BMW: On the way to becoming the world's most sustainable automaker

Circular Economy and sustainable urban mobility were the BMW Group's leading themes at the IAA Mobility 2021. In line with this, the company's activities at the Summit and Open Space consistently demonstrated the goals it has set itself for greater sustainability and less CO2, and the specific measures and concepts it intends to use to achieve these goals.

"How much can we reduce the CO2 footprint of vehicles over their entire life cycle? To this end, we are setting ourselves transparent and ambitious targets for substantially reducing CO2 emissions," said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, at his keynote address on September 6. Adding, "We want to become the world's most sustainable automaker." The strongest driver on the path to climate neutrality, he said, is the ramp-up of e-mobility, which the BMW Group is additionally accelerating. According to Zipse, by 2023 the Bavarian manufacturer aims to have at least one fully electric model on the road in each of around 90 percent of its current market segments. However, climate-friendly mobility will only come about through a higher proportion of electric vehicles. According to Zipse, it is also crucial to reduce the use of primary materials and the associated environmentally harmful mining of raw materials and their often energy- and CO2-intensive processing. The BMW Group therefore intends to significantly increase the proportion of secondary materials in its vehicles in the future. Currently, an average of just under 30 percent of vehicles are made from recycled and reused materials. With a new, this figure is to be successively increased to 50 percent.

Numerous world premieres at IAA MOBLITY 2021

Under the joint roof of electromobility, digitalization and sustainability, the BMW Group showed pioneering concepts for a versatile and sustainably conceived mobility mix on two and four wheels at the IAA Mobility. With the BMW iX and the BMW i4, two core models of the electric offensive could be experienced by the general public for the first time at the IAA Mobility 2021. The exhibitor demonstrated how an automobile can be consistently designed according to the principles of the circular economy with the world premiere of the BMW i Vision Circular. Zipse counted the Vision vehicle in the "new class." The Vision Circular is optimized for closed material cycles and achieves a quota of 100 percent recycled or 100 percent recyclable materials. To achieve this, in addition to bio-based, certified raw materials, it primarily uses materials that have already passed through a product life cycle - so-called secondary materials. This also applies to the solid-state battery of the BMW i Vision Circular, which is 100 percent recyclable and made almost entirely from materials that come from the recycling loop. With the BMW i Vision AMBY, the first high-speed pedelec, the company presented a visionary two-wheeled solution for the urban mobility of tomorrow. The BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY showed a similar approach - this combines the advantages of a motorcycle with those of a bicycle. BMW Motorrad also presented another concept at the IAA Mobility 2021 - the BMW Motorrad Concept CE 02: an electric two-wheeler for anyone over the age of 16 who wants to be mobile and independent. The main attraction of the MINI brand was the Vision Urbanaut, an innovative and fully electric spatial vision for the mobility of the future.

BMW and MINI @ IAA MOBILITY:

The BMW Group presented its BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad brands on Max-Joseph-Platz in front of the Bavarian State Opera as part of the Open Space. Also as part of the Open Space, the MINI Pavilion on Lenbachplatz offered daily changing highlights from the MINI brand world from September 09 to 12. From the Paul exhibition by fashion designer Paul Smith to exciting panel talks with designers and start-ups to MINI mobility offerings for young and old - there was something here for every visitor. The Blue Lane was a nearly twelve-kilometer-long environmental driving lane as part of IAA Mobility 2021, linking BMW Group appearances at Open Space and Messe München. Here you could experience the BMW iX3 or the MINI Cooper SE behind the wheel yourself or be shuttled in comfort in the BMW i3 Urban Suite.