Just like most things in life, cars have an expiration date. In the case of prototypes and pre-production vehicles, that date arrives much sooner. It goes without saying that automakers can’t legally sell these cars because they’re not fit for the road. Rather than letting everything go to waste, BMW has a Recycling and Dismantling Centre (RDC) to recover valuable parts.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the RDC located in Unterschleißheim, Germany processes as many as 10,000 vehicles annually. We visited the facility where BMW can recycle up to 95% of each car for sustainability. It also helps lower costs because the test cars that are out of commission still have plenty of parts that can be reused. Such is the case with this third-generation X6.
Seeing the coupe-SUV being ripped apart by a dedicated electric excavator is rather brutal but it’s all for a good reason. BMW is extracting the engine and gearbox from this X6 to retrieve precious aluminum, which will be repurposed. In addition, the wiring harness is removed to collect the copper and use it elsewhere.
What’s left of the vehicle is then placed inside a compactor, transforming the retired prototype into a compact scrap of metal. That’s the last step of the process that takes place at the Recycling and Dismantling Centre. BMW is collaborating with an external partner that handles the shredding process. The RDC is not just for BMWs, but also MINIs and the occasional Rolls-Royce prototype. It’ll likely have to manage defunct ALPINAs as well now that the Buchloe-based niche brand is part of the BMW Group.
It’s worth noting that on average, BMW production cars sold to customers are made using almost 30% recycled material. The next goal is to reach 50%. However, the i Vision Circular concept envisioned a fully recyclable compact hatchback for 2040.