Photo of i3 courtesy of BMW.

Photo of i3 courtesy of BMW.

BMW's i3 plug-in battery-electric vehicle has been called the "most revolutionary car in terms of creative engineering and manufacturing since Henry Ford's Model T" by an automotive research firm that specializes in tear-downs.

The findings were presented at the Plastics in Automotive Conference in Detroit on Jan. 14 by Munro & Associates, Inc. Sandy Munro, the firm's chief executive, focused on four aspects of the vehicle, including the manufacturing of the carbon fiber life module, its polymer components, recyclability, and safety.

The BMW i3, which went on sale in May, incorporates extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP).

The report credits BMW's joint program with Boeing that addresses the recyclability of the vehicle.

"This is, without a doubt, one of the best engineered vehicles on the planet," said Munro. "We've taken apart a lot of cars, planes, wind turbines and more, and the BMW i3 continued to pleasantly surprise us throughout the teardown process. This will be the vehicle that other automakers look to for next-generation improvements."

Read the firm's original press release here and a summary of the report here.

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