BMW has announced that it will start using tyres made from more sustainable materials as the brand steps up its efforts to be more environmentally-friendly.
The tyres – which have been developed with Pirelli – will signal the first time a car firm has equipped its cars with tyres of such kind, which are made from certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon, which is a wood-based material used to strengthen the tyres.
Certification of the materials and supply chain is set to be carried out with ‘strict standards’ of the independent Forestry Stewardship Council. (FSC).
Much of the world’s rubber is said to come from small farmers operating in just a couple of hectares, with the material said to be ‘irreplaceable’ when it comes to tyres because of its strength and natural elasticity.
The 22-inch Pirelli P-Zero ∗ tyres – the star symbolises the sustainability efforts – will be introduced to the firm’s BMW X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid from August, the firm has said. This SUV is also one of the ‘greenest’ cars of its type, thanks to an impressive claimed 54-mile electric range.
Dr Andreas Wendt, head of purchasing and the supplier network at BMW, said. “As a premium manufacturer, we aspire to lead the way in sustainability and take responsibility.
“We have been committed to improving cultivation of natural rubber and increasing transparency in the supplier network since 2015. The use of tyres made of certified natural rubber is a pioneering achievement for our industry. In this way, we are helping preserve biodiversity and forests to counteract climate change.”
BMW has been working with the FSC for some years, with the firm using sustainably-sourced wood in its electric i3 interior from as early as 2012, while the new flagship electric iX SUV will also feature similar materials.
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