BMW’s first electric vehicles areย rolling out in the US, but do you really want to store your prized ride in a crusty old garage? The company’sย DesignWorksย studio doesn’t think so, which is why it’s cooked-up thisย solarย carport that couldย power your vehicleย between trips around town. The concept structure itself boasts some serious eco-credentials, with struts made out of bamboo and transparent solar panels that promise to last up to 30 years.ย
BMW Group DesignworksUSA has designed a solar carport to house the newย i3ย and forthcomingย i8ย electric vehicles. BMW is revealing the one-car solar garage concept as part of the official media launch of the i8 in Los Angeles.ย The concept follows previous efforts from the German automotive giant to power its “i” sub-brand using renewable energy. It last year unveiled a similar carport system conceived in partnership with the photovoltaic firm SOLARWATT GmbH.ย The latest design features an insect-like frame that makes extensive use of bamboo and like theย SOLARWATT system, it features glass-on-glass solar modules on its rooftop.