BMW iX Production Goes Green With Recycled Materials, Renewable Energy

Each iX will use about 132 pounds of recycled plastic.

By: Anthony Alaniz

Mar 16, 2021 at 7:01pm ET

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BMW is diving grille first into electric vehicles with two new models in development. The German automaker began its EV journey with its i brand of cars, and the company is looking to expand it going forward. The i4 will debut tomorrow, though the more significant model is the iX crossover. We don’t know when BMW will have a proper reveal for it, though information about it continues to dribble out.

The latest tidbits focus on the iX’s sustainable manufacturing processes, though the more interesting info is about its price. BMW says the entry-level iX will start in the mid $80,000 range. BMW will announce official US pricing closer to the crossover’s market launch, which is expected to happen in early 2022. The company will allow pre-ordering to begin in June. Neither of those helps to nail down a possible reveal date.

Gallery: BMW iX Manufacturing Photos

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Part of the world’s EV revolution is driven by the effort to reduce environmental harm from both vehicles and their manufacturing processes. BMW has made sustainability a key part of its plan, relying on recycled materials, green energy like solar and hydroelectric, renewable resources, and new manufacturing techniques to reduce its carbon footprint. The company is going as far as sourcing its own raw materials, like cobalt, before making it available to suppliers to guarantee transparent material extraction and processing.

Customers will even be able to feel the iX’s environmental consciousness inside. BMW will treat the iX’s leather upholstery with olive leaf extract collected from the leaves gathered from annual olive tree pruning across Europe while using synthetic yarn made from recycled nylon waste material for the crossover’s carpeting and floor mats. Each iX carries about 132 pounds (59.9 kilograms) of recycled plastic. The iX is a culmination of the company’s efforts to digitize and electricity its lineup in a sustainable way. We don’t know when BMW will properly introduce the iX to the world, though it feels imminent.