BMW makes one of the bad, bad SUVs a bit better: The X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid is the first series car in the world to have tires based on sustainable, certified natural rubber and rayon, a wood-based material to reinforce the tires. The 22-inch tires do not come from the health food store, but from Pirelli.
The plantations and the complex supply chain for natural rubber and rayon are certified in accordance with the strict standards of the independent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). “The use of tires made from FSC-certified natural rubber is a pioneering achievement in this industry. In this way, we are helping to preserve biodiversity and the forests in order to counteract climate change, ”says BMW Board Member for Purchasing, Andreas Wendt.
It is also about millions of smallholders
Natural rubber is the basic material for many everyday products, such as rubber boots and mattresses. Around six million smallholders worldwide are responsible for over 80 percent of the world’s natural rubber cultivation. They operate small farms of one to two hectares in size in the so-called rubber belt in the tropical regions under the most varied of conditions. Agreeing uniform social and ecological 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 the production of tires. Due to its high elasticity and resistance, natural rubber is currently irreplaceable for tire production.
Small seal, big impact
As an independent organization, FSC has developed an internationally recognized and demanding certification standard in recent years, which is used worldwide for environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically profitable forestry. The organization, whose well-known logo has already established itself in the wood and paper industry, also applies this standard to products made from natural rubber.
The new 22-inch P ZERO tire in BMW specification is now the world’s first tire with the FSC seal. Pirelli has converted its plant in Rome, USA, for this purpose. From there, the tires are delivered to the BMW plant in Spartanburg, around 370 km away.
The new FSC-certified Pirelli tire is an important step on the way to a more sustainable value chain for natural rubber “and helps to reduce deforestation and support the fight against climate change,” said FSC spokesman Jeremy Harrison.
CO2 certification for the BMW X5
For the BMW X5 xDrive45e, the BMW Group has had a certified CO2 certificate created for the entire cycle from raw material procurement, supply chain, production and usage phase through to recycling. When using average European electricity during the usage phase, this has an advantage over the BMW X5 xDrive40i of around 40 percent. When charging the vehicle with green electricity, the benefit is around 70 percent. That doesn’t make the BMW X5 45e a climate angel, but it does make a difference.