IAA Munich 2021: BMW i Vision Circular Concept Unveiled

BMW pulled the wraps off the i Vision Circular Concept at the 2021 IAA Mobility show in Munich. Germany. It is one of five different concept vehicles that the brand is showcasing at the motor show. The BMW i Vision Circular is a four-seater electric vehicle envisioned for the year 2040 with a focus on sustainable mobility and luxury. The design of the concept EV is made from 100 per cent recyclable materials, including the battery pack. The carmaker says the all-solid-state battery is 100 per cent recyclable and manufactured almost entirely using materials sourced from the recycling loop.

Also Read: IAA Mobility 2021: BMW To Showcase The iX5 Hydrogen​

The BMW i Vision Circular is made of 100% recyclable materials

The design of the i Vision Circular is based on four principles - Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The concept features a main body made from secondary aluminium with a light-gold anodised finish. It gets the signature kidney grille which extends across the entire width of the front end and merges with the headlights. Instead of having a chrome surround with bars, the kidney grille has been newly interpreted as a digital surface. A discreet line graphic on the kidney surfaces constitutes the sole decorative element in the front end. The surfaces below the windscreen are made from secondary aluminium. An additional sensor cluster between the two kidney elements groups together technological features, enabling simple disassembly within a single removable element.

The 4-seater cabin of the BMW i Vision Circular is futuristic featuring lounge seats

On the inside, the BMW i Vision Circular gets a mint-green coloured cabin with four lavender-coloured lounge seats. The carmaker says these seats have been made from recycled plastics. There's a 3D-printed steering wheel that forms a link between past and future at the same time. It is also equipped with ambient lighting and a one-piece dashboard with embedded crystal elements. There's also a central information display which is located above the instrument panel at the bottom of the windscreen. This display area takes the Head-Up Display as first brought out by BMW to a whole new level. All relevant information is projected onto the bottom area of the windscreen across its entire width.

The BMW i Vision Circular also offers an option of bidirectional charging. In such scenarios, the vehicle would act as a mobile energy storage device and feed power to its surroundings such as buildings and infrastructure. It can even be fed back into the power grid to help absorb peaks in demand. The concept electric car is not expected to make it to production anytime soon. We may see something similar to it in the future, probably in 2040. We won't be surprised to see some of these unique recycling techniques employed by BMW on its future models.