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BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

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BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

Photo credit: BMW

The BMW Group is intensifying its activities in the field of sustainability. The BMW Group is the world's first automobile manufacturer to equip automobiles with tires based on sustainable, certified natural rubber and rayon, a wood-based material used to reinforce tires. The company is initially purchasing the 22-inch tires exclusively from Pirelli and will be using them on the BMW X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid from August this year. 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).

BMW X5 plug-in hybrid

"As a premium manufacturer, we aim to lead the way and take responsibility when it comes to sustainability," said Dr. Andreas Wendt, Board Member of BMW AG for Purchasing and Supplier Network. “In the natural rubber sector, we have been committed to improving cultivation and increasing transparency in the supplier network since 2015. The use of tires made from FSC-certified natural rubber is a pioneering achievement in this industry. In this way we contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and the forests in order to counteract climate change. "

BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

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% 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 is used in 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.

BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

The new 22-inch P ZERO ∗ tire is now the world's first tire to be awarded the coveted FSC seal. To this end, Pirelli has converted its plant in Rome, USA, to producing tires with FSC-certified natural rubber and rayon. From there, the tires are delivered to the BMW Group plant in Spartanburg, USA, around 370 km away, and installed on the BMW X5 plug-in hybrid. The star marking ∗ in the name indicates that the new tire meets the strict performance requirements of the BMW Group. These include a particularly low rolling resistance and noise level.

Giovanni Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli's Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Future Mobility, said: “Even before sustainable mobility comes onto the road, it starts with raw materials. With the world's first FSC-certified tire, Pirelli is once again demonstrating its commitment to pursuing ever more demanding goals in terms of sustainability and proving the constant work on innovative materials and increasingly advanced production processes. We continue to invest in sustainable growth for our planet. Knowing full well that this is also of crucial importance for the future of our company. "

BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

Jeremy Harrison, Chief Markets Officer of FSC International, added: “The new FSC-certified Pirelli tire is an important milestone in our drive to achieve economic, social and environmental benefits across the natural rubber value chain. This 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. "

Longstanding commitment to greater transparency and sustainability in the natural rubber supplier network

The use of the first tires with sustainable, certified natural rubber and rayon is the result of the BMW Group's extensive commitment in this area. Together with well-known tire manufacturers, NGOs, rubber producers and end consumers, the BMW Group launched the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) in 2019. Representatives of the small farmers are also represented in this initiative. The GPSNR works to improve the social and ecological conditions in the cultivation of natural rubber and to push for more sustainability. In addition, measures are being taken against deforestation and more transparency in the supply chains ensured. The GPSNR today has almost 100 members who are responsible for around 50 percent of the global market volume for natural rubber.

BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

Through the activities in the GPSNR and the close cooperation with its suppliers, the BMW Group continuously advocates further improvements in the area of ​​sustainability in the natural rubber supply chain. The BMW Group will further intensify these activities and plans to constantly increase the purchase of tires made from sustainably grown natural rubber.

The BMW Group has also had a long-standing collaboration with the FSC organization (License key FSC-N002012). The company had already decided to use FSC-certified wood for the BMW i3, which came onto the market for the first time in 2013. And the BMW iX, which will be launched on the market this year, will also be equipped with FSC-certified wood. In 2017, the BMW Group and FSC campaigned for the further development of FSC standards for the cultivation of natural rubber in Thailand.

Sustainability is an integral part of all purchasing activities

BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

Irrespective of these measures, since 2014 the BMW Group has contractually obliged all direct suppliers to comply with human rights as well as extended environmental and social standards and to introduce management systems for occupational health and safety and the protection of the environment. The protection of forests and biodiversity are also part of this. These requirements must also be contractually passed on to the sub-suppliers. BMW Group Purchasing is not based solely on contractual obligations, but also implements a large number of measures in a transparent process. A risk filter evaluates potential supplier locations around the world even before the invitation to tender. In the next step, potential suppliers are asked to present their sustainability activities using a detailed questionnaire. In addition, external partners check selected locations together with internal experts. Over the term of the contract, in turn, external partners, together with internal experts, check compliance with sustainability requirements using questionnaires and audits. The BMW Group's purchasing department monitors thousands of locations every year.

Sustainable travel with the BMW X5 xDrive45e

The BMW Group has a certified CO for the BMW X5 xDrive45e2- Obtain evidence for the entire cycle from raw material procurement, supply chain, production and use phase 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. The electric range is 77-88 kilometers (WLTP).

BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

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BMW X5 plug-in hybrid on Pirelli natural rubber tires!

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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

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