3D printed grille sensors are part of iNEXT– the building blocks for the future of the BMW Group

“How will we be moving around in future?”, a question that is at the heart of the iNEXT project.

With more than ten years of experience in electric mobility, the BMW i models are still being improved. The next goal in innovation will be to integrate at the same time “Autonomy + Connectivity + Electric + Services”; and naturally 3D printing might help achieving its goal.

A future-focused Vision Vehicle – the BMW Vision iNEXT – provides a tangible preview of how the BMW iNEXT might look. “Personal mobility is set to experience significant change,” explains Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Development. “The possibilities opened up by autonomous driving and ever-expanding connectivity enable a whole new range of experiences and ways of shaping a journey. With this in mind, we have designed the all-electric BMW Vision iNEXT as a mobile environment that enhances quality of life, a new “Favourite Space” in which we can be ourselves and relax. Indeed, all of BMW’s endeavours will continue to revolve around people – and their needs and desires when it comes to mobility – in the future,” adds Fröhlich.

The exterior presents a modern elegance and appearance with opposing doors.

In the centre of the front end stands a large, upright kidney grille. As with all electrically powered vehicles, the grille is blanked off. With no combustion engine to require cooling, the kidney element now serves as an “intelligence panel” housing various sensors.
A 3D-printed pattern points to the technology below the surface. Super-slim headlights are part of a modern interpretation of BMW’s signature four-eyed front end. The windscreen extends smoothly into a large panoramic roof, lending the rump of the car a visual lightness and ensuring the innovative interior is clearly visible from the outside.

Further information has not been given on 3D printing. However, other components will be manufactured using 3D printing during the production.

The car we know today as BMW iNEXT will come onto the market in 2021.

In the meanwhile, discover all the details on the company’s website.

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