Electric car: How sustainable BMW wants to be with the upcoming iX3

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With the BMW iX3, BMW will present its first production model of its vehicle generation known as the "New Class" at the IAA 2025. The electric "Sports Activity Vehicle" (BMW traditionally calls its SUVs "SAV", with an "a" for "Activity") with a range and charging capacity well ahead of the competition in the segment is intended to take driving dynamics, driving automation, infotainment, basic and comfort functions to a new level with a centralized computer architecture.

The fact that BMW is presenting an SAV as the first new-class model, thereby accepting the fundamental efficiency disadvantages of this design, may be evidence of the popularity of SUVs. After all, BMW could have used a sedan to demonstrate noticeably lower power consumption.

There are also new ideas for vehicle operation. Another new feature is a holistic sustainability concept in line with BMW's commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. For the car manufacturer, this means "net zero", i.e. zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 at the latest, as part of its environmental concept known as the "360° sustainability approach". BMW wants to reduce its CO₂e* emissions by at least 40 million tons by 2030 compared to 2019.

Possible CO₂e advantage in customer hands after just one year

As the basis for the BMW iX3 (driving impression) and all subsequent models of its generation, BMW has significantly improved vehicle efficiency. BMW promises up to a fifth lower fuel consumption (WLTP combined) compared to the predecessor model. Consumption at the level of a current small electric car is relatively (not absolutely) similar to that of the current Mercedes-Benz CLA and appears to represent the current optimum that can be offered at competitive costs under industrial conditions. BMW has mainly worked on aerodynamics, rolling resistance, on-board power consumption and the drive system. The latter, for example, uses an energy-saving controllable main motor with controlled external excitation on the rear axle and a demand-controlled permanently excited one on the front axle.

BMW promises an earlier "break-even point". With energy from the European electricity mix, the electric car should undercut the CO₂ emissions of a comparable model with a combustion engine after around 21,500 kilometers under the conditions of the WLTP. If it is charged with electricity from exclusively renewable sources, for example because the owner feeds it with electricity from their own PV system, this point is already reached after 17,500 kilometers, as BMW writes.

Decarbonization in the supply chain

BMW is also decarbonizing its production and supply chain. According to current figures, BMW has reduced CO₂e emissions by 35 percent through the use of recycled materials and renewable energy. The ("Gen6") battery cells for the BMW iX3 use half recycled cobalt, half recycled lithium and half recycled nickel for the anode and cathode. Manufactured with renewable energies by BMW's long-standing contract partners CATL and EVE, CO₂e emissions per watt-hour per cell have been reduced by 42 percent compared to the predecessor model ("Gen5").

Fish-Net-Zero

BMW also uses recycled materials in plastics such as for the front engine compartment cover and the frunk lid. Both consist of 30 percent used fishing nets and ropes, which would normally have been disposed of in the sea. BMW already uses 80 percent recycled light metal to cast the steering knuckles, and 70 percent of the light alloy wheels are made of secondary aluminum.

In this area, however, BMW is apparently following a practice that has been widespread since the industrial use of aluminum, simply because recycling has always been significantly cheaper. If industrial light metal production were not increasing, a much higher recycling rate would have long been the norm here.

High proportion of self-generated electricity in production

By contrast, the use of energy at the new BMW plant in Debrecen, Hungary, where the BMW iX3 is the first car to roll off the assembly line, is truly new. It is BMW's first car plant that will be able to produce in normal operation with electricity as its only source of energy, i.e. without fossil fuels such as oil and gas. Up to a quarter of the annual electricity requirement is to come from the plant's own photovoltaics, with the electricity supplied from renewable energy sources.

Surplus solar energy can be stored with as little loss as possible, i.e. in the form of heat, and used for the paint shop. In this way, BMW aims to save energy and reduce its CO₂e footprint for each "New Class" car produced. Only 0.1 tons of CO₂e are to be emitted for the production of a BMW iX3, which is around two thirds less compared to current production.

*(The "e" in CO₂e stands for "equivalent" and refers to all climate-impacting gases emitted. The specification allows the various greenhouse gases to be standardized in a single unit to make it easier to compare their impact on climate change).

(fpi)