Following the successful use of ‘renewable raw materials’ in racing cars and several years of development and in-depth research, the
BMW Group says it will now incorporate natural-fibre composites for its series-production models, adding that these even meet the ‘stringent demands of roof structures in total vehicle homologation’.
The flax-based lightweight components have been developed in collaboration with Bcomp, a Swiss clean-tech company that the Munich-based carmaker holds a stake in through BMW i Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm. The partnership with Bcomp supports the BMW Group’s goal of further reducing CO
2e emissions in future vehicle models.
The company said: “Lightweight construction has long been a crucial development field for the BMW Group. The use of natural fibres with a reduced CO
2e footprint in composite materials has become increasingly important, and material tests have demonstrated the fibres’ great suitability, especially for visible exterior and interior components.
End-of-life considerationsFor example, exchanging carbon-fibre composites for natural-fibre composites in the roof of the next-generation BMW Group portfolio leads to a CO
2e reduction of around 40% in production — plus additional end-of-life considerations.
Reinforcement parts made of natural-fibre composites were initially used by BMW M Motorsport in the 2019 season of Formula E. Since then, the components have also been successfully used in the BMW M4 DTM and M4 GT4, replacing carbon-fibre plastic (CFRP) parts. Since 2022, Bcomp has been an official BMW M Motorsport partner for the BMW M4 GT4.
Franciscus van Meel, BMW M GmbH’s CEO, said: “Natural-fibre composites are a vital element of innovative lightweight solutions in motorsport, allowing for a reduction in CO
2e emissions in the manufacturing process. Natural fibre is an innovation that perfectly exemplifies BMW M’s claim ‘Born on the racetrack. Made for the streets’. We are now looking forward to using these materials in future BMW M product ranges.”