- Lawrence Ng
The BMW iX Is Probably The Greenest SUV In The World
Updated: Apr 28, 2022
If you haven't heard, the BMW iX could reach Singapore by the end of the year. The vehicle is possibly the greenest SUV in the world because of how it is produced. Johann Kistler, Project Head of BMW iX, said that 100% green energy was being used to make the car.
"Early discussion with suppliers before building this car was important. We demand that all suppliers use green energy. BMW also uses 100% green energy to produce this car and it is also made with 50% recycled aluminium. Compared to producing a combustible engine SUV, we have made it 45% greener when producing this car," said Kistler.
Since producing aluminium is energy-intensive, BMW ensured that aluminium was manufactured using solar energy to cut down on CO2 emissions. The aluminium is processed in BMW Group Plant Landshut's light metal foundry to make body and drive train components such as parts needed for electric drive trains. BMW stated that — considering the rise of e-mobility — aluminium will become increasingly important as the lightweight material can partly offset the heavy weight of batteries found in electric vehicles.
As the light metal foundry was certified by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative for its sustainable aluminium usage, it has been confirmed that the foundry has been handling aluminium responsibly.
Aside from that, the BMW iX's batteries were made with renewable energy. Just like with aluminium, producing battery cells requires a lot of energy and the process could lead to increased CO2 emissions if done using unsustainable methods. As BMW wants to lower CO2 emissions per vehicle by 20% from 2019 levels, the company necessitated that its fifth-generation battery cells will be produced using green power only.
Apart from that, the BMW iX's electric motors were designed to allow the use of rare-earth metals to be avoided in the drive system rotors. This is in line with BMW's goal to make electric cars that do not require rare-earth metals. Using rare-earth metals is not environmentally friendly as mining and separating rare-earth elements entail using chemicals that produce toxic wastewater.
BMW is similarly making an effort to preserve critical raw materials. Specifically, the company aims to increase the percentage of recycled raw materials, otherwise known as secondary materials, by 2030 and reuse raw materials. Using secondary materials can greatly decrease CO2 emissions compared to using primary materials and conserving natural resources.
Details on how these factors will affect pricing were not released. However, BMW announced that the BMW iX will have a starting price of US$84,195 (approximately S$113,108).
Written by Sophia Lopez
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