- BMW presents the circular vision vehicle i Vision Circular at the IAA
- Made from 100% recycled and recyclable materials
- Sustainable luxury with innovative design and smart tech interior
The automotive sector needs more sustainability
Electric mobility is the beacon of hope for the automotive industry. However, there are still unanswered questions regarding the environmental impact, especially in terms of production and material procurement. Thus, players in the industry must continuously research further sustainable solutions. BMW is now presenting an answer to sustainable mobility at the IAA with its vision vehicle "i Vision Circular". By this way, the car manufacturer demonstrates the vast potential of circular economy: Intelligent use of recycled materials, energy-saving production processes, smart tech and a new circular approach to vehicle production.
"We want to become the most sustainable car manufacturer in the world," said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG in his keynote at the IAA. The strongest driver on the path to climate neutrality is the ramp-up of e-mobility. By 2023, the Bavarian manufacturer wants to have a dozen fully electric models in its fleet. The manufacturer is also focusing on reducing the use of primary material. The aim is to minimise the environmentally harmful extraction of raw materials and the energy- and CO2-intensive processing. For this reason, BMW models will increasingly use secondary and recycled materials in future.
Source & Copyright by IAA
Circular economy in OneBox design
The vision vehicle is planned for 2040 and aims to consist of 100% recycled and recyclable materials. In addition to bio-based, certified raw materials, materials that have already passed through a product life cycle are used - the so-called secondary materials. This also applies to the solid-state battery in the BMW i Vision Circular, which is 100 percent recyclable. The main challenge in recycling is dismantling.
The design focuses on the essential elements, with the brand identity now embodied by light and digital elements. The mono volume consists of only a few parts, which means that the use of materials can be reduced to a minimum. The simple surface refinement dispenses with the exterior paintwork, chrome, superfluous decorations and leather upholstery, for example. The tires of the i Vision Circular are also made of certified, sustainably grown natural rubber and the body is made of secondary aluminum and recycled steel. The model's interior, with its smart-tech applications, is characterised by a high degree of innovation.
Floating Dashboard - Source & Copyright by BMW Group
BMW Group: Mission Sustainability
The i Vision Circular is an outlook on BMW's future, in which they want to position themselves as the most sustainable manufacturer of premium mobility. To this end, the car manufacturer founded its own department on the subject of sustainability - RE: BMW CIRCULAR LAB. This department works under the principles of circular design - Re:think, Re:duce, Re:use and Re:cycle - to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The subsidiary MINI is also catching up with a sustainable Vision vehicle. The MINI Vision Urbanaut also uses recycled materials and is both chrome and leather-free. With the BMW i Vision AMBY, the manufacturer is further presenting its first high-speed pedelec to support urban mobility. The new electric models and vision cars are currently shown at the IAA.
