The BMW Group is using innovative technologies in its efforts to improve sustainability and taking advantage of new options to conserve resources and reduce emissions from painting bodywork. The BMW Group is the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to use matt paints made from biomass instead of crude oil at its European plants. In addition to this, BMW Group Plants Leipzig and Rosslyn (South Africa) are also using sustainably-produced corrosion protection.

The BMW Group has chosen to use BASF Coatings’ CathoGuard 800 ReSource e-coat at its plants in Leipzig, Germany, and Rosslyn, South Africa, and the iGloss matt ReSource clearcoat throughout Europe. Using these more sustainable product versions for vehicle coatings enables CO₂ avoidance of around 40% per coating layer; this will reduce the amount of CO₂ emitted in the plants by more than 15,000 metric tons by 2030.

The BMW Group produces an average of around 250,000 vehicles every year at its plants in Leipzig and Rosslyn.

As a corrosion protection technology with optimum protection of edges, the CathoGuard 800 e-coat helps millions of cars live longer. Its biomass-balanced version, CathoGuard 800 ReSource, adds a reduced carbon footprint to the e-coat application’s material efficiency, without changing the product’s formulation.

BASF’s innovative production process makes it possible to replace petroleum-based precursors, such as naphtha, with renewable raw materials from organic waste, starting in the early stages of paint production. This not only reduces consumption of fossil resources, but also avoids the CO₂ emissions associated with the production, transport and processing of crude oil.

The corrosion protection and matt paints used at BMW Group Plants Leipzig and Rosslyn are chemically identical to the paints previously used, with all the same properties as conventionally manufactured body coatings. Since bio-based and conventional coatings are produced on the same line, BASF adopts an externally certified mass balance approach.

The amount of paint purchased by the BMW Group is calculated to be exactly equivalent to the amount of bio-naphtha and bio-methane that would be required for 100% petroleum-free production.