BMW i celebrates its 10th anniversary | BMW.com

Another element of the holistic approach was the sustainable choice of materials (➜ Read more: Sustainable materials in BMW interior design) – by way of example, the instrument panel cover and door panels are made of natural fibers. 80 percent of all surfaces visible to front passengers are made of recycled materials or renewable raw materials. BMW i is also thinking in that same direction when it comes to resources, so from 2021 its electric motors will use no rare earths and two-thirds less cobalt for the high-voltage batteries than originally used, while meeting the very highest social and environmental standards.

Initially, the BMW i3 had an optional range extender, i.e. an additional, gasoline-powered engine to increase the vehicle’s range. As the development of batteries (➜ Read more: The life cycle of a battery cell) progressed, this variant soon became surplus to requirements. And that, in its own way, brought BMW i another step closer to the goal of emissions-free mobility.