BMW to use sustainable carbon fibre technology for new 7 Series

German car manufacturing giant BMW will invest hundreds of millions of dollars rolling out their sustainable carbon fibre components for the new 7 Series.

BMW's emission-free electric vehicles already include Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) technology to help mitigate the heavy batteries necessary to drive the plug-in drivetrains and the weight-saving technology from the i3 and i8 is now migrating into the larger 7 Series sedan making them more environmentally friendly.

BMW has opted to build its core plug-in cars on all-new platforms, giving the BMW i3 and i8 lightweight carbon fiber bodies and passenger cells.

Driven by a locally emission-free electric motor, the BMW i3 uses eDrive drivetrain technology and boasts an impressive real-world range of up to 100 miles thanks to a high-voltage lithium ion battery and the BMW i3 Range Extender adds to the achievable range.

Initial images and video released by BMW show a significant amount of CFRP, aluminum, and lightweight high-strength steel used throughout the sedan, reducing the weight by an estimated 130 kg/286 lbs.

No automaker has invested as much into carbon fibre technology as BMW, and the company is set to scale up the use of CFRP in more vehicles.

The upcoming BMW i5 is due to be launched in 2018 and, like the i3 and i8, it will make extensive use of carbon fibre too.