BMW wheels to be made using recycled aluminium

The first product to be offered with these recycled aluminium wheels will be the next-generation MINI Countryman.

BMW Group has announced that it will start using sustainably-produced aluminium wheels on all BMW and MINI offerings from 2024. The German auto giant also stated that the process of casting and manufacturing the wheels will be using 100% green power - cutting down on CO2 emissions in the process.

BMW further explained that the transition to green power will apply, in particular, to the energy-intensive electrolysis and wheel casting processes used in the manufacturing of the aluminium wheels. The company also confirmed that it has already reached an agreement with all its wheel suppliers to transition towards the use of green power.

The company also mentioned that wheels account for 5% of the supply-chain CO2 emissions. It also stated that the carmaker procures around 10 million light-alloy wheels from its suppliers each year, 95% of which are made of aluminium. Hence, transitioning to 100% green power should allow the company to reduce emission levels by more than half.

Also, since aluminium has good recycling properties, it is easier to melt down old wheels and recycle them. This process also eliminates the need for the energy-intense electrolysis process to produce the primary raw materials.

The first product to be offered with these recycled aluminium wheels will be the next-generation MINI Countryman, scheduled to be introduced in 2023.