BMW becomes first auto company to equip its cars with sustainable tyres

In a bid to step up its activities in the field of sustainability, BMW has equipped its cars with certified sustainable tyres, becoming the first in the auto industry to do so. The tyres use natural rubber and rayon, a wood-based material used to strengthen the wheels.

The company will obtain 22-inch tyres exclusively from Pirelli and will use them in the BMW X5 xDrive45e Plug-in-Hybrid from August this year. "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."

The new 22-inch P ZERO tyres have now become the first in the world to receive the FSC label. FSC is an independent organisation provides a certification standard to products made of natural rubber. . To obtain this certification, Pirelli adapted its US plants to produce tyres using FSC-certified natural rubber and rayon. The tyres which are then delivered to BMW also meet the auto firm's strict performance requirements, including particularly low rolling resistance and noise level.

BMW says that the procurement of world's first tyres containing certified sustainable natural rubber and rayon is the result of the company’s extensive commitment in the area of sustainability. The company has also been working with the FSC organisation for many years. It used FSC-certified wood in the BMW i3, which was first launched onto the market in 2013. The certified wood will also be used in the upcoming BMW iX.

As for the BMW X5, the auto manufacturer says that it has completed full lifecycle CO2 certification for the BMW X5 xDrive45e - starting 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 for the vehicle is 77-88 kilometres.