The BMW Group is accelerating the expansion of electrification and expects to put around ten million pure electric vehicles on the road in the next ten years. By 2030, at least half of the BMW Group's global sales are projected to come from pure electric vehicles. This will increase the need for lithium, an important raw material for the production of battery cells.
To promote an environmentally friendly and resource-efficient method of lithium mining, the BMW Group is investing through its investment arm, BMW i Ventures, in an innovative process developed by the American startup Lilac Solutions. Lilac Solutions has developed and patented an ion exchange technology that will significantly improve efficiency, costs and sustainability, with the feedstock being obtained from brine reservoirs, which are natural saltwater deposits.
"Innovative technologies provide better, more sustainable and more efficient access to raw materials. By investing in startups, we accelerate the development of new technologies, mobilizing competition and facilitating the entry of startups into the market," said Wolfgang Obermaier, Senior Vice President Indirect Goods & Services, Raw Materials, Manufacturing Partners BMW Group. "By investing in Lilac Solutions, we support technological progress in the field of lithium mining, focusing on responsible and sustainable methods."
Lilac Solutions has developed a new ion exchange technology that makes the extraction of lithium from brine more efficient and economical. The company seeks to significantly reduce the impact compared to conventional methods, while at the same time protecting local communities and ecosystems. The technology has already been tested at the initial pilot level and now needs to demonstrate its scalability and industrialisation potential. The process can then be used in salt marshes around the world, even if they have low lithium content.
The BMW Group supplies battery cell manufacturers with responsibly mined lithium
The BMW Group has placed sustainability and the efficient use of resources at the heart of the company's strategic direction. A key parameter here is compliance with environmental and social standards in the supply chain. Eliminating violations of human rights and environmental standards is a particular challenge in the case of critical raw materials - as is the case with lithium. For this raw material, the BMW Group's Procurement department has implemented additional measures and procures lithium directly from the mines which it sells to battery cell suppliers. In this way, the company creates complete transparency as to the origin and extraction methods of the material.
