All language subtitles for How.Its.Made.Dream.Cars.S03E05.BMW.i8.1080p.DSCP.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-NTb_track3_[eng]

Narrator: TODAY ON
"HOW IT'S MADE: DREAM CARS"...

THE BMW i8,

A PLUG-IN HYBRID
THAT DRIVES LIKE A SUPERCAR.

-- Captions by VITAC --
www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THE BMW HEADQUARTERS,
KNOWN AS THE FOUR-CYLINDER,

HAS BEEN A LANDMARK
OF THE MUNICH SKYLINE

SINCE ITS CONSTRUCTION
IN THE 1970s.

THE BOLD ARCHITECTURE
OF THE BUILDING

EMBODIES THE COMPANY'S EMPHASIS
ON INNOVATION AND EFFICIENCY.

THE BUILDING HOUSES A
MULTIFUNCTIONAL EXHIBITION SPACE

CALLED THE BMW WELT.

IT'S WHERE VISITORS
CAN GET A FIRSTHAND LOOK

AT BMW's LATEST PRODUCTS,
LIKE THE i8.

MOST ELECTRIC VEHICLES
ARE JUST GAS-POWERED CARS

RETROFITTED WITH BATTERIES
AND ELECTRIC MOTORS.

THE SLOGAN FOR BMW's "i" SERIES
IS "BORN ELECTRIC"

BECAUSE THESE CARS ARE BUILT
FOR ELECTRIFIED DRIVETRAINS.

WITH GULL-WING DOORS

AND THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE
FROM ZERO TO 60

IN JUST 4.4 SECONDS,

THE BMW i8 LOOKS AND PERFORMS
LIKE A HIGH-END SPORTS CAR.

THE BMW i8 ACHIEVES
ITS ASTOUNDING FUEL ECONOMY

THANKS TO A POWER TRAIN

THAT COMBINES A HIGHLY EFFICIENT

THREE-CYLINDER,
GAS-POWERED ENGINE

WITH A STARTER GENERATOR
AND ELECTRIC MOTOR.

THE STARTER GENERATOR WORKS
WITH A TwinPower TURBO ENGINE

TO DRIVE THE REAR WHEELS.

BMW CALLS THIS SYSTEM eDrive.

THE POWER TRAIN CAN CRANK OUT
357 HORSEPOWER.

BMW CHOSE TO DEVELOP THE ENTIRE
POWER TRAIN IN-HOUSE FOR THE i8.

AN ELECTRIC MOTOR CONSISTS OF

AN INTERIOR HOUSING,
STATOR, AND A ROTOR.

THE STATOR IS FITTED
WITH COPPER WINDINGS

PLACED IN A SERIES OF PHASES
AROUND THE DIAMETER.

A DEVICE CALLED A COIL WINDING
AND INSERTING MACHINE

WINDS 12 COILS OF COPPER AT
A TIME FOR A TOTAL OF 24 COILS.

EACH MOTOR GETS OVER A MILE
OF WOUND COPPER.

TO MAXIMIZE QUALITY
AND PERFORMANCE,

THE WIRES MUST BE AS CLOSE
TO EACH OTHER AS POSSIBLE.

A ROBOT TRANSFERS THE STATOR
TO A STATION

WHERE THE COPPER WINDINGS
WILL BE INSTALLED.

BMW IS ABLE TO MAKE THEIR MOTOR
UNUSUALLY SMALL

THANKS TO A SPECIALLY-DESIGNED
WINDING CONFIGURATION.

THIS SAVES SPACE

WHILE HELPING THE CAR
MAINTAIN A LOW CURB WEIGHT.

THE COPPER IN AN ELECTRIC MOTOR

MUST BE WOUND
AS COMPACT AS POSSIBLE.

TO ENSURE THIS,
MANUFACTURERS USE

A HIGHLY-SPECIALIZED
SEWING MACHINE

TO BIND THE WIRES TIGHTLY
TOGETHER WITH 45 FEET OF CORD.

BMW's GOAL IS TO MAKE
EVERY ASPECT OF THE i8

AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.

THANKS TO
THE PLUG-IN HYBRID SYSTEM,

THE CAR CAN TRAVEL UP TO 23
MILES ON ELECTRIC POWER ALONE.

A FORMING MACHINE
USES CLAMPING JAWS

TO MANIPULATE THE TOP OF THE
STATOR INTO THE CORRECT SHAPE.

THIS HELPS MAKE
THE COPPER COILS,

INSULATING PAPER, AND BINDING
CORD AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE.

BEFORE THE STATOR
REACHES THIS STATION,

WORKERS HAVE ALREADY
INSERTED EACH BUNDLE OF WIRES

INTO A COLOR-CODED SLEEVE.

EACH OF THE THREE COLORS --
RED, BLACK, AND WHITE --

IDENTIFY A DIFFERENT SET
OR PHASE OF THE COPPER COILS

IN THE MOTOR.

NEXT, THE STATORS ARE
HEATED TO 329 DEGREES.

THEN A ROBOT LOWERS THEM
INTO A VAT OF RESIN.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT
THE COMPONENTS OF THE STATOR

REMAIN AS RIGID AS POSSIBLE.

COATING THE STATOR IN RESIN
HELPS HOLD EVERYTHING IN PLACE,

MAXIMIZING
THE MOTOR'S EFFICIENCY.

THE MOTOR HAS TO BE AS EFFICIENT
AND POWERFUL AS POSSIBLE

TO BOOST
THE THREE-CYLINDER ENGINE

AND GIVE THE VEHICLE
THE POWER OUTPUT OF A SUPERCAR.

NEXT, A TEAM OF ROBOTS
BUILD THE ROTORS.

THEY ARE COMPOSED OF SIX DISCS.

EACH DISC HAS 12 SMALL MAGNETS
AND 12 LARGE ONES.

THE COMPLETED ROTOR WILL HAVE
A TOTAL OF 144 MAGNETS.

THE ROBOTS OFFSET THE MAGNETS AS
THEY INSERT THEM INTO THE DISCS,

CREATING A SEAMLESS TRANSITION
BETWEEN MAGNETIC FIELDS.

THIS IS SO THE MOTOR
WILL RUN SMOOTHLY.

ONCE THE ROBOTS HAVE ALIGNED THE
DISCS AND JOINED THEM TOGETHER,

THEY ARE HEATED TO 150 DEGREES
IN AN OVEN.

HEATING THE DISCS
EXPANDS THE CENTRAL BORE,

MAKING IT EASIER
TO INSERT THE ROTOR SHAFT.

THE ROTOR SHAFT HAS BEEN COOLED
WITH LIQUID NITROGEN

TO NEGATIVE 190 DEGREES.

THE STATOR, ROTOR,
AND THE INNER AND OUTER HOUSING

COME TOGETHER TO FORM THE MOTOR.

BMW CALLS THIS THE eMachine.

A TECHNICIAN WORKS WITH A ROBOT

TO INSTALL THE POWER ELECTRONICS
ON THE FINISHED eMachine.

THIS WORK IS CARRIED OUT AT FOUR
DIFFERENT ASSEMBLY STATIONS.

THE STATIONS ARE DESIGNED
ACCORDING TO BMW's SLOGAN

"TODAY FOR TOMORROW."

BECAUSE OF GERMANY'S
AGING POPULATION

AND DIMINISHING POOL
OF SKILLED LABORERS,

BMW HAS BEGUN TO CREATE STATIONS

THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE WORKERS
OF OLDER AGES.

THE WORKSTATION IS ERGONOMICALLY
CUSTOM-TAILORED

TO EACH AND EVERY WORKER.

A TECHNICIAN
CAN ADJUST THE ROBOT

TO HIS OR HER
INDIVIDUAL WORKING HEIGHT

OR ALTER ITS POSITION

WHILE WORKING ON THE BOTTOM
OR SIDES OF THE eMachine.

Narrator: BMW HAS CREATED
A SPECIAL STRUCTURE

FOR THEIR "i" SERIES
CALLED LifeDrive.

BMW CLAIMS THIS IS
THE FIRST VEHICLE ARCHITECTURE

DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY
FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

ASSEMBLY OF THE i8 TAKES PLACE
IN LEIPZIG, GERMANY.

BMW HAS 30 PRODUCTION FACILITIES
SPREAD THROUGHOUT 14 COUNTRIES.

THE LEIPZIG PLANT SPECIALIZES IN

BUILDING THE COMPANY'S
LIGHTWEIGHT CARS

THAT HAVE
ALTERNATIVE DRIVE SYSTEMS.

TRUE TO ITS INNOVATIVE FOCUS,
THE PLANT HAS FOUR WIND TURBINES

THAT PRODUCE A TOTAL
POWER OUTPUT OF 10 MEGAWATTS.

THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER

TO PRODUCE THE COMPANY'S
ELECTRIC CARS.

HERE,
TECHNICIANS ARE PUTTING TOGETHER

THE REAR DRIVETRAIN UNIT.

THEY START BY LOWERING
THE THREE-CYLINDER ENGINE

ONTO A PURPOSE-BUILT
ALUMINUM FRAME.

BUILT AT BMW's HAMS HALL PLANT
IN THE U.K.,

THE ENGINE FEATURES
THE COMPANY'S PROPRIETARY

TwinPower TURBO TECHNOLOGY.

THE ENGINE IS CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING 231 HORSEPOWER.

NEXT, THE WORKERS INSTALL

THE CAR'S REAR BRAKING
AND SUSPENSION SYSTEM.

THE REAR CHASSIS TECHNOLOGY
INCLUDES A FIVE-LENGTH REAR AXLE

WITH ALUMINUM COMPONENTS

ENGINEERED FOR OPTIMAL WEIGHT
AND STRENGTH.

THIS, ALONG WITH THE DOUBLE
WISHBONE AXLE IN THE FRONT,

ALLOWS THE i8's SUSPENSION

TO PROVIDE
AN EXTREMELY SMOOTH RIDE.

TO COMPLETE THE REAR DRIVE UNIT,

TECHNICIANS INSTALL
A SOUND ABSORBER.

BMW's ASSEMBLY OF THE i8

FEATURES PARALLEL STEPS
ALONG A SINGLE ASSEMBLY LINE.

ONE TEAM BUILDS
THE REAR DRIVE UNIT

WHILE THE OTHER TEAM FOCUSES ON
THE FRONT AND PASSENGER MODULES.

A PORTION OF THE CAR'S DRIVE
MODULES ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM.

THIS HELPS REDUCE
THE i8's OVERALL WEIGHT.

THE ELECTRIC MOTOR
IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED

TO THE POWER ELECTRONICS,

CUTTING DOWN ON WIRING
AND WEIGHT EVEN FURTHER.

AT THIS STATION, WORKERS FINISH
ASSEMBLING THE FRONT AXLE

WITH THE CAR'S ELECTRIC MOTOR.

THE ELECTRIC MOTOR DEVELOPS
POWER AS THE CAR ACCELERATES.

THIS MOTOR IS SPECIALLY DESIGNED
FOR THE "i" SERIES.

IT FEATURES
OPTIMIZED ARRANGEMENT

AND DIMENSIONS OF
THE TORQUE-PRODUCING COMPONENTS.

THIS POWERHOUSE GENERATES

SOMETHING CALLED
RELUCTANCE TORQUE,

WHICH ALLOWS IT
TO CONTINUE CHURNING OUT TORQUE

AT HIGH REVS.

NO ELECTRIC VEHICLE IS COMPLETE

WITHOUT
THE ALL-IMPORTANT BATTERY.

THE i8's HIGH-VOLTAGE
LITHIUM-ION PACK

RUNS DOWN THE CENTER OF THE CAR.

IT HAS A GROSS CAPACITY
OF 5.2 KILOWATT HOURS

AND DIRECT REFRIGERANT COOLING.

THE HIGHLY-SPECIALIZED PACKAGING
AND ASSEMBLY OF THE BATTERY

REQUIRES MORE THAN 20 ROBOTS
AND 400 ASSEMBLY STEPS

AT THE BMW PLANT
IN DINGOLFING, GERMANY.

THE REAR DRIVE UNIT ARRIVES
WITH ITS THREE-CYLINDER ENGINE.

THE DRIVE UNIT FEATURES
PRECISION DIRECT INJECTION,

TURBOCHARGING,
AND VARIABLE VALVE LIFT CONTROL.

IT HAS THE HIGHEST OUTPUT
OF ANY ENGINE

PRODUCED BY THE BMW GROUP.

WORKERS ASSEMBLE THE FAN ROTOR,
WATERCOOLER,

AND CLIMATE CONDENSER
OF THE COOLER UNIT.

THEY CONNECT ALL OF
THE REMAINING CABLES AND FEEDS.

THIS FINISHES THE ASSEMBLY
OF THE DRIVETRAIN MODULE.

HERE WE SEE
THE COMPLETED DRIVE ELEMENT

OF THE LifeDrive ARCHITECTURE.

WITH AN INTELLIGENT
ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM,

THE i8's DRIVETRAIN CAN PRODUCE

A REMARKABLE BLEND
OF POWER AND EFFICIENCY.

ALL OF THE DRIVE COMPONENTS
ARE SECURELY HOUSED

IN THE LOWER SECTION OF THE i8,

SO THERE'S NO
TRANSMISSION TUNNEL

RUNNING THROUGH
THE CENTER OF THE CAR.

THIS LEAVES MORE ROOM
FOR THE PASSENGERS UP ABOVE

IN AN AREA THAT BMW
LIKES TO CALL THE LIFE MODULE.

Narrator:
BMW CALLS THE PASSENGER AREA
OF THE CAR THE LIFE MODULE.

IT'S MADE OF CARBON FIBER
REINFORCED PLASTIC, OR CFRP.

THIS MATERIAL
IS 50% LIGHTER THAN STEEL

AND 30% LIGHTER THAN ALUMINUM.

TECHNICIANS MOVE
THE CFRP LIFE MODULES FORWARD

ON THE PRODUCTION LINE

TO PREPARE THEM FOR INSTALLING

THE WIRING HARNESS
AND DASHBOARD.

THE COCKPIT OF THE i8
HAS A MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY

THAT CAN BE TAILORED TO
THE CUSTOMER'S SPECIFICATIONS.

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAY
CHANGES

DEPENDING ON THE DRIVING MODE,

FEATURING
THREE-DIMENSIONAL GRAPHICS

AND DYNAMIC RANGE DISPLAY.

IT EVEN HAS GRAPHICS
THAT HELP THE DRIVER

WITH CHARGING THE CAR'S BATTERY.

A WORKER INSTALLS THE BRAINS
OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT --

THE BODY-DOMAIN-CONTROL UNIT.

THERE'S A LOT TO KEEP TRACK OF
IN THE i8,

FROM THE HEATED SEATS AND
MIRRORS TO THE REAR-VIEW CAMERA.

THE AIRBAG-CONTROL UNIT

IS HIDDEN
INSIDE THE CENTER CONSOLE.

THE BMW i8 COMES WITH FRONT,
SIDE, AND HEAD CURTAIN AIRBAGS,

AS WELL AS
INERTIA-REEL SEATBELTS

WITH BELT FORCE LIMITERS

AND ISOFIX
CHILD SEAT ATTACHMENT POINTS.

WORKERS INSTALL THE WINDSHIELD.

ROBOTS HAVE ALREADY PREPARED IT
WITH A DEFINED BOND SEAM.

THE i8
IS THE FIRST PRODUCTION CAR

TO FEATURE
CHEMICALLY-HARDENED GLASS.

IT'S A PRODUCT MOSTLY SEEN
ON SMARTPHONES.

ACOUSTIC SHEETING
SANDWICHED BETWEEN

TWO LAYERS
OF ULTRATHIN HARDENED GLASS

RESULTS IN A MATERIAL
THAT'S 50% LIGHTER

THAN CONVENTIONAL
LAMINATED GLASS.

TECHNICIANS ATTACH THE FRONT
SECTION OF THE LIFE MODULE

WITH JUST EIGHT SCREWS
AND ADHESIVE BONDING.

THE LIFE MODULE INCLUDES

A CRASH-ACTIVATED
ALUMINUM STRUCTURE

THAT DISTRIBUTES
THE FORCE OF IMPACT.

THIS CONTRIBUTES TO THE i8's
EXCELLENT SAFETY RATING.

THE CARBON FIBER
REINFORCED PLASTIC

OF THE PASSENGER CELL

PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN
THE CAR'S OVERALL SAFETY RATING,

AS WELL.

THE OUTER SKIN OF THE GULL-WING
DOORS IS MADE OF ALUMINUM,

AND THE INNER STRUCTURE
CONSISTS OF CFRP.

BMW WAS ABLE TO DESIGN
VERY LARGE DOOR OPENINGS

BECAUSE OF THE REMARKABLE
STRENGTH OF THE CFRP.

CFRP HAS A LATTICE PATTERN.

TECHNICIANS CAN WORK IT
ALMOST LIKE A TEXTILE

BEFORE IT'S INJECTED WITH RESIN.

WITH CAREFUL POSITIONING
OF THE FIBER,

THEY CAN CREATE AN INCREDIBLY
LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIAL

THAT'S AS DURABLE AS STEEL.

TECHNICIANS
NOW RAISE THE LIFE CELL

IN ORDER TO INSTALL SOUND AND
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS.

SOUND IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR
IN THE i8.

BMW CHOSE SPECIFIC
BUILDING MATERIALS

FOR THEIR LIGHTWEIGHT
AND SOUND-ABSORBING PROPERTIES.

THE CAR IS ALREADY QUIET
THANKS TO ITS ELECTRIC MOTOR.

IT CAN POWER THE CAR IN A NEARLY
SOUNDLESS, ALL-ELECTRIC MODE.

THE PASSENGER CELL
IS READY TO MEET ITS DRIVETRAIN.

TECHNICIANS BRING THE TWO MAIN
ELEMENTS OF THE CAR TOGETHER

TO UNITE THEM INTO A SINGLE CAR.

THEY BOLT THE TWO MODULES
TOGETHER WITH JUST 22 SCREWS.

THE BATTERY IS PLACED
BENEATH THE PASSENGER CELL,

GIVING THE i8 AN EXTREMELY LOW
CENTER OF GRAVITY.

THIS, TOGETHER WITH THE CAR'S

CAREFULLY CALCULATED
50/50 WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION,

CONTRIBUTES TO
A PRECISION DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

THE FACT
THAT YOU CAN PLUG THE i8

INTO A CONVENTIONAL WALL SOCKET
TO CHARGE UP ITS BATTERY

MAKES IT A TRULY UNIQUE CAR,

ONE THAT BALANCES
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

WITH THE NEED FOR SPEED.

Narrator: IN ADDITION TO ALL
ITS CUTTING-EDGE INNOVATIONS,

THE i8 IS STILL A BMW.

ITS INTERIOR UPHOLSTERY,
EXTERIOR PANELING, AND WHEELS

EVOKE THE COMPANY'S
SIGNATURE LOOK.

THE MOTTO OF THE i8 SERIES IS
INTELLIGENT, LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN.

THE BULK
OF THE i8's EXTERIOR PANELING

IS MADE OF MOLDED THERMOPLASTIC,

AN EXTREMELY LIGHTWEIGHT,
RUST-FREE MATERIAL.

ONLY THE HOOD AND OUTER SKIN OF
THE DOORS ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM.

THE i8 ACHIEVES AN IMPRESSIVE
DRAG COEFFICIENT OF 0.26

THANKS TO FEATURES LIKE
AN AIR FLAP CONTROL SYSTEM,

A SEALED UNDERBODY,
CONTOURED SIDE SKIRTS,

AND AIR DUCTS BETWEEN
THE REAR LIGHTS AND ROOF FRAME.

THE i8 COMES STANDARD WITH
20-INCH FORGED ALUMINUM WHEELS.

BUT CUSTOMERS CAN CHOOSE FROM
A VARIETY OF OPTIONS,

INCLUDING MIXED SIZES
FOR THE FRONT AND REAR.

THE TIRES HAVE BEEN OPTIMIZED
FOR AERODYNAMIC EFFICIENCY.

THEIR LOW ROLLING RESISTANCE

MEANS THE CAR NEEDS
LESS ENERGY TO MOVE.

ONCE THE WHEEL INSTALLER
HAS FINISHED,

A SECOND TECHNICIAN
SCANS A BARCODE ON THE WHEEL

TO RECORD THAT THIS TASK
HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

AND WITH THAT,

THE CAR SLOWLY TOUCHES
THE GROUND FOR THE FIRST TIME.

WITH THE HELP OF A HOIST,
WORKERS LOWER THE HOOD IN PLACE.

THE HOOD FEATURES
THE V-SHAPED BEGINNING

OF THE i8's
SIGNATURE BLACK BELT.

THIS BELT EXTENDS
BACK OVER THE ROOF

TO THE REAR SECTION OF THE CAR.

THIS BMW i8
IS FINALLY READY TO ROLL.

A WORKER TRIES OUT THE STEERING

AND DRIVES THE CAR
TO THE FINAL TESTING STATIONS,

WHERE TECHNICIANS CHECK
THAT THE CAR

MEETS ALL
THE REQUIRED PARAMETERS.

IN TRUE SPORTS-CAR STYLE,

THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIT LOW
IN THE i8's SEATS.

EXPOSED CARBON FIBER
AROUND THE OPEN DOOR FRAME

IS A REMINDER OF THE CAR'S
LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION.

THE CENTER CONSOLE
HOUSES THE GEAR SELECTOR,

iDrive OPERATING SYSTEM
CONTROLLER,

START-STOP BUTTON,

AND THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
CONTROL SWITCH.

IN ADDITION TO THE i8's

HIGH-VOLTAGE
LITHIUM-ION BATTERY,

IT ALSO HAS A 12-VOLT BATTERY
FOUND IN CONVENTIONAL CARS.

IT'S TIME TO CHARGE IT UP.

THE DRIVER USES A BMW-DESIGNED
OPTION CALLED A WALLBOX.

THIS DEVICE CAN CHARGE AN EMPTY
BATTERY TO 80% OF ITS CAPACITY

IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS.

BMW OFFERS A PACKAGE
CALLED 360° ELECTRIC

THAT INCLUDES WALLBOX
INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE.

THE PACKAGE ALSO INCLUDES
BESPOKE MOBILITY SERVICES

THAT LINKS THE OWNER'S
DIGITAL DEVICES TO THEIR CAR.

THIS ALLOWS FOR DATA TRANSFER
BETWEEN CAR AND DRIVER,

MAKING IT POSSIBLE
TO PERFORM FUNCTIONS

LIKE REMOTE BATTERY CHARGING.

FOR THE UPHOLSTERY,

THEY USE OLIVE LEAF EXTRACT
TO TAN THE LEATHER.

THIS METHOD CREATES NONE OF THE
ENVIRONMENTALLY-DAMAGING WASTE

THAT CONVENTIONAL
TANNING METHODS DO.

THIS IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE
OF BMW's OBJECTIVE

OF CREATING
A TRULY ECO-CONSCIOUS VEHICLE,

THE SUSTAINABLE SUPERCAR.