Recently, the BMW Group announced that from 2024, BMW and MINI models will be equipped with cast aluminum wheels produced entirely from clean energy. For the BMW Group, this move will further achieve its goal of green and sustainable production.
In the production process of automobiles, the carbon dioxide emitted during the manufacture of wheel hubs accounts for about 5% of the entire vehicle production. Using clean energy to manufacture wheel hubs can reduce carbon emissions by more than 50%. It is understood that the BMW Group will purchase about 10 million light alloy wheels from suppliers every year, 95% of which are made of cast aluminum.
Joachim Post, head of purchasing and suppliers at BMW Group, said: “At present, BMW and its suppliers have signed more than 400 agreements, including wheel manufacturers and aluminum suppliers, requiring them to use clean energy for production.”
In recent years, BMW has implemented its sustainability goals by increasing the proportion of recycled aluminum, sustainable aluminum use, and purchasing aluminum produced using clean energy. Since 2021, the BMW Group has been using UAE-supplied aluminium produced entirely on electricity from solar power and processed at its light metal foundry in Landshut for the manufacture of body parts and drivetrain components .
By 2023, a BMW model will be the forerunner of the plan. At that time, the new generation of the model will be equipped with light alloy cast wheels made of 70% recycled aluminum and will be produced using 100% clean energy. The move can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80 percent compared to traditional manufacturing processes.
It is understood that the BMW Group’s emission reduction target is to reduce the emissions of the entire supply chain by 20% compared with 2019 by 2030. As an important component in high demand, the use of clean energy production by wheel suppliers will help them take a big step towards reducing carbon emissions.