BMW’s Sustainable Future: Natural Fibre Composites to Replace Carbon Fibre

In a move towards sustainability, the BMW Group is planning to utilize natural fibre composites in its upcoming production models. Years of research and development have led to the creation of these composites, which have proven their ability to meet stringent standards in roof structure homologation tests. The flax-based, lightweight composites are developed in partnership with Bcomp, a Swiss cleantech firm. This collaboration is aimed at lowering CO2e emissions, with BMW i Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm, holding a stake in Bcomp. The adoption of natural fibres is crucial for diminishing both CO2 emissions and the overall carbon footprint. The composites are suitable for various interior and exterior applications. Substituting carbon fibre parts with these natural fibre materials could cut emissions by approximately 40%. These components have already demonstrated their strength in BMW M Motorsport, including Formula E and the BMW M4 DTM and M4 GT4. BMW became an official partner for BMW M Motorsport for the BMW M4 GT4 in 2022. The durability of the parts will be further assessed in the BMW GT4 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. Parts from BMW M Motorsport and Bcomp will be featured in forthcoming BMW M series vehicles.