Munich. The BMW Group is stepping up its fight
against climate change with a unique sustainability strategy and
clearly defined CO2 targets, as announced by Oliver Zipse,
Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG at a media event in Munich.
The main focus of the company’s pioneering strategy is, on the one
hand, to drastically reduce CO2 per vehicle by
2030. On the other, with the introduction of the “Neue
Klasse”, the BMW Group will be massively promoting the use of
secondary material and the forward-looking
principles of the circular economy. The BMW Group is
committing to a more sustainable pathway, with the goal of limiting
global warming to 1.5 degrees C.
Fulfilment of all climate goals is closely tied to research
and development of sustainable materials. The BMW Group
believes only a holistic approach to the use of proven and new
materials can permanently reduce CO2 emissions. For this
reason, the BMW Group is focusing its research and development efforts
on environmentally-compatible raw materials. At the same time, it is
accelerating targeted the creation of a secondary-materials market and
working with select startups and experienced material suppliers to
develop pioneering materials.
“We are setting new standards for
sustainable premium quality – by rethinking materials
and focusing more than ever on resource-efficient alternatives and
renewable materials with strong dismantling capability,” said Dr
Stefan Floeck, head of Development Body, Exterior, Interior,
responsible for Product Line MINI, Compact Class BMW since 1
September. “We are following a consistent path towards holistically
sustainable product development, responsible use of resources and
transformation into a circular economy.”
Innovative materials for a sustainable goal
For
both the interior and exterior, the use of intelligent, sustainable
materials forms the basis for resource-efficient car-building. The BMW
Group has defined material groups with sustainable properties that set
new standards and span all four dimensions of the circular economy:
RE:THINK, RE:DUCE, RE:USE and RE:CYCLE.
Integrating natural raw materials
The BMW Group
has used renewable raw materials in its vehicles for a number of years
now – for example, in door trim panels, where a natural-fibre mat is
paired with a plastic matrix to provide the necessary stability.
Renewable raw materials like natural fibres are not
only 30 percent lighter than plastic alternatives,
they also come into the CO2 calculation with a
negative value, since they absorb CO2 and
release oxygen during the growth phase.
In recognition of this potential, the BMW Group and its partners have
systematically further developed the use of fibres such as hemp, kenaf
and flax, providing them with natural fibre lattice structures. Thanks
to these support structures, it is possible to maintain their
mechanical properties and avoid additional weight by reducing the
amount of material needed.
Wood can be used as a renewable raw material in many different areas
of application. The BMW Group is also conducting research into
pioneering wood foams with an open-pored structure made up
of finely ground wood particles. The foams’ resistance comes from the
wood’s own binding forces, which make it possible to dispense with
synthetic adhesives. The foams therefore consist of 100-percent
renewable raw materials and could replace acoustic foams in the future.
Recycled plastics: smart and environmentally-friendly
The BMW Group already uses up to 100-percent recycled
plastic in its thermoplastic components and is working with pioneering
plastic manufacturers to further develop recycled plastics
and bioplastics with a significantly lower carbon
footprint. In addition to recycled plastics, the company also employs
biobased plastics and plastics reinforced with natural fibres such as
cellulose, hemp, wood or bamboo to reduce the percentage of
oil-based primary plastics. The aim is to use
thermoplastics with an average of 40 percent recycled material by 2030.
Innovative leather from new sources
New vegan
and resource-efficient leather alternatives are another important
element of the BMW Group’s research. Synthetic leather with biobased
raw materials, 100-percent recycled polyester textiles and cork
particles enable CO2 emissions to be reduced by up
to 45 percent compared to today’s PVC synthetic leather. In
cooperation with the startup Adriano di Marti S.A. de C.V., the BMW
Group is researching a sustainable cactus-based material.
DeserttexTM is made from pulverised cactus fibres
with a biobased polyurethane matrix. Another promising alternative to
leather is the fully recyclable MirumTM,
which mimics all the properties of traditional leather, yarns and
foams. The BMW Group’s equity investment in the startup Natural Fiber
Welding opens up new possibilities for developing and implementing
plant-based material options.
Textiles – reimagined and 100-percent
recyclable
As part of its research and development
activities, the BMW Group is working on innovative materials with the
potential for use in future vehicles. These include synthetic
textile variants, which are mostly used for seat covers.
They have a low carbon footprint and can be manufactured from
100-percent recycled material. Thanks to their
composition, they can repeatedly be fed back into the cycle
and reused several times over the course of their product
lifecycle. The BMW Group aims to use more
mono-materials, instead of multi-layered,
multi-material approaches. In seats, for instance, the cover and the
foam beneath it are currently made of different materials. These can
neither be easily separated out nor recycled together to create a new
material that can be used in vehicles. The various connecting elements
between the materials, such as adhesives and yarn, also play a role in
this. If both parts are made of the same material, it is possible for
them to be recycled within the circular economy. The BMW Group is also
employing new techniques to give textiles a new appearance, using 3D
structures, applications, templates and graphic elements, and working
on a new material mix for series introduction.
With these and many other innovative measures, the BMW Group seeks to
raise general awareness of sustainable materials and provide a
transparent insight into its circular approach to a sustainable future
– with the aim of reducing lifecycle CO2 emissions
by more than 40 percent by 2030.