The BMW i8 is a supercar with a conscience, blending eye-watering performance with an engine that wants to plant seedlings and stop you boiling kettles
BMW has unveiled its solar carport concept, a futuristic garage designed for its range of electric vehicles like the new BMW i8 supercar and i3 city car.
Designed by the ultra secretive BMW Designworks USA, the carport concept uses a combination of eco-friendly materials with advanced solar panels that can last up to 30 years.
Bamboo is used for the frame of the building thanks to its strength and the fact it's hugely sustainable. These are then complimented with carbon elements which make up the walls.
On the top are state-of-the-art translucent solar panels which are able to harness the sun's energy whilst still allowing sunlight to pass through.
Inside there's BMW's i Wallbox Pro which then turns the solar energy into electricity to power the car, of course if you happen to be a prolific drinker of tea then you might want to think about diverting it towards the electricity bills.
There are some obvious caveats of course, the main one being that it's pretty much useless in any location that doesn't have sun almost all the time. The second is that it's just a concept, so maybe scratch that first point.
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