BMW Could Replace Carbon Fibre with New Flax Seed Fibre Composite

BMW has unveiled a new natural fibre composite material that could serve as a greener alternative to carbon fibre.

In light of recent rumours about the potential ban of carbon fibres from cars due to their alleged hazardous nature, BMW has unveiled a new lightweight material that could serve as a potential replacement for them. Simply known as natural fibre composite, this new material is made from renewable materials that will make its way into production BMW models soon.

The development of this new material is made in collaboration with Swiss clean tech firm Bcomp, which took several years and also involved other automakers like Volvo and Porsche. With an aim to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicle components without sacrificing performance, this new composite is made from flax seeds, which is the same plant used to make linen fabrics and other textiles.

Unlike the actual linen, BMW claims this new fibre composite is strong enough to rival carbon fibre, while also featuring the carbon fibre-like distinct pattern, thus also making it a viable choice for both practical and aesthetic purposes.

To showcase the unique aesthetic of this new fibre composite, BMW has fabricated several parts using this material for the BMW M4 Coupe. These include the entire roof of the car, the rear diffuser, and the hood inserts.

According to BMW, the fibre composite roof alone accounts for 40% less CO2 emissions compared to carbon fibre, while at the same time offering better end-of-life considerations. More importantly, the new material also meets the stringent demands of roof structures in total vehicle homologation, meaning that they are safe to be used on actual production vehicles.

With that being said, this new natural fibre composite is not BMW’s first tango in searching for more sustainable carbon fibre alternatives. Back in 2019, its motorsport arm BMW M used some kind of natural fibre composites for their Formula E racecars, before replacing them with the more conventional carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRPs).

The BMW M4 GT4 racecar will feature some natural fibre composite parts during the upcoming 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance race.

Speaking of motorsport, BMW is also poised to use the new natural fibre composite in the BMW M4 GT4 racecar for the upcoming 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance race, with BComp serving as an official partner for BMW M Motorsport racing team.

As for the production models, the new natural fibre composite will likely make its way to several optional parts for the BMW M cars. Although no indicative prices or models were given, we’re certainly curious to see how much these flax seed-based parts will cost compared to their carbon fibre counterparts.