Streamlines your driving experience with the innovative My BMW App
In a groundbreaking move towards promoting sustainable mobility, BMW and MINI have updated their mobile applications to include a feature that calculates the carbon footprint of vehicles across their entire lifecycle. This innovative tool, available for vehicles with combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles, provides users with a comprehensive understanding of their vehicle's environmental impact.
The carbon footprint calculation is based on two main data sources: vehicle use emissions and production emissions. For combustion engine vehicles and plug-in hybrids, the apps calculate CO2 emissions based on the actual fuel consumed during driving, using data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) to convert fuel usage into CO2 equivalents. Electric vehicles, on the other hand, have no tailpipe emissions, so the apps estimate emissions based on the average national electricity mix used for charging. They also provide a comparison indicating how much lower emissions would be if the vehicle were charged using green energy sources.
The production emissions account for CO2 emitted during the entire manufacturing process, including raw material extraction, parts procurement, transport logistics, and vehicle assembly. These emission figures are model-specific and come from BMW’s Vehicle Footprint Reports, which are prepared following recognized life cycle assessment standards and certified by TÜV Rheinland.
This comprehensive approach offers drivers a holistic view of their vehicle’s total carbon footprint across its lifecycle, from production through daily use. The feature is integrated into the apps’ "My Trips" function and has been introduced initially for selected models in various European markets. The apps use detailed route and energy consumption data recorded during drives to personalize the carbon footprint calculation for each user.
The "My Trips" section of the App analyzes the trips taken and calculates CO2 emissions based on the energy consumed. The new feature was launched in June 2025, and by May 2025, over 100,000 customers had used the Electric Vehicle Analysis, demonstrating the growing interest in electric mobility.
Supported models include BMW Series 1, 2, X2, X3, 5, 5 Touring, M5, iX, and MINI models Cooper, Cooper C, Aceman, and Countryman, provided they have a certified TÜV carbon footprint. The BMW Group has not specified plans for a wider rollout of the carbon footprint calculation and Electric Vehicle Analysis to additional countries or models at this time.
Dirk Wiedmann, Senior Vice President Sales Steering and Strategy, Digitalization of the BMW Group, stated that the calculation of the carbon footprint expands a successful function and offers customers easy and direct access to sustainability data through a popular and widely used channel. The App also indicates nearby charging stations at the most frequent destinations and shows how many of these routes would have been possible with a single charge of a selected electric vehicle after at least 200 trips and 2,000 km traveled.
This update is an expansion of the "My Trips" section, which is one of the most appreciated functions by users of the App. The BMW Group has not announced any new features or updates beyond the ones mentioned in this paragraph. The new feature is an important step towards promoting environmentally friendly driving habits and encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles.
The carbon footprint calculation in BMW and MINI's mobile applications, integrated into the "My Trips" function, considers both vehicle use emissions and production emissions. For environmental-science enthusiasts, technology plays a crucial role in evaluating a vehicle's lifestyle impact, whether it has a combustion engine, a plug-in hybrid, or an electric motor.
