SPONSORED CONTENT FROM BMW GROUP
It’s not easy being 100% green, to paraphrase a famous frog. A transition to battery-powered electric transport can greatly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other pollution related to the burning of fossil fuels, but there is more to cleaning up the planet than just cutting out the bowser.
While many carmakers are transitioning production towards a future of electrified drive chains within their vehicles, there is more that can be done in cleaning up the planet than just the emissions produced by the cars themselves.
And while it has been shown that when well-to-wheel emissions from the refining and distribution of petrol and diesel are taken into account, electric vehicles already have less impact than combustion engine vehicles, but German carmaker BMW knows there is more to be done.
And it should know: as one of the first movers on electrification of transport since introducing its BMW i3 in 2013, the company has been thinking about how to reduce the impact of private transport for some years now.
This is why BMW introduced the i Vision Circular concept at the IAA motor show in Munich in 2021. A showpiece for the circular economy, the i Vision Circular has been designed with a focus on sustainable materials, and the ability to replace components easily, like never before.
This concept has already been put into practice across current production, with 30 per cent of BMW’s vehicles made from recycled or reused materials.
End-to-end sustainability is the key concept behind the term “circular economy”. It means that every material and component used in a product, and the energy used to process and assemble them, has been chosen for its ability to reduce consumption of resources and be recycled at the end of its life.
For example, the i Vision Circular concept used a battery that BMW says was made entirely with materials sourced from established recycling loops.
“Green steel” has also become something of a catchphrase, but at BMW it is more than just an idea. Steel is one of the highest contributors to carbon emissions, and by investing in green steel BMW says it plans to avoid two million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Last March, the carmaker invested in Boston Metal which is working on a new method for CO2-free production of steel. In October, it inked a deal with Swedish startup H2 Green Steel, which uses wind and hydroelectric power for the production of steel, for use in its next generation of vehicles under the Neue Klasse range from 2025.
This deal will also see a closed-loop implemented in which waste sheet remnants are processed back into new “secondary steel” sheets, which have the added benefit of using 50-80% less energy to process.
While the use of green steel is still a few years off, BMW has already started recycling other materials and resources, and 30% of the materials used in its cars today are made from recycled or reused components from the 760,000 tonnes of waste materials generated from 2.5 million cars a year.
Recycled water also plays a key role in BMW’s sustainability plans. By implementing closed water cycles and wastewater-free processes, the carmaker says it has reduced the amount of waste water from its plants by 45% from 2006 levels.
Likewise, BMW has worked towards ensuring 100% of the energy used to power its car factories as well as its battery cell suppliers throughout the world has been sourced from renewables via purchase agreements since 2020.
But back to the i Vision Circular. While this is as yet still a concept car, you can buy a BMW electric car today with the knowledge that at the end of its life powering a car, BMW will repurpose the battery for energy storage. Once it is finally ready for retirement, the carmaker will strip the materials for reuse elsewhere.
The BMW Group’s foray into electromobility doesn’t end with its concepts – the company currently offers the most diverse and advanced portfolio of EVs in the world, with plans to expand its electrified range to 25 models by 2023. It launched the BMW iX and iX3 last year and will introduce the i4 in March.
Taking these three models into account, the BMW Group will offer 10 electrified BMW and MINI models to customers on Australian shores, which is among the most of any manufacturer in the country.
With a goal to achieve a completely climate-neutral business by 2050, BMW understands it’s not easy being 100% green but with a bit of hard work to meet consistent sustainability milestones, it can get there.
Sponsored content from BMW Group.