One of the main topics discussed in the highest offices around the world right now is sustainability. How do we keep growing our production quotas without destroying the planet and its resources? It’s an important topic for car makers like BMW, which are seeking ways to make sure they can still build cars without running out of resources while doing it. To that end, it’s not enough to recycle materials, but it’s also important to look into using different materials from the get go.
This is what the BMW Materia exposition is all about. Hosted by the SPACE building in Los Angeles, BMW Materia includes an exposed BMW iX, the most sustainable car the Bavarian car maker has built to date. This concept is celebrated at BMW MATERIA, The Garden of Possibilities, which connects to many biomes such as the ocean, forest, and desert; living organisms and sustainable material advances derived from nature.
BMW and DesignWorks are studying what new materials could be used inside the Bavarian cars of the future. Among these you’ll find Mycelium, the root-like structure of mushrooms that grows underground to deliver nutrients. This material is compostable and can grow to its final form in about a week. It can be used to create everything, from lampshades, leather, sustainable packaging alternatives, even meat. Architects are using the material to build organic bricks and acoustic panels.
Another such example is hemp fiber. Sourced from cannabis plants, it is among the strongest and most durable natural textile fibers you can get with similar properties to natural plant fibers in length, durability, strength, absorbency, mildew resistance and antimicrobial properties. Ten tons of hemp can be grown on 1 hectare of land in just 100 days, which makes it one of the best biomasses in the world. Hemp is used in a range of material applications and industries to make apparel, rope, canvas, skin care products, building materials, paper, and food.
To explain the BMW Materia topics, BMW put together a video showcasing the new iX electric crossover.
