Hams Hall, UK. BMW Group’s Hams Hall plant, located in the UK, has reached a major milestone: For exactly 25 years, the plant near Birmingham has produced highly efficient internal combustion engines for a variety of BMW Group vehicle models. More than 7.6 million engines have shipped from Hams Hall since 2001. The facility supplies numerous production sites worldwide with highly efficient petrol engines for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands, including drive trains for plug-in hybrid models – making the plant an integral part of the BMW Group’s technology-open approach. Today, Plant Hams Hall produces three and four-cylinder petrol engines to high performance V8 engines, powering vehicles across both BMW and MINI. Separately, the V12 engine is produced at Plant Hams Hall exclusively for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Its assembly follows a distinct, bespoke production process, carried out by specially trained engineers and technicians, before final delivery to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

Plant Hams Hall – an integral part of the global production network

"This anniversary is a special milestone for our site," says Dirk Dreher, Head of the BMW Group's Hams Hall plant. "We are a competitive plant and there’s always been a real passion among our workforce to continually improve our manufacturing processes and site. Building on our strong foundation, we are looking forward to remaining a successful plant in the future."

“The Hams Hall plant is an integral part of our global production network,” explains Harald Gottsche, Head of Engine Production at BMW AG. “The site combines technological expertise with high flexibility. It reliably supplies our vehicle plants with efficient, powerful engines of premium quality. This includes the V12 engine – a masterpiece from Hams Hall!”

61% reduction in energy use per engine built since the start of full production

The British engine plant is systematically implementing the principles of the BMW iFACTORY. The strategic vision of the BMW iFACTORY focusses on sustainability, electrification, digitalisation and profitability. From the first concept of the plant to the present day, the Hams Hall team has made sustainability a key consideration. Since the first full year of production, the plant has made a 61% reduction in energy required per engine built, meaning the overall energy to operate the site has remained level even though there has been a considerable increase in production. The plant purchases 100% of its external electricity from renewable energy sources today. It has also worked to reduce its consumption of natural gas.

SpOTTO robotic dog scans and monitors manufacturing equipment

A four-legged autonomous robot named “SpOTTO” joined the Hams Hall team in 2024. The autonomous robotic dog scans the plant, supports maintenance and ensures production processes run smoothly. Equipped with visual, thermal and acoustic sensors, SpOTTO collects valuable data for the plant’s digital twin. It also serves as a watchdog, monitoring the maintenance of production facilities. SpOTTO was developed by Boston Dynamics under the product name “Spot”, an agile robot capable of climbing stairs and traversing rough terrain with ease. At Hams Hall, “Spot” was fondly renamed SpOTTO, paying tribute to the engine plant’s proud heritage: Gustav Otto, one of the founders of BMW, was the son of Nicolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke engine.

Fully connected digital twin: Big data on three levels

At the core of the Hams Hall plant’s digital transformation is the fully connected digital twin, which consists of three levels: On the first level, 3D representations of the entire plant are generated. The second level comprises a large data layer, continuously updated with all relevant information from the SpOTTO robotic dog, the plant’s manufacturing equipment and its IT systems. On the third level – the application level – dedicated programmes organise the collected data into comprehensible units. Using special apps, experts at Plant Hams Hall can leverage this information for tasks such as production planning and quality assurance.

A history of continuous growth

Over the past 25 years, BMW Group Plant Hams Hall has continuously evolved, establishing itself as a key pillar of the company’s production network. Relying on state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, it provides drive trains for numerous BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce models.

Selected historic milestones:

• 2001: Plant Hams Hall launches series production with new four-cylinder engines, using innovative Valvetronic technology in large-scale manufacturing for the first time.
• 2006: An additional engine family is introduced; Plant Hams Hall produces engines for the MINI brand for the first time.
• 2013: Plant Hams Hall becomes the exclusive manufacturer of the award-winning three-cylinder engine for the iconic BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. The plant also integrates additional production lines for three- and four-cylinder petrol engines. At the same time, the processing hall for crankshafts, crankcases and cylinder heads is expanded.
• 2022: The plant takes over production of V8 and V12 engines. With this step the plant generates even greater business value for the company.
• 2026: Plant Hams Hall celebrates 25 years of production.

The BMW Group’s drive train production network

The BMW Group’s engine production network comprises several plants alongside Hams Hall: Its largest engine facility is in Steyr, Austria, where diesel and petrol engines, as well as sixth-generation electric motors, are developed and produced. The fifth generation of electric motors is produced in Dingolfing. Plant Munich handles mechanical production of V8 and V12 engine components, while Plant Landshut manufactures special engines. The Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance builds engines for the local market in Shenyang. Collectively, these locations support the BMW Group's technology-open powertrain strategy.

Nantucket, MA – September 26, 2024… BMW of North America is back on the island of Nantucket this weekend in support of the twelfth annual Nantucket Project as prolific thought leaders from across the globe come together to reimagine solutions for a range of complex challenges facing humanity today. As Official Automotive Partner of The Nantucket Project, the company will once again provide a full lineup of vehicles for guests to enjoy including the 100% electric BMW i7 flagship sedan and first-ever plug-in hybrid BMW XM Label Sports Activity Vehicle.

Host to cultural icons, policy makers, artists, corporate executives, inventors, and hundreds more curious-minded influential figures seeking to make the world a better place, the non-profit initiative serves as a dynamic platform for different perspectives united by a commitment to honest, open dialogue. Through the art of storytelling, immersive live performances, and thought-provoking films, The Nantucket Project aims to foster empathy and enlightenment by bringing new worldviews into focus.

“The Nantucket Project is a unique opportunity to engage with an array of consumers who see the world through many different lenses yet share a fundamental view that the exchange of new ideas is what drives us all forward”, said Marcus Casey, Chief Marketing Officer, BMW of North America. “The BMW Group believes that the future is electric, digital, and circular, however no one company or industry can shape it by themselves. The only way to get there is through open dialogue and collaboration.”

From raw material procurement to manufacturing, and through the post-vehicle recycling phase, the BMW Group’s commitment to a sustainable future aligns with The Nantucket Project’s vision to leave a lasting, positive impact on our world. The company has established a firm goal for 2030 to reduce CO₂ emissions throughout its entire value chain by at least 40 percent and is striving for total climate neutrality by 2050.  

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BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and assembles the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 350 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers,144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists online at www.bmwusanews.com , www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com.

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Woodcliff Lake, NJ – September 20, 2024… The BMW Group announced today its plans for Climate Week NYC 2024, one of the largest annual climate events of its kind. As an Official Partner of Climate Week NYC, the company is bringing industries and experts together to facilitate a critical idea exchange on decarbonization on a global stage and share new low-emission technologies and innovations.

On September 24, BMW Group will host media, partners, and stakeholders at Moonlight Studios in Manhattan for a program highlighted by a panel discussion moderated by legendary weatherman and news anchor Al Roker to explore the importance of collaboration to achieve sustainability goals. Panelists will include BMW GroupGeneral Project Manager Hydrogen Technology and Vehicle Projects, Dr. Juergen Guldner; Chef, Restaurateur and owner of Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm; Levi’s Senior Director of Sustainability, Jennifer DuBuisson, and climate activist Sophia Kianni.

Throughout the day, guests will also have the opportunity to explore various exhibits from BMW Group companies URBAN-X and Designworks, designed to showcase some of the company’s efforts around sustainability, speak with experts, and interact vehicles including the BMW iX5 Hydrogen and the 100% electric BMW i5 sedan.

“Sustainability and circularity – from the procurement of materials in the supply chain and the manufacturing process, through the product use phase and post-life – are not only core principals of BMW Group’s corporate strategy, but also key factors which will support the future success of our company,” said Alexander Bilgeri, Vice President Corporate Communications, Human Resources, Production, Purchasing and Sustainability. “It is critical that we foster collaboration across industries if we are to make an impact and ultimately achieve net zero as a society. Climate Week NYC is a perfect platform for to affirm our commitment to decarbonization and share ideas that will help build a more sustainable future.”

Highlights include:

• URBAN-X Managing Director Johan Schwind, Director Sarah Schappert, and representatives from partner companies  Dollaride, itselectric, Virtus Solis, Lectrium, and Vycarb will outline the BMW Group’s URBAN-X initiative and its cutting-edge work with startups in the climate tech space who are reimagining city life.
• Dr. Guldner will take to the stage to lead an in-depth conversation on the importance of hydrogen as an energy source in the United States, with Director of the Energy Futures Program at the University of California Davis, Dr. Lewis Fulton, and Hydrogen Industry Expert and Founder of CleanEpic, Dr. Jason Munster.
• Designworks, BMW Group’s California-based design consultancy, will showcase the award-winning BMW M Visionary Materials Seat and discuss sustainability and visionary design, the use of naturally-derived materials, and how raising the share of secondary raw materials can increase recyclability at the end of the lifecycle
• Experts from Redwood Materials will be on hand to discuss the company’s recently announced partnership with BMW of North America to recycle lithium-ion batteries from all electric, plug-in hybrid-electric, and mild hybrid BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad vehicles in the U.S.

Media interested in joining the program can click here to register. For those unable to join in person, the BMW Group will bring its Climate Week NYC experience to social media, partnering with "We Don't Have Time" - The World's Largest Media Platform for Climate Action, to create a video series entitled “Climate Conversations in Cars.” This series will feature interviews with high-level thought leaders at Climate Week NYC. The first episode will be available to view at wedonthavetime.org/play starting on September 27.

BMW will launch its first hydrogen-powered production model in 2028. 

After successfully testing the BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet worldwide, the BMW Group is now preparing for series production of vehicles with hydrogen drive systems in 2028. The series production models will be integrated into BMW’s existing portfolio, i.e. BMW will offer an existing model in an additional hydrogen fuel cell drive system variant. As FCEV technology is another electric vehicle technology, the BMW Group explicitly views it as complementing the drive technology used by battery electric vehicles (BEV) and next to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and internal combustion engines (ICE).

Advancing the hydrogen economy.

The pathway to realizing the full potential of hydrogen mobility includes its use in commercial vehicles and the establishment of a refueling infrastructure for all mobility applications, including hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles. Recognizing the complementary nature of these technologies, the BMW Group is supporting the expansion of both hydrogen refueling and battery electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The company is working with partners to encourage sustainable hydrogen supply by creating demand, working closely with companies that are building low-carbon hydrogen production, distribution, and refueling facilities.

The BMW Group is advocating the creation of a conducive framework by governments and investors to facilitate the early-stage penetration of hydrogen mobility and ensure its economic viability. By promoting the corresponding infrastructure, the company aims to establish the FCEV market as an additional pillar alongside other powertrain technologies. Furthermore, the company is seeking regional or local projects to further drive the development of hydrogen infrastructure through collaborative initiatives.

Benefits of hydrogen-powered technology.

Hydrogen is recognized as a promising future energy carrier for global decarbonization. It acts as an effective storage medium for renewable energy sources, helping to balance supply and demand and enabling a more stable and reliable integration of renewables into the energy grid. Hydrogen is the missing piece for completing the electric mobility puzzle where battery electric drive systems are not an optimal solution.

Sustainability at the BMW Group. 

The BMW Group considers sustainability to be a central part of its strategic direction – from administration and purchasing to development and production, all the way to sales and marketing. This commitment has long been entrenched in the BMW Group’s corporate culture. It was the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to appoint our own environmental officer back in 1973 – over 50 years ago.

BMW Group firmly believes that effective climate protection can be achieved through technological innovations and has set itself high reduction targets for CO2 emissions by 2030. The aim is to lower emissions per vehicle by 40% throughout the entire life cycle. How we respond to climate change now will decide the future of society.

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The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

BMW Group in America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and assembles the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 350 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 105 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com, www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com. 

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Woodcliff Lake, NJ & Reno, NV -- September 19, 2024… BMW of North America and Redwood Materials announced today a partnership to recycle lithium-ion batteries from all electric, plug-in hybrid-electric, and mild hybrid BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad vehicles in the U.S. The partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to sustainability, and is the next step towards creating a closed-loop circular value chain for lithium-ion batteries in the U.S.

Redwood Materials will work directly with BMW Group's extensive network of close to 700 locations across the U.S., including dealerships, distribution centers, and other facilities to recover end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and ensure critical minerals like nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper are recycled and refined. Ultimately, 95% - 98% of these critical minerals will be returned to the battery supply chain to build increasingly sustainable electric vehicles. The materials inside of a battery are nearly infinitely recyclable and are not consumed or lost in their lifetime of usage in the vehicle. Additionally, Redwood’s processes have a significantly smaller environmental impact than conventional mining or other recycling technologies, reducing energy by 80%, CO2 emissions by 70%, and water by 80%. 

“Together with Redwood Materials, BMW is laying the groundwork for the creation of a fully circular battery supply chain in the U.S.,” said Denise Melville, Head of Sustainability, BMW of North America. “We have said before that the future of BMW was electric, digital, and circular, and this agreement brings us a step closer to meeting that goal.” 

Redwood Materials currently operates a campus in Reno, Nevada where battery components are recycled, refined, and manufactured. A second Redwood Materials campus is under construction in Charleston, South Carolina, not far from BMW Group Plant Spartanburg and Plant Woodruff, where BMW will assemble at least six fully electric models, and the high-voltage battery packs for those vehicles, before the end of the decade. The company’s battery cell manufacturing partner, AESC is also nearby in Florence, SC.

BMW Group was among the first automakers to establish operations in South Carolina when it broke ground in Spartanburg in 1992. Over the past 30 years, the plant has expanded several times to its current size of 8-million-square-feet. With an annual capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles, Plant Spartanburg is currently the largest single BMW plant in the world.

“The transition to electric mobility presents a tremendous opportunity to rethink how we manage the batteries that power our clean energy future”, said Cal Lankton, Chief Commercial Officer at Redwood Materials. “Our partnership with BMW of North America ensures responsible end-of-life battery management that will improve the environmental footprint of lithium-ion batteries, help decrease cost and, in turn, increase access and adoption of electric vehicles.” 

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BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California;  a technology office in Silicon Valley, and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and assembles the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles as well as the BMW XM. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 350 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 144 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com, www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com.

About Redwood Materials

Redwood Materials is creating a circular supply chain to drive down the environmental footprint and cost of lithium-ion batteries and the electric vehicles and sustainable energy storage systems they power. Founded by JB Straubel, the Nevada-based company is offering large-scale sources of sustainable battery materials produced at scale in the U.S. for the first time. Redwood is ramping its Northern Nevada facility and has broken ground on its second Battery Materials Campus, outside Charleston, South Carolina. Both of Redwood’s campuses will recycle, refine, and manufacture battery materials, aiming to scale production to 100 GWh annually. More information is available at redwoodmaterials.com. 

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• All BMW North America EV and PHEV customers in the contiguous 48 states are now eligible to earn cash incentives for optimizing their charging
• Program could enable significant carbon emission reductions from electric vehicle charging

Woodcliff Lake, NJ. - November 14, 2023… Today, BMW of North America announced the national expansion of its smart charging service, ChargeForward, in conjunction with the launch of the first all-electric BMW 5 Series, the BMW i5. With enrollment kicking off today, all BMW battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) model years 2018 and up will be eligible to enroll in ChargeForward throughout the lower 48 states. The innovative smart charging feature provides customers with incentives for aligning their vehicle charging with times when renewable energy is highest on the grid.

While ChargeForward is already available in some states across the U.S. through partnerships with various utility providers, it will now be accessible to all electrified vehicle customers by utilizing carbon data specific to the electric grid in each region. This allows BMW drivers to reduce their carbon footprint and support fluctuations in the electric grid, all while earning cash incentives. The program is completely free and digital, utilizing the Connected Drive system to communicate to the vehicle the best times to charge. Drivers can enroll online and do not need to install any hardware to participate.

“The national expansion of BMW ChargeForward is yet another step in our endeavor to provide customers with the best possible charging experience,” said Thomas Ruemenapp, Vice President, Engineering, BMW of North America, LLC. “Empowering our drivers to play an active role in reducing carbon emissions and increasing their renewable energy usage is an innovative way to use vehicle charging to further the environmental benefits of electric vehicles.”  

This expansion marks the next phase in the company’s ChargeForward program, which leads the sector in testing groundbreaking ways to use EV’s as a flexible grid resource.

As another example of this effort, earlier this year BMW announced plans for the joint venture ChargeScape together with two additional automakers. This joint venture will support BMW’s ChargeForward program and connect to even more utilities as a single point of contact. This will allow the program to scale-up and integrate with the respective utilities.

BMW ChargeForward Customer Incentives: Here’s How it Works

ChargeForward intelligently sets a schedule that charges the vehicle during optimal times of the day. Charging is aligned to the times with the lowest carbon intensity in a customer’s city or region. Drivers earn incentives when they agree to shift their EV charging to times when renewable energy is plentiful and away from times when electricity is in high demand.  The vehicle will complete its charging prior to a set departure time, ensuring that customers can meet all their driving needs for the day ahead.

There are two types of incentives customers can earn:

• Cash incentives, by participating in up to 10 smart charging events per month.
• Quarterly Carbon Dividend incentives, that are cash incentives which are paid out based on total customer participation and total carbon reductions.

Our Partners

BMW is partnering with UC Berkeley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center (TSRC) to evaluate the company’s smart charging programs and quantify the carbon emission reductions, in an effort to track the impact of ChargeForward.

BMW will also use carbon data provided by WattTime, a tech non-profit organization that analyzes the electric grid to determine the carbon emissions caused by electricity use in various locations throughout the U.S.

This expanded national program will co-exist with current ChargeForward utility partners in specific regions: PG&E in Northern/Central California; Duke Energy in Charlotte, North Carolina; DTE in Detroit, Michigan; Xcel Energy in Colorado; and SMUD in Sacramento, California. BMW will continue to expand to new utilities to offer added benefits and incentives to our drivers through our ChargeScape joint venture.

BMW’s commitment to the BEV ecosystem

The national expansion of ChargeForward further demonstrates BMW’s dedication to the BEV transformation. This program is one of several charging infrastructure initiatives the company has recently announced, including its joint venture with six other OEMs to build a high-powered charging network across North America. In addition, BMW recently launched the Plug & Charge feature for its vehicles on the Electrify America network. This will make the individual charging session more convenient for customers by eliminating the need for an app or charger interaction. Simply plug-in and walk away, BMW will do the rest. Finally, to give customers access to more public chargers in North America, BMW will introduce Shell Recharge as additional public charging partner. With this, customers will gain access to more than 100,000 additional chargers, everything fully integrated into the myBMW App and vehicle head-unit.

BMW takes a holistic approach to environmental responsibility that goes beyond the vehicle alone. From design, engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, charging, and recycling, the company is taking steps to help lead the world to a more ecologically balanced future.

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BMW Group in America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 349 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers,146 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Online:www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter:http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview

Google+:http://googleplus.bmwgroup.com

Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line atwww.bmwusanews.com,www.miniusanews.com andwww.press.bmwna.com.

Brooklyn, N.Y. – September 18, 2023 – MINI USA is marking Climate Week NYC, the largest annual climate event of its kind, with its North American debut of the new all-MINI Countryman Electric, which makes its first appearance in the U.S. following the World Premiere earlier this month at IAA Mobility in Munich.  Expected to arrive on U.S. shores for consumers in the fall of 2024, this evolution for the largest model in the MINI family is another step in the brand’s journey toward fully electrified mobility and sustainable design.

The new electric Countryman makes it first presence on American shores at a special panel called Driving Forward: The Transforming of Future Mobility hosted by URBAN-X, the leading urban technology startup platform by MINI, at Newlab in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  URBAN-X, which recently welcomed its 13^th cohort of early-stage startups, is committed to fostering more sustainable, livable, and resilient cities by nurturing startups that offer impactful climate technology solutions.

 “The all-new MINI Countryman Electric is a significant step as MINI moves to becoming a more sustainable and fully electrified brand by 2030.” said Mike Peyton, President of MINI Business Innovations LLC, and Vice President of MINI of the Americas “Sustainability is also a key mission of URBAN-X, our start-up accelerator focused on climate tech innovations that help make city life better.  That’s why it’s a perfect fit to showcase our next new electric MINI at URBAN-X on the occasion of Climate Week NYC.”

A bold new addition to the MINI family, the all-new MINI Countryman Electric boasts a revolutionized digital ecosystem, greater utility, electric power output that keeps the “fun to drive” spirit going, and a design that is forward-thinking but unmistakably MINI.  At the event the New MINI Countryman Electric’s North American debut takes place alongside the appearance of the new BMW CE-04 battery electric scooter and the BMW iX5 Hydrogen prototype that showcases the company‘s development of hydrogen technology for future series production.

The panel at URBAN-X also features Alexander Bilgeri, BMW Group Vice President of Corporate Communications for Human Resources, Production, Purchasing and Sustainability, as the session explores the transforming future of mobility with several start-ups and innovators. As part of the panel Bilgeri is presenting the BMW Group sustainability strategy and the company‘s plans to meet its decarbonization targets by 2050.

About MINI in the US

MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The authorized MINI USA dealer organization is represented by a network of 104 MINI full passenger car sales and service dealers located throughout the US.  MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of five unique vehicles.

Journalist notes: Media information about MINI and its range new products to come is available to journalists on-line at MINIUSANEWS.com.

About URBAN-X
URBAN-X is the platform for founders reimagining city life. Built by MINI in 2016, URBAN-X partners with startups to build bold technology solutions for a sustainable planet. Breaking from traditional startup program molds, URBAN-X provides Pre-Seed and Seed-Stage entrepreneurs with individualized and tailored support that accelerates growth and builds successful businesses for the next generation of climate- and city-focused innovators. Core to its platform, URBAN-X offers world-class engineering and design resources, industry-leading investment capital from our venture partner JVP, a global network of investors, policymakers, corporate strategies and end-customers, and premier educational content for a global network of founders. Find URBAN-X on Twitter & Instagram at @urbanxtech and on Facebook at facebook.com/urbanxtech.

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• Zipse: “We are committed to a clear course to achieve the 1.5 degree target”
• 50% reduction in global CO2 use-phase emissions by 2030
• Over 40% reduction in CO2 emissions during life cycle
• Ten million all-electric vehicles within ten years
• Secondary first: Up to 50% use of secondary material planned – initiatives to develop the market are required
• Cooperation with BASF and ALBA on plastic recycling
• Resource scarcity and social responsibility: BMW Group focussed on circular economy for sustainable materials
• RE:BMW – circular economy at the IAA Mobility in Munich

Munich. The BMW Group is increasing the pace of its efforts to combat climate change. Looking ahead to the introduction of the Neue Klasse, the company is further strengthening its self-defined objectives, announced in summer last year, to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, whilst also committing itself to a clear course that supports the 1.5 degree target for the limitation of global warming. The Neue Klasse will also see the BMW Group hugely increase its use of secondary materials with a firm focus on the principles of the circular economy, whilst also promoting better framework conditions for establishing a market for secondary materials.

To achieve a further reduction in CO2 emissions, the focus is on the utilisation phase of vehicles, which account for 70% of the BMW Group’s CO2 footprint. By 2030, the CO2 emissions per vehicle and kilometre driven will be at least halved from 2019 levels. The commitment of all manufacturers when it comes to combatting climate change can best be compared when looking at the entire life cycle of a vehicle, including production and upstream supply chain. Here, the BMW Group is planning a reduction of CO2 emission per vehicle of at least 40%.

“How companies are dealing with CO2 emissions has become a major factor when it comes to judging corporate action. The decisive factor in the fight against global warming is how strongly we can improve the carbon footprint of vehicles over their entire life span. This is why we are setting ourselves transparent and ambitious goals for the substantial reduction of CO2 emissions; these are validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative and will deliver an effective and measurable contribution,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in Munich on Thursday. “With the Neue Klasse we are significantly sharpening our commitment and also committing ourselves to a clear course for achieving the 1.5 degree target.”

The BMW Group is the first German carmaker to join the Business Ambition for 1.5°C of the Science Based Targets Initiative and is committed to the goal of full climate neutrality over the entire value-added chain by 2050 at the latest. This means that the company is also part of the international Race to Zero Initiative. The company is convinced that this can be achieved using innovation, rather than any overall ban on individual technologies.

The most powerful driver on this path to climate neutrality is electric mobility, with the BMW Group’s Neue Klasse set to provide significant further momentum to the market. During the next ten years or so, the company will be putting around ten million all-electric vehicles on the road. As early as 2030, at least half of global BMW Group sales will be all-electric vehicles, with the MINI brand offering exclusively all-electric vehicles from 2030.

The BMW Group continues to comply with the stringent criteria of the Science Based Targets Initiative, when it comes to measuring the reduction of worldwide CO2 emissions of the company’s vehicles whilst they are being driven on the roads. For example, emissions from the production of fuel or electricity are included in the calculation and consumption is based on the WLTP cycle plus ten percent. With its current product and electrification strategy, the company is on track to meet the EU fleet target for 2030.

Beyond green electricity: Stronger focus on use of resources in future

BMW Group is clear that simply increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road does not automatically lead to climate-friendly mobility. The company understands that it is also crucial to reduce the use of primary material and the related environmentally harmful exploitation of resources and their often CO2-intensive processing – especially when it comes to car manufacturing, one of the most resource-intensive industries.

“2017 was the first time the world’s population consumed more than 100 billion tons of resources within a single year - a trend which we in the automotive industry must also counteract,” Zipse demanded. “This is a strategic issue, concerning not only ecological but also economic sustainability; the current development of commodity prices demonstrates the impact an industry that is dependent on limited resources must expect.”

With the number of battery-powered vehicles growing, there is increasing demand for many commodities such as cobalt, nickel and aluminium, which are required for the vehicles’ high-voltage batteries. However there is great potential for the reuse of materials in the sense of a circular economy and together with specialist partners, the BMW Group has already demonstrated that it’s technological feasible to achieve a recycling efficiency of over 90 percent.

The amount of secondary nickel used for the high-voltage battery in the BMW iX is already as high as 50 percent, with the battery housing containing up to 30 percent secondary aluminium. The BMW Group aims to improve these figures even further for future product generations.

In addition to the increasingly scare availability of primary materials and resulting commodity price increases, there are many sustainability reasons to use more secondary materials and move towards a circular economy.

The supply of secondary materials is considerably less CO2-intensive than is the case with primary materials and can significantly improve the CO2 footprint, especially within the supply chain. In the case of secondary aluminium, the CO2 saving compared with primary material constitutes a factor of approximately 4 to 6, whilst steel and thermoplastics lie between around 2 and 5.

The extraction of resources for primary materials – particularly through mining – has a significant impact on the basic regenerative capacity of ecosystems. This impact can be greatly reduced by increasing the use of secondary materials.

The mining and trading of conflict materials carries the possible risk of associated infringements of environmental and social standards. The BMW Group has established numerous measures to counteract this risk, including membership of the Responsible Minerals Initiative. However, the most efficient strategy for avoiding risks is to minimise the mining of such primary materials.

‘ Secondary First’: Crucial vehicle materials with high secondary content

As part of its holistic approach to sustainability, the BMW Group aims to increase significantly the percentage of secondary materials in its vehicles. On average, current vehicles are manufactured using almost 30 percent recycled and reusable materials. With the ‘ Secondary First’ approach, BMW Group plans to successively raise this figure to 50 percent.

Of course it’s crucial that the quality, safety and reliability of the materials comply with the same high standards as those existing for primary materials – and so it’s essential that the market availability of such high-quality materials increases considerably. In order to achieve this, cross-industry approaches and political initiatives are necessary.

Based on the four principles Re:think, Re:duce, Re:use, Re:cycle, the BMW Group is boosting its activities in the field of circular economy, an area where it’s carrying out pioneering work. For instance, vehicle production now involves the increased separation and recycling of crucial material groups, so these can be reused by the industry within the framework of ‘closed loops’.

Cooperation with BASF and the ALBA Group

Within the supply chain and depending on market availability, secondary materials are increasingly being used in BMW Group vehicles. Moreover, together with its partners, the company is providing important impetus when it comes to developing secondary materials. One example is the company’s pilot project with BASF and the ALBA Group for the increased recycling of plastics used in cars.

The aim of the project is to reduce the use of primary plastics by means of a comprehensive recycling system. To this end, the ALBA Group analyses end-of-life BMW Group vehicles to establish whether a car-to-car reuse of the plastic is possible. In a second step, BASF assesses whether chemical recycling of the pre-sorted waste can be used in order to obtain pyrolysis oil. This can be then used as a basis for new products made of plastic. In the future, a new door trim or other components could be manufactured from a used instrument panel, for example.

Closed loop rather than downcycling: ‘Circular Design’ as the basis of a circular economy

In order to achieve higher recycling rates and whilst also guaranteeing the high quality of secondary materials, the materials must be extracted in their purest form as early as possibly during the recycling process. For example, the onboard wiring systems must be easy to remove, in order to avoid mixing steel with copper from the cable harnesses in the vehicles. If this mixing does take place, the secondary steel loses its essential material properties and therefore no longer meets the high safety requirements of the automotive industry. To support this early and easy extraction of materials, the interior of a car must increasingly be made of monomaterials, so that at the end of the car’s lifecycle, as much as possible can be transferred back into the usable material cycle. Basically, reducing the number of materials can help to improve the quality of recycled materials. Currently, vehicles consist of about 8,000 to 10,000 different materials.

To achieve this, the BMW Group is now focusing on a ‘Circular Design’ concept, which is designed to guarantee the economical dismantling capacity of vehicles. It is essential that disassembly of the vehicle and its individual components is fast and cost-efficient to ensure that prices of secondary materials are competitive. It all starts with the construction of the vehicle, which must be done in such a way that allows materials to be removed at the end of the vehicle’s service life without different types of material being mixed with each other. 

RE:BMW at the IAA Mobility – a visionary outlook on circular economy

The BMW Group is putting circular economy at the centre of its presence at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, where the company will offer a visionary outlook on the potentials of a circular economy and sustainable mobility. The BMW i Vision Circular embodies the company’s ambitious claim to be the most sustainable manufacturer for individual premium mobility.

This visionary vehicle, designed according to the four principles of the circular economy Re:think, Re:duce, Re:use, Re:cycle, shows how individual, sustainable and luxurious urban mobility could look in 2040. The BMW i Vision Circular is manufactured from 100 percent secondary materials or renewable raw materials, and is 100 percent recyclable.

This car demonstrates that climate protection and individual mobility do not necessarily contradict each other. On the contrary, it shows that using new technologies and innovation, the BMW Group can fulfill the planet’s requirements for greater sustainability without customers having to forgo individual mobility.

In case of queries please refer to:

Corporate Commmunications

Max-Morten Borgmann, Communications Corporate

Telephone: +49 89 382-24118, Max-Morten.Borgmann@bmwgroup.com

Kai Zöbelein, Communications Sustainability

Telephone: +49 89 382-21170, Kai.Zoebelein@bmwgroup.com

Eckhard Wannieck, Head of Communications Corporate, Finance, Sales

Telephone: +49 89 382-24544, Eckhard.Wannieck@bmwgroup.com

Bernd Eckstein, Head of Communications Purchasing, Supplier Network, Sustainability

Telephone: +49 89 382-59490, Bernd.Eckstein@bmw.de

Internet: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

E-mail: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

• 22-inch tires using certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon, a wood-based material used to strengthen the tires
• Plantations certified to standards of independent Forest Stewardship Council^TM (FSC^TM) organisation
• Wendt: “We are helping preserve biodiversity and forests to counteract climate change”

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 tires using certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon, a wood-based material used to strengthen the tires. The company will source 22-inch tires 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 tires 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 tire production. Natural rubber’s high elasticity and sturdiness currently make it irreplaceable for tire 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 « tire has now become the world's first tire to receive the coveted FSC label. To earn this certification, Pirelli adapted its US plant in Rome, Georgia, to produce tires using FSC-certified natural rubber and rayon. From there, the tires 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 tire 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 tire, 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 Tire 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 tires 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 tire 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 tires 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).

CO2 EMISSIONS AND CONSUMPTION:

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)

If you have any questions, please contact:

Pirelli Press Office

Tel. +39 02 6442 4270

pressoffice@pirelli.com

www.pirelli.com

FSC Press Office

Estelle Mankan
FSC Media Manager
e.mankan@fsc.org

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Sandra Schillmöller, Corporate Communications, Communications Purchasing and Supplier Network

Email: Sandra.Schillmoeller@bmwgroup.com , Telephone: +49-89-382-12225

Liane Drews, Product Communications BMW Automobiles

E-mail: liane.drews@bmwgroup.com, Telephone: +49-89-382-60964

Dieter Falkensteiner, Communication Driving Dynamics / Driving Experience

E-Mail: Dieter.Falkensteiner@bmwgroup.com, Telephone: +49-89-382-51813

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

Spartanburg, SC – July 24 2019… BMW Group Plant Spartanburg has more than doubled its capacity for battery assembly prior to the debuts of the plug-in hybrid electric variants of two of its most popular models.  The new, higher performing, fourth-generation batteries will be assembled on-site for the BMW X5 and BMW X3 plug-in hybrid electric variants.  The 2020 BMW X5 xDrive45e Sports Activity Vehicle will begin production in Spartanburg, SC, on August 1. Production of the BMW X3 xDrive30e will begin in December.    

With the expansion of the battery facility at Plant Spartanburg in the U.S., the BMW Group is following the principle of local value creation. “We have invested approximately $10 million USD to install a new battery assembly line and expanded the area to 86,000 square feet. This means we could double the number of batteries produced if needed to meet market demand,” explains Michael Nikolaides, senior vice president engines and electrified drivetrains, BMW Group. 

In addition, BMW Group has invested a further $10 million USD to support the production of the new PHEV models. 

More than 120 employees were specially trained to work the new line, having completed an extensive program in battery production, robotics and electrical inline quality inspection along with end-of-line testing.  An additional 225 vehicle assembly workers received training in the production of electrified vehicles, adding to the Plant’s already skilled staff.

 “We have assembled batteries on site at Plant Spartanburg since 2015, making BMW Group a pioneer of electromobility in the U.S.,” said Knudt Flor, president and CEO, BMW Manufacturing, Co, LLC. “The BMW X5 and X3 are currently among the best-selling BMW models in the U.S. and we anticipate that their PHEV variants will also be well-received by BMW customers.”

From 2015 – 2018, BMW Group Plant Spartanburg produced the X5 xDrive40e, the first plug-in hybrid production car from the BMW core brand.  All totaled, the plant’s battery assembly team assembled more than 45,000 batteries during this four-year period.

BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes and produces BMW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 models and their variants.  Since starting production 25 years ago, the plant has built more than 4.6 million BMW vehicles for the U.S. market and the world.  In 2018, data from the U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed that BMW Manufacturing was the largest automotive exporter by value for the fifth consecutive year.   

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BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC
BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany, and is the global producer of the BMW X3, X3 M, X5, X5 M and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles and X4, X4 M, X6 and X6 M Sports Activity Coupes. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW Group North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; and a design firm and technology office in California. For more information on BMW Manufacturing, visit www.bmwusfactory.com.

BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; technology offices in Silicon Valley and Chicago, and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 348 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 148 BMW motorcycle retailers, 123 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

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Journalist note: BMW Plant Spartanburg information is available at www.bmwusfactory.com.  Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available at www.press.bmwna.com  and www.bmwusanews.com.

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If you have any questions, please contact Corporate Communications:

Sky Foster, Department Manager, Corporate Communications, BMW Manufacturing Co.

Telephone: +1 864-802-5546, sky.foster@bmwmc.com

Steve Wilson, Media Communications Specialist, Corporate Communications, BMW Manufacturing Co.

Telephone: +1 864-802-5346, steve.wilson@bmwmc.com

Behind-the Scenes Tour of BMW in Munich and Breath-taking drive on Autobahn
included in Fantasy Package

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - October 3, 2006... Christmas is coming early this year, as
BMW and Neiman Marcus partner to create the ultimate driving fantasy. BMW is
offering, exclusively through the legendary Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, the
2007 Limited Edition Individual M6 Convertible. The luxury convertible comes
with a custom Ruby Black exterior finish accented with an interior with Piano
Black trim elements, power sports seats wrapped in our custom Gold Brown shade
of supple BMW Individual Merino leather, and M-radial spoke alloy wheel. The
car also comes fully equipped with an incredible 11-speaker Surround Sound
stereo and six-disc CD changer. Only 50 of these custom-made automobiles,
including the once-in-a-lifetime driving experience, will be available for
purchase in this year's Christmas Book for $139,000.

As if the car itself wasn't enough, BMW is offering these fortunate fifty
Neiman Marcus customers the pinnacle of the "ultimate driving experience."
Each gift opportunity features an exclusive European adventure in which the
purchaser takes delivery of their new M6 Convertible directly from the factory
and drives on to tour the Bavarian countryside. And for the serious
BMW-enthusiast, each customer will have the opportunity to meet with the
automaker's famous car designers, and be given a private tour of the BMW
factory in Munich. Also included in the package are two round-trip business
class tickets on Lufthansa® to Munich, Germany, gourmet meals, and luxurious
accommodations for four nights. Upon completion of the trip, their new vehicle
will be shipped back to the States for immediate delivery. The trip is
scheduled for Spring 2007.

Bold and uncompromising, the BMW Individual M6 Convertible stands alone. The
unmistakable roar of its 5.0-liter, V-10 engine delivering 500 horsepower at
your command and the precision handling, M Variable Differential Lock, and
Electronic Damping Control make every trip extraordinary. Its on-board
computer, GPS navigation, and Voice Command System merge driver and auto into
one intelligent entity. At the heart of this incredible machine is a Formula 1
inspired, V-10 engine with 10 individual throttle butterflies capable of
revving up to 8,250 rpm thanks to its sophisticated design and knock control
systems. Coupled to a seven-speed Sequential Manual Transmission with
Drivelogic®, it can launch you from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 exhilarating
seconds.

A photo and description of the Limited Edition M6 Convertible appears on page
97 of the 2006 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. The opportunity to learn more and
order this magnificent machine and experience begins at 12 noon EDT on
Wednesday, October 18th when you call 1-866-303-2696. Interested buyers are
encouraged to program their speed dial now. After all, who wouldn't want to be
first in line for this year's hottest Christmas gift?

"Star" Vehicle Raises $200,000 For Breast Cancer Research During Five-Month
Cross-Country Trek

HOLDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, DECEMBER 11, 2002...Todd Manning, a resident of Holden,
has won a 2001 BMW M5 signed by pop star Madonna in a national contest
conducted by BMW to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer
Foundation. The announcement was made today by Holly Babich, Manager of
Consumer Events for BMW of North America, LLC.

Mr. Manning's name was randomly selected from more than 30,000 entries that
were collected over a five-month period as the M5 toured the country as part of
the BMW Ultimate Drive for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, now in
its sixth year of raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research and
community outreach programs for the Komen Foundation.

According to Ms. Babich, "Having a national contest to win this autographed
vehicle really added an extra element of excitement to the BMW Ultimate Drive
Program this year. Not only could the general public help raise much needed
funds for the fight against breast cancer by visiting their local dealerships,
but for a recommended donation of $10.00, they also received a chance to win a
car signed by a superstar."

A life-long love of cars is what motivated Mr. Manning to submit his winning
entry. "I have always been a car enthusiast," said Mr. Manning. "As a kid, I
made dozens of little model cars, then as an adult my first car was a 1966 BMW
1800 which I bought used. So the idea of owning another BMW that was signed by
such a unique entertainer, and used in the bmwfilms.com short film "Star," is
really going to be a kick."

"Star," was the fourth film from the first year of the critically acclaimed
series, The Hire, an unprecedented web-based entertainment project of five
original films on bmwfilms.com that premiered in June 2001. In the film,
Madonna played "The Superstar" and British acting sensation Clive Owen played
"The Driver" of the silver M5. The Driver faces a perplexing challenge -
dealing with the ego of a hugely talented and successful rock star who is
accustomed to getting what she wants. The Driver ultimately puts the Superstar
in her place with some very fancy moves in the silver M5.

Mr. Manning will learn some of the very moves Clive Owen used to put his
"Superstar" in her place. For two days, Mr. Manning and his M5 will experience
BMW Ultimate Driving training at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg,
South Carolina. There, with the guidance of professional drivers, Mr. Manning
will put the car through its paces on unique road courses that include a wide
array of road configurations (interconnecting straight sections, loops and
corners), water walls and skidpads.

"This is one of the most exciting things that's ever happed to me!" said Mr.
Manning, a long time resident of Holden. "I have never won anything in my
life, and the idea that now my friends and family are going to see me driving
around in this incredible silver BMW - with the Madonna signature to boot,
well, don't wake me up yet, cause I must be dreaming."

Mr. Manning entered the contest at the BMW Vintage Car Races at Limerock Race
Track in Lime Rock, Connecticut over Labor Day Weekend. The 44-year old father
of two teenage sons is the Director of Construction Administration for
Lamoureux Pagano Associates, an architectural firm located in Worcester. Mr.
Manning's wife, Carol, did not believe her husband when she first found out
about their good fortune. "I remember that Todd donated to breast cancer
research when he entered the contest, which I thought was great. Winning this
car is unbelievable," she said.

The Komen Foundation

The Komen Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the
memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of
36. The Foundation is an international organization with a network of
volunteers working through Affiliates to eradicate breast cancer as a
life-threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening and
treatment. Since its inception, the Komen Foundation has raised $450 million
for the fight against breast cancer.

The Komen Foundation runs one of the most innovative, responsive grant programs
in breast cancer today. In addition to funding research, the Foundation and
its Affiliates fund non-duplicative, community-based breast health education
and breast cancer screening and treatment projects for the medically
underserved.

For more information about breast health or breast cancer, call the Komen
Foundation's National Toll-Free Breast Care Helpline at 1.800 I'M AWARE(
(1-800-462-9273), or visit the Foundation's website at www.komen.org.

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America has been present in the United States since 1975. Since
then, the BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales
and financial service organizations for the BMW and MINI brands; a South
Carolina manufacturing operation; DESIGNWORKS/USA, an industrial design firm in
California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations
throughout the country.

The BMW Group is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW car, 327
BMW Sports Activity Vehicle, 148 BMW Motorcycle retailers and 69 MINI car
dealers. BMW US Holding Corp., the Group's headquarters for North, Central and
South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet
at http://www.bmwusa.com http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com and
http://www.miniusa.com.

Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available
to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address -
https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

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Contact at The Komen Foundation:

Kristin Kelly
972-855-1607