Sustainable Value Report 2001/2002 - BMW Group

28
The environmental impact of an automobile
must be taken into consideration throughout
its entire lifecycle. BMW consistently pursues
comparative lifecycle analysis (eco-balance)
for components as continuous optimization
process within the product development phase.
The goal is to design environment-friendly
products. Lifecycle-analysis of components
includes design and engineering operations,
as much as it does manufacturing and assembly,
sales & service, and final recycling of end-of-life
vehicles.
In compliance with ISO 14040 eco-balance
guidelines, a detailed analysis is made of the
potential environmental impact of each product.
This leads to further improvements and
recommendations. From the very beginning of
the product development process, this analysis
is consistently applied in designing BMW parts.
Within the framework of this approach, a
careful assessment is made to determine, for
example, whether steel should be replaced
with other materials, e.g. aluminum, magnesium,
or plastics, to reduce vehicle weight and lower
fuel consumption as well as exhaust emissions.
The goal is it to minimize the environmental impact of the automobile
over the entire product lifecycle to meet the needs of human health
and our natural habitat.
BMW fleet fuel consumption for new registered vehicles in Germany
(DIN 1/3 mix, weighted according to number of vehicles)
120%
110%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
VALVETRONIC: Revolutionary engine
design
’78 ’80 ’82 ’84 ’86 ’88 ’90 ’92 ’94 ’96 ’98 ’00 ’05
Introduction of
catalytic converter
VDA commitment:
Reduce fleet consumption
by 25 percent from 1990 to 2005
During the entire lifecycle of an automobile, the
environmental impact is highest during the use
phase. BMW product planning and development
is aimed at reducing environmental impact
for the total lifecycle of the product. In addition
to air pollution, negative environmental effects
include noise emissions and the results of
traffic accidents.
The BMW Group concentrates on
continuously lowering average fleet consumption
to meet the voluntary German/European automobile
industry commitments. For example, the
VDA (Association of the German Automotive
Industry) agreed to reduce 2005 fleet
consumption by 25 percent compared to 1990
figures. In 2000, BMW average fleet consumption
was nearly 22 percent lower than 1990.The ACEA
(European Automobile Manufacturers Association)
and the EU Commission have endorsed the
goal of reducing CO 2 emissions in the European
fleet to 140g/km (approx. 25%) between
1995 and 2008.This progress is supported by
BMW 4-cylinder aluminum engine block with
VALVETRONIC; BMW 3-series compact
- 25%
New European Driving Cycle
(NEDC)
(for comparison converted
into the previous DIN 1/3 mix)