BMW iX3 is cleaner than ICE in less than 2 years
BMW has revealed that its all-new iX3 EV will have a smaller environmental footprint than a petrol-powered equivalent after less than two years of driving.
The first Neue Klasse car will make its debut at the Munich motor show in September and ahead of that BMW has revealed new data on its sustainability.
Although building an EV generally produces more carbon dioxide than an equivalent ICE car, the Bavarian car maker says the new iX3 will reach a break-even point with an ICE car after just 21,500km (13,359 miles).
That means that after less than two years of driving, the extra carbon emissions from the iX3’s production will already have been balanced out by the lower impact of running it. The data is based on the current European energy mix. If the iX3 is charged exclusively with renewable energy, the break-even point is just 17,500km (10,874 miles).
The relatively high carbon cost of EV production has previously been used to claim that EVs are less ‘green’ than ICE models. The new figures from BMW disprove that and also reveal the advances in EV production that have allowed a rapid reduction in EVs’ lifetime environmental footprint.
Fishing nets and recycled batteries
BMW has achieved its impressive figures by decarbonising the entire production chain of the new iX3 by 35%, including using renewable energy and prioritising the use of recycled materials. A third of the iX3’s materials are such “secondary materials”.
This ranges from seat fabrics made from recycled drinks bottles to the plastic for the under-bonnet storage compartment, which is made from fishing nets and ropes recovered from the ocean. Metal components such as the wheels and wheel carriers also use between 70% and 80% recycled aluminium.
Using recycled materials extends to the construction of the car’s battery. Half of the cobalt, lithium, and nickel used in the new Gen6 batteries are being used for a second time. Along with the use of renewable energy in the production of the cathode and anode, this has slashed the batteries’ CO₂e emissions by 42% compared to the Gen5 cell used in the last-gen iX3.
Alongside cleaner batteries, the rest of the iX3’s powertrain is also more efficient than the previous model. BMW has worked to make the entire drive system more energy efficient as well as cutting the power use of onboard systems. It has also improved aerodynamics and cut rolling resistance compared with the old iX3. Overall, these changes mean the energy consumption of the new iX3 is 20% lower than its predecessor.
On top of all of that, the Debrecen factory where the iX3 is built is the first BMW car plant powered entirely by renewable energy. Around 25% of its power comes from solar panels, with the rest drawn from sustainable sources.
BMW’s latest figures show a dramatic improvement in the CO2 footprint of EV production in a relatively short period of time. Just four years ago, Volvo estimated that building its C40 EV produced 70% more carbon emissions than the equivalent petrol-powered XC40 and it would take around 77,248km (48,000 miles) to reach carbon break-even.
