The BMW i Vision Circular is a compact BMW for the year 2040 that is focused squarely on sustainability and luxury.
The BMW i Vision Circular is designed according to the circular economy principles of the company in an attempt to achieve climate neutrality by reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions throughout a vehicle’s entire life-cycle. Apart from electrifying the product and switching to renewable energy for manufacturing, the company is focusing particularly on circular economy principles and the use of secondary materials. That includes the use of secondary aluminium and secondary steel, obtained by recycling waste material, which can then be reused.
Sourcing secondary materials is not nearly as carbon-intensive and detrimental to the environment as compared to the extraction and manufacture of primary materials. The Vision Circular design embraces the four principles of “RE:THINK”, “RE:DUCE”, “RE:USE” and “RE:CYCLE”. The all-solid-state battery in the BMW i Vision Circular is recyclable too, and manufactured almost entirely using materials sourced from the recycling loop.
The design of the BMW i Vision Circular itself is intended to create a sense of minimalism. The front end was intentionally oversimplified, reducing the amount of visual information you normally see on a car. The iconic BMW kidney-grille have been repurposed as digital headlights; combining the two features thus reducing the design elements on the front end. The rear end also has a puristic, clear appearance. All the display surfaces and light functions are integrated invisibly into the dark glass tailgate, replicating the approach taken at the front end.
The BMW i Vision Circular deliberately avoids the use of paint for the exterior and instead features a main body made from secondary aluminium with a light-gold anodised finish, again reducing the number of materials involved in the manufacture of the car.
Inside, the BMW i Vision Circular seeks to create a luxurious ambience, employing materials and production processes that are indicative of a responsible approach to the environment and its resources. The steering wheel of the BMW i Vision Circular has been 3D-printed from bio-based material, giving it a natural and warm feel even so. Another element straight out of the future is the Head-up Display, where all relevant information is projected on to the bottom area of the windscreen across its entire width.
Alongside all its material and design innovations, the BMW i Vision Circular also offers the possibility of usage in a bi-directional charging scenario; as with the developing V2G (vehicle-to-grid) technology. Here, the vehicle would act as a mobile energy storage device and feed power to its surroundings such as buildings and infrastructure. It can even feed the power grid to help absorb peaks in demand.
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Story: Cherry Mathew Roy
