• Mini is introducing wheels made entirely of recycled aluminum.
• These will make their debut with the convertible version of the Cooper SE.
• According to Mini, producing recycled wheels reduces carbon emissions by 75 percent.
As awareness grows of the importance of reducing and reusing waste, automakers are increasingly looking at finding solutions to reduce their footprint. We're seeing new types of materials appearing, some from synthetic processes, others that are making use of fully recycled materials.
Mini recently unveiled a new product that will do exactly that – make use of recycled materials. The BMW division announced that the limited-run Mini Cooper SE Convertible will be the first production car to feature wheels made exclusively using recycled aluminum. They adopt the same styling as on the regular version.
The wheels were developed in partnership with Swiss manufacturer Ronal. That company sells replacement rims under the Ronal and Speedline brands, in addition to supplying the OEMs, and it has experience in producing more environmentally friendly products. For example, it supplies wheels for the Audi e-tron GT made using a melting process that produces oxygen rather than carbon dioxide, and it now offers a range of allegedly carbon-neutral replacement wheels.
The use of fully recycled aluminum for Mini’s convertible has the obvious advantage of not requiring the manufacture of new aluminum. Mini points out that carbon emissions are greatly reduced because of the elimination of the electrolysis process for making new aluminum.
The automaker says that, in all, producing recycled wheels reduces carbon emissions by 75%. Strength and durability are not compromised either. And what's extraordinary is that the recycled units can later be... recycled again.
