Following the successful utilization of renewable raw materials in racing cars, the BMW Group will now harness natural fibre composites also for its series-production models. The BMW Group reached series maturity of natural fibre composites following several years of development and in-depth research. The composites from renewable raw materials even meet the stringent demands of roof structures in total vehicle homologation.
The flax-based lightweight components have been developed in collaboration with Bcomp, a Swiss clean-tech company, for several years now. The partnership with Bcomp supports the BMW Group’s goal of further reducing CO₂e emissions in future vehicle models. The Munich-based carmaker holds a stake in Bcomp through BMW i Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm.
Lightweight construction has long been a crucial development field for the BMW Group. The use of natural fibres with a reduced CO₂e footprint in composite materials has become increasingly important. Materials tests have demonstrated the fibres’ great suitability, especially for visible exterior and interior components.
One example: Exchanging carbon fibre composites for natural fibre composites in the roof of the next-generation BMW Group portfolio leads to a CO₂e-reduction of around 40% in production plus additional end-of-life considerations.
The innovative reinforcement parts made of natural fibre composites were initially used by BMW M Motorsport in the 2019 season of Formula E. Since then, the components have also been successfully used in the BMW M4 DTM and M4 GT4, replacing carbon fibre plastic (CFRP) parts. Since 2022, Bcomp has been an official BMW M Motorsport partner for the BMW M4 GT4.
The new lightweight materials will soon experience the ultimate performance test as they are fitted in the BMW M4 GT4 for the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring. Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH, stated: “Natural fibre composites are a vital element of innovative lightweight solutions in motorsport, allowing for a reduction in CO₂e emissions in the manufacturing process. Natural fiber is an innovation that perfectly exemplifies BMW M’s claim ‘Born on the racetrack. Made for the streets.’. This is why we are delighted to confirm the series maturity of these materials, a breakthrough we achieved with our official BMW M Motorsport partner Bcomp. We are now looking forward to the use of these materials in future BMW M product ranges.”