BMW Group Extends Holistic Sustainability Approach to New BMW X5

The BMW Group is extending its holistic approach to sustainability to the new BMW X5, focusing on decarbonisation, improved efficiency, and the use of secondary materials across the entire vehicle lifecycle. The aim is to minimise the carbon footprint of the X5, from the supply chain and production to the use phase and recycling. The company has achieved a 40 percent reduction in CO₂e emissions during the product development process.

The new X5 features a high proportion of secondary materials, including electric arc furnace steel with a high proportion of secondary material, produced using renewable energy. The aluminium used in the vehicle’s doors contains 35 percent recycled and closed-loop material, while the headliner fabric is made from 100 percent recycled PET. The battery-electric BMW iX5 60 xDrive has around one third of its total vehicle made up of secondary raw materials, equivalent to a weight of 940 kilograms.

The Gen6 battery cells used in the BMW iX5’s high-voltage battery include a high proportion of secondary materials and have reduced CO₂e emissions by around 28 percent per watt-hour compared to the Gen5 cell. The BMW Group’s EfficientDynamics technology package optimises vehicle efficiency across all relevant subsystems during the use phase, resulting in a CO₂e advantage achievable after approximately one to two years of use. The company’s largest production site, Plant Spartanburg, uses renewable energy for all external power required for production, and has reduced energy consumption per produced vehicle by 66 percent and waste sent to landfills by 88 percent between 2006 and 2025.

The Product Carbon Footprint for the BMW X5, validated by the German Technical Inspection Association (TÜV), will be publicly available, providing transparency regarding the raw materials used and CO₂e emissions across the vehicle’s entire lifecycle.