BMW celebrates Environment Day with big cars

Commemorated yearly on 5th June, World Environment Day (WED) is one of the principal events through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. In line with WED’s core objective of empowering people to become active agents of sustainable development, BMW Group is working towards a more sustainable future in the development of its vehicles.

The BMW Group is the world’s most sustainable automotive manufacturer today. In 2008, and for the fourth consecutive year, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index ranked the group the automotive industry’s global sustainability leader. Behind this achievement lies the firm’s recognition that the future of mobility requires a new balance between individual and ecological requirements, and that this balance applies to both drive systems and production processes.

Phil Horton, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East explained: “The ethos of World Environment Day compels us to take responsibility and all work collectively towards a more sustainable future. At BMW Group we believe that mobility and sustainability are inseparably linked and we are constantly working to reduce our impact on the environment while offering our customers the best in mobility.”

Commenting on BMW Group’s focus for a more sustainable future, Horton added: “We have anchored sustainability in our production process through our “Clean Production” philosophy which works to reduce waste, while EfficientDynamics is our product-specific development strategy to ensure we reach zero emissions for all of our vehicles.”

As part of its “Clean Production” philosophy, the German Steyr plant, which produces around 60% of all BMW engines, recycles all the water used in the production process, saving around 30 million litres of water each year, – the equivalent of 12 Olympic size swimming pools. In Spartanburg, where X3, X5 and X6 models are produced, the production plant now obtains half its energy from methane gas generated from a nearby landfill. BMW Group plans to reduce the consumption of energy, water, sewage, solvent emissions as well as waste in its international production network by another 30 percent between 2006 and 2012.

EfficientDynamics has helped the BMW Group reduce fleet emissions further than any other car manufacturer. The new BMW 7 Series is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its class and yet more powerful than its predecessor, proving that sustainability need not compromise driving performance.

The 7 Series also includes a comprehensive range of design and technology features, exemplifying the EfficientDynamics strategy, which reduce the impact of the vehicle on the environment. Brake Energy Regeneration, which transforms the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electricity to charge the battery; Intelligent Lightweight Construction which uses aluminium to reduce weight and improve weight distribution, thereby improving fuel efficiency; and Low Rolling Resistance Tyres with Runflat Technology, made of special materials that prevent tyre deformation and ensure maximum efficiency.

Another important project is BMW Group’s MINI E. BMW is the first premium manufacturer to deploy a fleet of fully electric-powered cars for private use in daily traffic in the United States and Germany. The MINI E is part of a pilot project designed to demonstrate a whole new dimension in individual mobility which is entirely emission-free, driver friendly and ideal for every day, and just as much fun to drive as a MINI with a combustion engine.

For the BMW Group designing for the future relies on innovation, which is why it remains at the forefront of new technologies and mobility concepts. This includes hybrid technology, electric drives, hydrogen fuel and mobility solutions for the world’s megacities. Next year will see the introduction of the first Active-Hybrid variants of the 7 Series and X6 to the Middle East, bringing the goal of zero emissions ever closer.