BMW is actively exploring the use of renewable raw materials to reduce emissions generated during the car manufacturing process. The company has been experimenting with natural fiber composites on race cars for several years. The technology has now matured to the point where it can be used in street-legal vehicles. These new lightweight parts are based on flax. It’s a blue-flowered herbaceous plant cultivated for its stems, seeds, and the thread derived from it.
To bring this innovation to market, it has teamed up with Bcomp, a Swiss company specializing in bio-based technologies. In 2022, the BMW Group acquired a stake in Bcomp, three years after the company’s technology was first deployed in Formula E. The iFE.20 race car featured a flax-based cooling shaft made from renewable plant fibers.
Subsequent collaborations included replacing specific carbon fiber-reinforced plastic components of the M4 DTM and M4 GT4 with natural fiber composites. The latter will once again use this cleaner technology during the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race this weekend. It won’t be long before BMW introduces flax-based lightweight components in its road-going vehicles.
BMW says future M cars will incorporate these greener materials. While specific details are scarce, available images suggest that an M4 G82 features a roof and rear diffuser made from natural fiber composites. The roof alone cuts carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions by 40% compared to a conventional carbon fiber roof.
But this technology isn’t limited to exterior components. It can also be applied to certain visible elements inside the cabin. If it meets the stringent structural requirements of a car roof, we imagine it has potential for broader use across the vehicle.
However, don’t expect to see flax-based lightweight parts in current BMW models. Only vehicles from the next-generation BMW Group portfolio will benefit from natural fiber composites. As for which model will debut the technology, the best guess is the M3, likely either the fully electric “ZA0” or the gasoline-powered “G84” with its inline-six engine.
Source: BMW
