British Vogue - 04.2020

VOGUE PARTNERSHIP

You would be forgiven for thinking this building is the

futuristic headquarters for a team of superheroes. After all,

in a way it is. The electrical energy needed for the production

of a BMW i3 comes from 100 per cent renewable energy

sources found at the brand’s Leipzig plant. This is one of the

most innovative and environmentally friendly car factories

in the world. Apart from the green-power sources, you will

find clean, modern buildings surrounded by extensive

flowering meadows. These are home to a busy 780,000

bees, providing the area with local honey. Some 100 trees

and shrubs have been planted and nesting boxes for swifts,

jackdaws, hawks and other birds are dotted around the

property. The factory grounds also feature more than 230

apple trees. At harvest time all the fruit is picked, with any

leftovers being turned into apple juice or desserts in the

workshop’s canteen for that afternoon’s tea break. As the

old adage goes – every little bit counts.

Above: the Leipzig

factory, designed

by architect

Zaha Hadid

Artful

engineering

THE IDEA OF compromising on

quality and design in any part of our

lives is a non-negotiable, so our heads

turned for the BMW i3, an electric car

that’s upping the ante in all areas. With

the brand’s usual sleek and sophisticated

design comes a clever passenger

experience, rethinking our impact on

the planet in the way we travel. First

off, this little beauty is fully electric,

with a game-changing 188* miles of

emission-free travel per charge. Full

torque is available from a standing start,

and flow of power keeps coming without

delay. This is all thanks to BMW eDrive

technology, which delivers precise, agile

performance. But the focus is also on a

luxe, passenger experience rather than

just a superficial “green” movement with

no substance behind it. BMW wanted

to re-create the feeling of stepping into

the lobby of an airy boutique hotel

with the efficient service to match.

Sustainable kenaf fibres replace

petroleum-based plastics in door trims

and the dash panel. Dashboards are

made of eucalyptus wood panelling,

which bears the ever important green

check from the Forest Stewardship

Council. We applaud this kind of

attention to detail. As Bohlinger calls

it, this is a “policy of small steps” that

will clearly lead to big change. n

BMW is one of the offical partners for

Vogue’s Forces for Change initaive. To

discover more, visit Bmw.co.uk

PIONEERING DRIVING PLEASURE

04-20BMW-FFC_2043723.indd 127 12/02/2020 07:11