The quiet revolution
The sustainable future for BMW is less about the shock of the new and more about the power of choice
It seems like the electrification of the car industry is happening all at once: suddenly, electric vehicles (EVs) dominate automotive conversation and new plug-in models are being launched at a furious pace.
But in reality, the current rush of EVs is simply years of research and development by carmakers coming to fruition – with a healthy dose of competition.
The transition to pure EVs is less a revolution and more an evolution. The automotive world is not simply flicking a switch to electric power: the challenge for premium carmakers is to provide discerning customers with a choice of technologies, all the time maintaining their brand values.
BMW Group is clear in its belief that buyers should have the option of different drive technologies, without compromising on design or performance in any of them. Whether vehicles use internal combustion engine (ICE), plugin hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or battery electric vehicle (BV) technology, they still offer an authentic BMW experience.
Offering the widest possible choice makes the best sense in this time of great change. The automotive needs of somebody living in a country area are very different from an inner-city dweller, for example.
The breadth of BMW technologies is illustrated by the X3 SUV, which is available in petrol, diesel, PHEV and BEV models. Customers have the choice of virtually every type of powertrain in just the one vehicle.
BMW Group aims to deliver around two million fully electric vehicles to customers worldwide by 2025, representing at 50 per cent of global sales by 2030.
But the technology will still be part of a wider mix of powertrains. For example, the company plans to have 25 electrified models in its range by the end of 2023 – but the key word is “electrified”, meaning extensive use of hybrid technology. This year BMW delivered its onemillionth electrified vehicle, an iX xDrive40.
Forthcoming BEVs like the X1, 5 Series and 7 Series will be additions to their respective model ranges, rather than replacements. The BMW Group brands that will go 100 per cent electric are the ones whose customers are clearly ready for that change: MINI and Rolls-Royce, both from 2030.
Sustainability is not just about the end product: it also comes from responsible manufacturing solutions for every kind of vehicle. Since 2020, all electricity purchased for BMW Group plants has
been from renewable sources. Overall, BMW has also reduced its resource consumption (including energy, water and solvents) by 45 per cent in the last 15 years.
The company also announced last year that it would begin sourcing aluminium produced using solar power with immediate effect. BMW recycles 99 per cent of the 760,000 tonnes of material waste created by the production of around 2.5 million vehicles per year.
Sustainability goes hand-in-hand with luxury for BMW Group: “The company’s focus is on the entire value chain; that means, supply chain, production and use phase. Customers can rest assured that a BMW Group vehicle will always have the smallest overall carbon footprint.”