Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2021: Past Meets Future
The theme of "sustainability" also heavily influenced the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at BMW. The organizers themselves describe it as a "groundbreaking concept with a consistent focus on sustainability and luxury for the year 2040." And so, on the eve of one of the world's most traditional beauty contests for historic vehicles, electric cars were rolling up in northern Italian Cernobbio, making no sounds other than the crunch of gravel, including once again the i Vision Circular study, which Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design, once more presented thoroughly and patiently.
Many ideas from the i Circular will go into series production behind the scenes
When asked how concrete the ideas in the vision vehicle were, he referred to numerous individual projects behind the scenes that are already dealing with the proposals of the i Circular. "You certainly won’t see all of it in the upcoming production models, but more and more of it will flow into series production over time," Hooydonk ventured a look forward, including, for example, pure-grade materials that are no longer glued or recycled materials. "Adhesive is the biggest problem in recycling and pure-grade separation," explained Hooydonk, who, with his team, is working towards a circular future for the BMW Group.
The goal: 100 percent recyclability
The goal is to achieve a rate of 100 percent recycled materials or 100 percent recyclability. At the IAA, it was unfortunately somewhat overlooked how comprehensive and consistent BMW thinks about sustainable mobility, especially since the Bavarians are making massive efforts to ensure correct working and environmental conditions already when sourcing raw materials, and to bring the entire process into a closed-loop system, from logistics and production to recycling. According to BMW, they ideally want to extend their leading position in resource efficiency in production to the entire life cycle of the vehicles. Adrian van Hooydonk also explained:
"In the design process of the BMW i Vision Circular, we consistently integrated circularity from the very beginning. Therefore, this vision vehicle is full of innovative ideas that combine sustainability with a new and inspiring aesthetic – we call this approach 'Circular Design’"
Additionally, the BMW i Vision Circular shows that a premium claim does not have to be a contradiction to sustainability. At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2021, exceptionally beautiful and historically significant classics will once again be presented and evaluated by international expert juries – they are sustainable in that the oldest among them have now lasted almost a century – never without restoration, repairs, or at least minor services – but they have endured. Because a car is also sustainable if it is driven as long as possible and not replaced by a new one.
The scarcity and increasing costs of raw materials will accelerate circular economy
For the first time as a "guest" was CEO Oliver Zipse, who "had never been invited before." The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and prior to that, he was not yet in office. He also pointed to the sustainability of the BMW Group and visibly enjoyed being able to move freely at a live event once again. When we met him on the first day of the Concours and asked if he had enjoyed "his first invitation to the event," he confirmed it with a smile. And once again, he touched on the topic of sustainability, which does not have to exclude luxury. In addition to the environmental aspect, the scarcity of raw materials and the resulting rising prices force companies to think in cycles – so it is also a commercially attractive and unavoidable step. But Zipse does not want to rush blindly ahead: All the new steps towards sustainability and the circular economy are being scientifically monitored and clarified before being presented to the public.
Vintage Cars Consisted of Much More "Pure-Grade" Materials
Easy to dismantle and therefore sustainable were also many of the nearly 50 historic automobiles nominated in eight classes of competition, held jointly by BMW Group Classic and the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este. Highlights of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on Saturday include the awarding of the prestigious Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este, based on an audience vote, as well as the parade of valuable classics on the terrace of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este. On Sunday, the class winners and recipients of numerous special prizes will be selected. The traditional conclusion is the announcement of the Best of Show.
What Does This Mean?
BMW brings the theme of sustainability and the circular economy to the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este - where it should be noted that many old cars were built very sustainably from the ground up with "pure materials" - yet the most sustainable car is still the one that runs for as long as possible - a criterion that all participants without exception fulfilled.
Elektromobilität , Newsletter Elektromobilität , IAA Mobility , SUVs und Geländewagen , Hybrid , Antriebsarten, Kraftstoffe und Emissionen , Oberklasse- und Sportwagen , Carsharing , Autonomes Fahren (Straßenverkehr) , Ladeinfrastruktur , Verkehrspolitik , Formel E , Brennstoffzellen , Fahrzeug-Vernetzung und -Kommunikation , Fahrzeuge & Fuhrpark , Automotive-Messen & Veranstaltungen , Pkw, Kompakt- und Mittelklasse , Minis und Kleinwagen , E-Auto-Datenbank, E-Mobilität-/Automotive-Newsletter, E-Auto-Tests