- BMW is among the leaders in the automotive industry in its efforts to improve environmental sustainability through the use of natural, biodegradable products and electrical power systems that eliminate carbon emissions
- The company’s BMW i sub-brand utilizes natural hemp fibers in strong biocomposites for vehicle bodies that provide environmentally friendly appeal while maintaining physical integrity
- BMW’s i3 was the among the top-three best-selling all-electric vehicles for three years in a row, demonstrating the market demand for BMW’s vision of earth-friendly production
Pioneers crossing the North American Great Plains during the 19th Century used hemp canvas to outfit their covered wagons and protect them from the ravages of nature. In the 21st Century, automobile drivers crossing vast tracts of land at much greater speeds in vehicles manufactured by BMW Group (OTC: BMWYY) may be traveling in models that upgrade hemp’s utility in strong biocomposites to protect nature from the ravages of mankind.
BMW made waves with the introduction of its electric vehicle BMW i sub-brand in 2011 (http://ibn.fm/2KpMS) to showcase its vision for futuristic body designs using renewable and recycled materials, exemplified by the launch of its first “zero emissions” mass-produced vehicle, the i3, in 2013 and its companion i8 model (http://ibn.fm/jmOmt). The i3 was the first large-volume vehicle on the market to feature carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (“CFRP”), a very lightweight material incorporating hemp biocomposites to help make it more biodegradable while exhibiting two to three times the strength of steel (http://ibn.fm/uBTbF).
For three years in a row, through 2016, the i3 was ranked third by worldwide sales among all-electric cars (http://ibn.fm/B5dEf), demonstrating the market demand for BMW’s approach to automobiles with a smaller carbon footprint. The company boasts that 95 percent of the i3’s materials are recyclable.
Worldwide, the number of electric vehicles on the road grew by 54 percent in 2017 as concerns about global climate change, believed to be a result of human-caused pollution, led a multinational governmental policy response in the form of the Paris Agreement, which calls for the evolution of the petroleum-fueled auto industry (http://ibn.fm/Bi5XT).
California announced that it plans to have 5 million electric vehicles on its roads by 2025, and at least eight other U.S. states followed its lead in establishing an annual sales target of 15.4 percent electric vehicles as part of the total auto trade (http://ibn.fm/5iDiW). China is leading global sustainability efforts, with plans for 2 million EV sales by 2020. The nation reported that its sales of EVs already topped 1.1 million during 2018, marking more than 55 percent of all electric vehicles sold worldwide at a time when U.S. electric vehicle sales were at just 358,000 (http://ibn.fm/gY6lW).
Automakers’ use of natural fibers such as hemp are one example of efforts to improve ecological sustainability by increasing fuel economy, lightening vehicle weight, reducing use of nonbiodegradable plastics, and pairing vehicles with EV energy trains, thereby eliminating the carbon emissions that petroleum adds to the atmosphere.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.BMWGroup.com
