Reporting by Chen Yannan and Tong Haihua in Beijing
The 2021 (19th) Annual Conference on competitiveness of Chinese enterprises kicked off in Beijing. On the afternoon of November 9, at the "Iteration • Create the Future" 2021 China Automotive Industry Summit Forum hosted by China Business Daily, Sun Wei, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of BMW Group Greater China, attended and presented the experience of BMW's sustainable development.
Wei Sun, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Greater China, BMW Group
"We believe that adhering to sustainable development can be called a luxury positioning. At present, BMW is accelerating the electrification process in an all-round way to reduce the carbon emissions of the car during use. By 2030, BMW plans to deliver its 10 millionth pure electric vehicle, reducing the Group's overall CO2 emissions by more than 200 million tons. In addition, BMW merged the sustainability report with the corporate financial report to show the public BMW's progress in carbon emission reduction across the value chain in an open and transparent manner, which shows BMW's top-down approach to sustainability. Sun Wei said.
Committed to creating the "greenest electric vehicle"
With the advent of digitalization and electrification, technological integration in the automotive sector has advanced by leaps and bounds, and automobiles have become one of the most complex consumer goods. The huge industrial structure makes the carbon footprint of each vehicle produced and used increasingly.
Bmw i cycle concept car front view
Sun Wei said that if no measures are taken, the carbon footprint generated by the production and use of each vehicle is expected to increase further in the future. THErefore, BMW's sustainability strategy is to run through the entire life cycle of a car, with the goal of creating the "greenest electric vehicle". Specifically, by 2030, the BMW Group plans to reduce the average carbon emissions of bicycles throughout the life cycle by 40% compared with the 2019 level, of which the supply chain side will be reduced by 20%, the production level will be reduced by 80%, and the use stage will be reduced by 50%.
BMW i Cycle Concept Car instrument panel
At present, the BMW Group is putting in efforts. For example, BMW Brilliance's factory in Shenyang uses 100% renewable electricity; during the Expo, BMW's "Silk Road" project of importing complete vehicles through the Chengdu port was officially launched. Over the next three years, it is expected to import 12,000 BMW and MINI brand cars through Chengdu each year. Each vehicle will reduce carbon emissions by an average of 56% in logistics compared to ocean shipping.
In Sun Wei's view, sustainable development is inseparable from the coordinated development of the industrial chain. "At present, BMW in China is accelerating technological innovation to drive green transformation, strengthening collaboration between upstream and downstream partners in the industrial chain, and jointly contributing to sustainable development through the use of new energy technologies such as green energy, innovative material technology and manufacturing, and green electricity trading."
For example, BMW and Yanfeng International jointly develop environmentally friendly intelligent steering wheels; cooperate with Shougang to form a closed-loop cycle from steel supply to recycling; explore green energy charging and storage with State Grid Electric; and jointly establish a power battery recycling management system with partners.
Innovatively put forward four guiding principles of circular economy
Under the new development pattern of dual circulation promoting each other, as one of the earliest automobile companies to clarify the "double carbon" goal, BMW Group has innovatively put forward four guiding principles of "rethinking, re-refining, reusing and recycling" while pursuing circular economy and exploring sustainable development, which has a forward-looking and leading role in the future of the automobile and travel industry.
Sun Wei said that "rethinking, refining, reusing, and recycling" originates from the BMW Group's latest "circular design" concept. Rethinking refers to considering the product process, manufacturing process and the function of each component in a completely new way, and then refining or redesigning it to meet the recycling of materials; rethinking refers to the continuous implementation of minimalism in the BMW i brand philosophy to reduce the number of parts, material types and processes; and reuse refers to the future sustainable products that will provide a longer service life and remain a rich and fun experience. Recycling refers to prioritizing the use of reusable materials in product design and optimizing for recycling. To this end, the vehicle uses as much of a single material as possible and can be easily disassembled, avoiding bonding or composite materials.
Sun Wei also said: "In fact, in our existing products, 'circular design' has been reflected. Take the upcoming innovative BMW iX, for example, which uses 50% recycled polyester for fabric and microfiber upholstery, and 100% recycled nylon for carpet floor mats. Taking the BMW iX3 as an example, its fifth-generation BMW eDrive electric drive system adopts an excitation synchronous motor, does not use rare earth materials, and reduces dependence on rare metal resources. ”
In addition, the BMW i Circular Concept, which was just unveiled at the Munich Motor Show in September this year, is manufactured using 100% reusable materials and renewable raw materials and is 100% recyclable. The number of parts was greatly reduced: chrome and bezel were removed from the front face, and the BMW logo was sanded on the front face without the need for a separate logo. The body material uses reused aluminum material, which is anodized to a light gold color, avoiding the use of car paint. The blue rubber used in the tires is made from certified sustainable natural rubber and adds colored recycled rubber particles to create an interesting terrazzo effect. The fabric surface of the four individual seats in the car is made of reused plastic, providing a velvet-like texture.
Sun Wei said: "Globally, climate change and environmental issues are promoting environmental awareness, and sustainable development has become a topic of discussion in all walks of life around the world. The BMW Group will firmly implement its sustainability strategy and contribute to the 1.5°C target of the Paris Climate Agreement. ”
(Editor: Zhang Shuo Proofreader: Yan Jingning)