explore these new technologies and their repair considerations to help collision professionals prepare for the tsunami of automotive innovations approaching our industry."
As manufacturers continue to adapt to CAFE standards, I-CAR predicts the collision repair industry will see more aluminum, carbon fiber and other lightweight materials. These, along with new advanced safety and propulsion systems, will add to the complexity of collision repairs and make it more important than ever for collision repair professionals to keep up-to-date with vehicle technology, according to I-CAR.
In addition to these SEMA presentations, I-CAR is also offering the industry a growing suite of courses on carbon fiber and aluminum materials. It will debut its online-only Introduction to Carbon Fiber (CFR01e) course on Dec. 9, which will accompany a live course on Aluminum-Intensive Vehicle Repairs (ALI01) as well as Aluminum GMA (MIG) Welding Qualification events.
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