Munich. The BMW Group is stepping up its activities in the field of sustainability, becoming the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to equip its cars with tyres using certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon, a wood-based material used to strengthen the tyres. The company will source 22-inch tyres in the first instance exclusively from Pirelli and, from August of this year, will use them in the BMW X5 xDrive45e Plug-in-Hybrid (fuel consumption combined: 1.7-1.2 l/100km (WLTP), 2.1-1.6 l/100 km (NEDC); power consumption combined: 27.7-24.3 kWh/100 km (WLTP), 25.2-23.5 kWh/100 km (NEDC); CO2 emissions combined: 39-27 g/km (WLTP), 47-37 g/km (NEDC)). Certification of the rubber plantations and the complex supply chain for natural rubber and rayon takes place in accordance with the strict standards of the independent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

“As a premium manufacturer, we aspire to lead the way in sustainability and take responsibility,” said Dr Andreas Wendt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network. “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.”

Natural rubber is the basic material for many products we use in our daily lives, such as boots and mattresses. About six million small farmers worldwide are responsible for over 80% of the world’s natural rubber cultivation. In the so-called rubber belt across the tropical regions, they run farms of between one and two hectares in size under a wide variety of different conditions. Agreeing uniform social and environmental growing conditions with these millions of small individual farms is therefore a major challenge.

By far the largest share of natural rubber grown worldwide goes into tyre production. Natural rubber’s high elasticity and sturdiness currently make it irreplaceable for tyre production.

Small label, big impact

As an independent organisation, FSC has developed an internationally recognised and demanding certification standard in recent years that is used worldwide for environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the forests. The organisation, whose well-known logo is already established in the wood and paper industry, also applies this standard to products made of natural rubber.

The new 22-inch P ZERO ∗ tyre has now become the world's first tyre to receive the coveted FSC label. To earn this certification, Pirelli adapted its US plant in Rome, Georgia, to produce tyres using FSC-certified natural rubber and rayon. From there, the tyres are delivered to BMW Group Plant Spartanburg, around 370 km away, and mounted on the BMW X5 Plug-in Hybrid. The star ∗ in the name indicates that the new tyre meets the BMW Group’s strict performance requirements, including particularly low rolling resistance and noise level.

Giovanni Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Future Mobility, said: “Before even reaching the road, sustainable mobility begins with raw materials. With the world’s first FSC-certified tyre, Pirelli once again demonstrates its commitment to pursuing increasingly challenging goals in terms of sustainability, a testament to the constant work on innovative materials and increasingly cutting-edge production processes. We continue to invest in sustainable growth for our planet, aware that this is also essential for the future of our businesses.”

Jeremy Harrison, Chief Markets Officer, FSC International, added: “The new FSC-certified Pirelli Tyre is a significant milestone in the drive to deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits across the natural rubber value chain. This is a major step forward in the journey towards a more sustainable natural rubber value chain, thereby helping to mitigate deforestation and support the fight against climate change.”

Long-standing commitment to greater transparency and sustainability in the natural rubber supplier network

The use of the first tyres containing certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon at the BMW Group is the result of the company’s extensive commitment in this area. In 2019, the BMW Group joined forces with well-known tyre manufacturers, NGOs, rubber producers and consumers to create the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). Small farmers are also represented in this initiative. The GPSNR is committed to improving social and environmental conditions for cultivation of natural rubber and pushing for more sustainability. It also implements measures to stop deforestation and make supply chains more transparent. The GPSNR currently has almost 100 members, who are responsible for about 50 percent of the global natural rubber market.

Through its activities in the GPSNR and close cooperation with its suppliers, the BMW Group is constantly working to further improve sustainability in the natural rubber supply chain. The BMW Group is stepping up these activities and plans to steadily expand its sourcing of tyres made from sustainably grown natural rubber.

The BMW Group has been working with the FSC organisation for many years (Licence code FSC-N002012). The company decided to use FSC-certified wood in the BMW i3, which was first launched onto the market in 2013. The BMW iX for release later this year will also feature FSC-certified wood. In 2017, the BMW Group and FSC advocated for further development of FSC standards for cultivation of natural rubber in Thailand.

Sustainability an integral part of all purchasing activities

Independently of these measures, the BMW Group has contractually obligated all its direct suppliers to respect human rights, comply with expanded environmental and social standards and to introduce management systems to promote occupational safety and protect the environment since 2014. This also includes protecting forests and biodiversity. These requirements must also be contractually passed on to subcontractors. BMW Group Purchasing does not rely on contractual obligations alone for this but is also implementing a large number of additional measures in a transparent process. A risk filter is used to evaluate potential supplier locations worldwide even before the call for bids. The next step is to require possible suppliers to outline their sustainability activities in a detailed questionnaire. External partners also work with internal appraisers to review selected locations. Throughout the contract period, external partners work with internal appraisers to verify compliance with sustainability requirements through questionnaires and audits. In this way, BMW Group Purchasing is able to monitor thousands of locations every year.

Sustainable mobility with the BMW X5 xDrive45e

The BMW Group has completed full lifecycle CO₂ certification for the BMW X5 xDrive45e – from raw material procurement, through the supply chain, production and use phase, all the way to recycling. If charged during the use phase with the average European electricity mix, this gives it an advantage of around 40 percent over the BMW X5 xDrive40i. If charged with green power, the advantage is around 70 percent. The electric range amounts to 77-88 kilometres (WLTP).

Richmond Hill. MINI Canada has once again announced that it will be supporting motorsports by continuing with the Contingency Award Programs. Honouring MINI’s strong rally history, the incentive program offers Canadians who race a MINI in the Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) and the 2016 Targa Newfoundland the opportunity to be rewarded for their commitment to domestic motorsports. Each year from 2009 to 2015, a MINI driver has celebrated a 1st or 2nd placing in the CTCC Touring class. The past two seasons have been exceptionally exciting, with Michel Sallenbach winning the title in 2014 in his MINI John Cooper Works Coupe, and Alain Lauziere in 2015 in his MINI John Cooper Works 3 door.

For the CTCC, MINI Canada will pay contingency awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the Touring and Super classes, while also rewarding champtionship titles.

"The MINI brand helped us to celebrate our first year in 2007 with an overall victory in Touring Class.  Since that time, MINI vehicles have become a fan favourite and a solid challenger on the track with multiple podiums and overall championships," stated John Bondar, President of the Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Continental Tire.  "As we begin our tenth championship season, we are grateful for the support of MINI Canada and look forward to another exciting year with MINI battling for victory in every race."

For Targa Newfoundland, MINI Canada will have a contingency payout structure designed to reward a first place finish in the Open, Modern, and Grand Touring classes. With the defending Modern class winners of Billy Anderson and Max Cline Abrahams returning in their MINI Cooper S, another top podium finish is very much within reach.

“Motorsports has been an essential component of MINI’s DNA since shortly after its debut in the marketplace. Ever expanding competition successes around the globe carry on this rich tradition, highlighted by MINI’s growing family of performance oriented Cooper S and John Cooper Works models” said Andrew Scott, Director of MINI Canada. “The Contingency Award Program encourages and rewards the skilled drivers of the CTCC to take to the track in one of our exciting vehicles.”

The contingency payout structure for the Touring Class will reward 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in each race as follows:

The contingency payout structure for the Super Class will reward 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in each race as follows:

The contingency payout structure for the 2016 Targa Newfoundland competition will reward each class as follows:

Terms and Conditions, along with the payout request form, follow this release (see attachment).

BMW Group in Canada

BMW Group Canada, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI.  BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs and protection products on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 44 BMW automobile retail centres, 20 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 30 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

For more information, please contact:

Barb Pitblado, Director, Corporate Communications

BMW Group Canada

416-305-1709 / barb.pitblado@bmwgroup.ca                      

Rob Dexter, Product and Technology Specialist

BMW Group Canada  

905-428-5447 / robert.dexter@bmwgroup.ca

BMW Canada has invited all M5 owners who purchased their car last year (271) to
participate in a two-day driver training program specifically designed for them
at the BMW Performance Centre in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The BMW driving
school is just one part of a landmark experience offered in upstate South
Carolina, where BMW already has a strong presence with its manufacturing
facility, factory tour program and the Zentrum museum showcasing more than 80
years of BMW automotive and motorcycle history.

The M5 Driving School places emphasis on developing skills used in every-day
driving conditions including active safety instruction and exercises. The
state-of-the-art driving course features a unique water wall accident avoidance
exercise area considered one of the most effective ways to simulate unforeseen
obstacles. The water wall corridor, available on only a few road courses in the
world, is an important tool in BMW's accident avoidance program. Other features
of the driving course include a polished wet-surface 300 foot diameter skidpad
to simulate icing and slippery surface conditions.

The M5 Driver Training program costs $1950 and includes two-days of M5 driver
training, meals and accommodations, as well as a tour of the BMW Zentrum
Museum, a tour of BMW's $1.3 billion manufacturing facility and a tour and
lunch the famous Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina.

"At the school, drivers will receive instruction from professional driving
instructors to develop, train and test their reflexes in everyday and emergency
situations, " explains Andrew Doyle, Marketing Communications Manager for BMW
Canada Inc. " It is the perfect opportunity for our customers to experience
the performance and handling of the incomparable M5 in a safe and controlled
environment."

The M5 Driver Training program in South Carolina launches the beginning of BMW
Canada's own Driver Training programs. Beginning this April, BMW Canada will
offer introductory and advanced driver training programs in Toronto, later
expanding to Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

BMW Canada Inc., based in Whitby, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW
AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance
automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, motorcycles, and beginning in 2002 the
new MINI. BMW is represented by a total network of 32 independent BMW retail
centres and 16 independent BMW motorcycle retailers across the country.

-# # # -

Whitby, Ontario... As you shovel your way out of the snow, BMW has developed a
list of top safety tips for you to read before you venture out into the
dangerous winter conditions. Incorporating the following into your daily
routine will help provide you more control in a situation.

Before Heading Out

1. Clear all windows completely of ice and snow. It is just as important to
remove all the snow from the hood, roof and trunk. Failure to do so will result
in the loose snow blowing into your lines of vision.
2. Know Your Roadside Assistance Information: If you are covered by a
Manufacturer's Roadside Assistance Plan, be sure to have the phone number as
well as all-important information such as vehicle identification number and
license plate number handy. If you are not covered by a Manufacturer's Roadside
Assistance Plan, join a roadside assistance service such as CAA.
3. Bring Your Cell Phone: Charge up your cell phone and keep it handy for
emergencies.
4. Don't Drive Drowsy: Be sure to get a good night's sleep before setting off
(inattention is often caused by fatigue).
5. Check Your Vehicle's Fluid Levels: Check all of your fluid levels (oil,
water, transmission, wiper) to make sure that they meet the recommended
operating levels listed in your owner's manual. Then fill your gas tank and
keep it full.
6. Inspect Your Tires: Check your tires for wear and tear and do not forget to
check the tire's air-pressure (including the spare). If snow tires are
appropriate for your driving conditions, make sure they are installed correctly
on all four wheels.
7. Watch Your Wipers: Make sure your windshield wiper blades are sharp and in
working order.
8. Make Sure Your Heater Works: Have your heating unit checked out before the
onset of the winter season.
9. Inspect Your Child Safety Seats: Check to make sure your child safety seats
are secured properly according to the manufacturer directions.
10. Bring Emergency Provisions: Pack blankets and warm clothes in case you're
stuck in a snow or ice storm. For longer trips, bring drinking water and light
snacks in case you get stranded. Flashlights with fresh batteries are also a
necessity.
11. Limit Your Distractions: Bring along games and puzzles to entertain the
kids (it helps to minimize distractions).

Driving Tips
1. Allow Extra Time: When road conditions get icy, allow yourself additional
drive time to reach your destination.
2. Slow Down: Driving at speeds that are considered safe under normal
conditions can be dangerous during winter. Remember to slow down, avoid sudden
stops and change directions carefully.
3. Leave Additional Space Between Vehicles: Snow and ice make stopping a
vehicle much more difficult. To be safe, leave more room between your vehicle
and those ahead of you.
4. Know Your Car: Not all vehicles have the same handling characteristics. You
should be aware of how winter weather can affect your vehicle's performance.
Consult your owner's manual to find out if your car has antilock brakes and
traction control. You should know how they work and how they help in winter
weather.
5. Be Prepared For Skids: Look where you want to go, not where the vehicle is
heading. Looking where you want to go will ensure you are steering in the
proper direction.
6. Be Alert: Winter weather can limit your visibility, making it difficult to
see other vehicles or objects on the road. Drive slowly and stay alert.
7. Stay With Your Car If You Get Stuck: Do not panic and leave your vehicle.
Stay with your car and keep warm. Try to conserve your fuel and be careful of
exhaust systems problems.

BMW urges you to please drive cautiously this winter season.

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Munich. Men kneeling in the desert sand to let the air out of the mighty tyres
of their BMW X5. "That gives you better grip", says BMW instructor Jutta
Kleinschmidt, "and that's the only way to get through the Sahara safe and
sound." The world's No 1 female rally driver has put together this five-day
trip through Morocco in BMW's new X5 sports activity vehicle, choosing
authentic routes in the Paris-Dakar Rally from Marrakech across the High Atlas
Mountains all the way to the edge of the Sahara.

Certainly a great challenge perfectly tailored to the BMW X5, the vehicle
combining driving features and motoring comfort typical of BMW with the most
advanced four-wheel-drive technology: The superior power of the 4.4-litre
8-cylinder developing 286 bhp, permanent four-wheel drive with four-wheel brake
control, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), and intelligent Hill Decent Control
(HDC).

The participants need only a few miles to make themselves acquainted with this
unique vehicle that drives like a passenger car and therefore qualifies as a
genuine all-roader as opposed to a conventional off-roader. Responding
instantaneously to the accelerator, the X5 leaves "normal" cars and the many
carts drawn by donkeys far behind. Then, reaching rough terrain, the drivers
are greeted by palm trees in the valley with snow-covered 4000-metre-high
mountains rising up in the distance - truly a majestic scene. The track takes
the team beneath rocks and cliffs rising up above, through rivers without any
kind of bridge, down steep gradients. But the X5 remains cool, calm and
collected wherever it goes, its perfectly tuned suspension taking the
passengers along even the bumpiest tracks smoothly and comfortably.

At appropriate, particularly challenging points Jutta Kleinschmidt gets the
group together to discuss the best driving strategies: Pitholes? Take your foot
off the brake! Crossing a river without suffering water damage in the process?
Make it slow and steady! Particularly tricky terrain with sharp rocks? Watch
out for punctures!

The word "road" soon disappears from the roadbook, the only appropriate term
being "tracks" or "rough terrain". And there is dust everywhere. Stopping over
during midday in a Berber tent, the dark cloth provides some well-deserved
shade. Time to enjoy some fresh peppermint tea, the national Moroccan drink,
with couscous and bread from the open fire.

The next leg of the journey leaves the mountains far behind in your rear-view
mirrors, taking you on into the desert full of camels accompanied by herdsman
on flimsy bicycles. This is the right time for Jutta to brief the participants
on how to drive in sand. And there can be no doubt that there has never been a
more unusual test track in more than 20 years of BMW Driver Training.

It certainly takes courage to simply let the X5 go down the dunes nose first
into the desert. And indeed, this looks spectacular but actually is not that
difficult - at least not with this kind of vehicle. Smoothly and safely, the X5
plows its way through the deepest sand with its Hill Descent Control. Driving
in the dunes is fun and gives you a good idea of the "impossible" terrain such
a modern vehicle is able to handle without the slightest effort.

Berbers wearing bright blue scarves on their heads to protect them from the
eternal sand have set up a night camp for the group. Loud thunder is to be
heard in the early morning - and, indeed, rain is a very rare event here.
Precisely this is why the last leg turns out quite differently from the way it
is described in the roadbook. Wadis, otherwise dry river beds, are quickly
transformed into tearing rivers. Where yesterday there was a bridge there is
now a river full of clay and mud. Always ready for any challenge, Jutta gets
out and says: "Okay, I'll walk across!" And what about driving? No, the best
idea is to walk across first, following the old offroad rule that as long as
you can make your way through a river on foot your offroader will make it, too.

On this day the 10 BMW X5s are the only vehicles able to cross the river,
clearly confirming the message they bear on their doors: "BMW Driver Training -
An Initiative for Greater Superiority in Road Traffic". Also in Morocco.

INFO
This trip is organised roughly twice a year at an all-inclusive price of
approximately CAN$ 5,500.-. (Starting from Casablanca) For further information
and all other BMW Driver Training offers, please contact:
BMW Driver-Training
Daimlerstrasse 19
D-85748 Garching
Germany
phone: 01149/ 89/32903-969
Fax: 01149/89/32903-362
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