In Germany, BMW has become the first OEM to use partially renewable automotive coatings produced by chemicals giant BASF.
The BMW Group will use BASF Coatings’ CathoGuard® 800 ReSource e-coat at its plants in Leipzig, Germany, and Rosslyn, South Africa, as well as the iGloss® matt ReSource clearcoat throughout Europe. Switching to corrosion-protection coatings with renewable content reduces CO2 emissions by about 40% per coating layer. The coatings are produced using biobased naphtha and biomethane generated from organic waste.
“By reducing our use of fossil raw materials, we can conserve natural resources and lower CO2 emissions at the same time. To achieve this, we are increasingly relying on sustainability innovations in our supplier network,” says Joachim Post, a member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network, says in a press statement. “Innovative paints based on renewable raw materials are an important step in this direction.”
The BMW Group produces about 250,000 vehicles every year at Leipzig and Rosslyn.