BMW extends 3 Series sustainability push across electric and combustion variants via Bavarian plant cluster

BMW is systematically extending its holistic approach to sustainability to both the fully-electric and the combustion-engine variants of the new BMW 3 Series. Key levers have been optimised from the supply chain and production through to the use phase and recycling, with the aim of reducing the CO2e footprint across the whole vehicle lifecycle. The Bavarian production cluster plays an important role: the Dingolfing, Landshut, Irlbach-Straßkirchen and Munich plants bring together core expertise, reduce transport distances and efficiently integrate specialised production steps. The measures are applied to all drive train variants of the new 3 Series.

A particular focus of the supply-chain work is battery cells and the use of aluminium. The Gen6 battery cells for the BMW i3 rely on secondary materials for a portion of their cobalt, lithium and nickel, and BMW uses renewable energy in the production of anode and cathode materials as well as in cell manufacturing. Measures in the supply chain and at BMW's own facilities enable a high secondary material content, including for heavy-duty components: aluminium suspension parts such as wheel rims, swivel bearings and wheel supports use electricity from renewable sources for both electrolysis and production. The bonnet is made of approximately 70 percent recycled aluminium, and around 31 percent of the BMW i3 50 xDrive's total vehicle consists of secondary materials, compared with around 25 percent for the 3 Series with an internal combustion engine. BMW notes that the around 30 percent figure for the combustion-engine variant is a preliminary forecast value, with the final figure to be published with the Vehicle Footprint prior to the start of production.

BMW Group Plant Landshut is the company's largest component plant worldwide and a centre of in-house manufacturing expertise, with a light metal foundry producing parts for electric drive trains as well as engine components such as crankcases and cylinder heads. For the new 3 Series the facility also manufactures the e-drive housing for the rear axle of the fully-electric variant, alongside crankcases and cylinder heads for the combustion-engine model. The corresponding drive trains are produced at BMW Group Plant Steyr in Austria, which has been a source of drive train expertise within the production network for over 40 years. Landshut combines long-standing aluminium and foundry know-how with measures such as using aluminium from recycling loops and material produced in part with electricity from renewable sources, and in-house component manufacturing conserves resources and supports close integration of production processes.

Construction of the new assembly site for sixth-generation high-voltage batteries at Plant Irlbach-Straßkirchen got underway in spring 2024, and in line with the local for local principle the plant will supply high-voltage batteries for the BMW i3 from October 2026, strengthening regional structures, reducing transport distances and helping to secure jobs. Key components for the BMW i3 will be manufactured close to vehicle production and transported to Munich on electric trucks; the plant requires no fossil fuels for regular operations, has a photovoltaic system generating a share of electricity on site, draws all additional energy from renewable sources and is designed so that no water is required for battery assembly. BMW Group Plant Munich produces vehicles for the Neue Klasse following the BMW iFACTORY principles of efficiency, digitalisation and sustainability, obtains all external power from renewable sources and runs a press-shop material loop in which steel and aluminium scrap is collected, separated by material type and recycled into new coils. At Plant Dingolfing all purchased electricity comes from renewable sources, with a portion generated directly on site: a roof photovoltaic system with a capacity of just under 11 megawatt peak has supplied electricity since late 2025, and a new biomass heating plant west of the vehicle plant provides up to 100,000 megawatt hours of locally produced renewable heat, meeting about half of the site's process heat requirements.

With its EfficientDynamics technology package, used across all drive technologies since 2007, BMW optimises aerodynamics, lightweight construction, low rolling resistance tyres and overall energy management. The new fully-electric BMW i3 also features the Heart of Joy with the fully in-house developed BMW Dynamic Performance Control Driving Stack, which enables highly controlled deceleration to a standstill and recovers more energy through recuperation in significantly more driving situations. Using SiC technology in the electric drive units, energy losses were reduced by up to 40 percent. BMW will publish a Product Carbon Footprint for the 3 Series validated by the German Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) to coincide with the series launch, with the report, calculation methodology and methods publicly available, and the footprint for individual components and materials calculated in accordance with Catena-X rules.