BMW Ranks 4th on EPA’s Top 20 Green Power Partners for On-Site Power Generation

Alternative Energy Initiatives at South Carolina Facility Confirm Sustainability Strategy

Spartanburg, S.C. - April 28, 2011... BMW announced today that its South Carolina plant has increased its ranking to No. 4 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Top 20 On-site Generation list of the largest green power users. In 2010, through BMW’s on-site landfill gas energy system, the company generated nearly 62 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power. This represents about 37% of the company’s overall electricity use, the highest usage percentage of the EPA’s top 10 Green Power Partners. It also underscores the company’s decision to exchange the traditional sources of electricity generation in support of cleaner, renewable energy alternatives.

“This achievement confirms our company’s commitment to protecting the environment and continual implementation of sustainable methods of capturing renewable energy, including our landfill gas program,” said Josef Kerscher, President of BMW Manufacturing.

Since 2003, methane gas has been collected, cleaned and compressed from a local landfill and used to power more than 50% of the BMW plant’s total energy requirements. In 2009, the company invested $12 million in its landfill gas program to further improve overall efficiency.  Implementation of the program has reduced CO2 emissions by about 92,000 tons per year and saves about $5 million annually in energy costs. More recently, the company announced the addition of a hydrogen storage and distribution center within their on-site 11 Megawatt Energy Center to facilitate on-site fueling of a hydrogen-fuel cell material handling fleet inside the new 1.2 million square foot assembly plant that produces the all-new BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle.

"BMW Manufacturing is leading the way by using renewable energy sources," said Elizabeth Craig, EPA Acting Director of the Office of Atmospheric Programs. "Their actions are helping to protect air quality and green our power supply."

According to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, the BMW Group is currently the world’s most sustainable automobile manufacturer.  In 2010, the company was named industry leader in this important global sustainability index for the sixth consecutive year.

Earlier this week, the EPA updated each of its National Top Partner lists, highlighting some of America's largest green power purchasers. Each list highlights EPA Green Power Partners with the largest annual voluntary purchases and/or on-site usage through April 6, 2011. The ranking can be found at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/.

BMW Manufacturing Co.

BMW Manufacturing Co. is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany and is the global producer of the BMW X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupe. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; and a design firm and technology office in California. For more information on BMW Manufacturing, visit www.bmwusfactory.com.

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BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 138 BMW motorcycle retailers, 103 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

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Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com.

Contact:

Max K. Metcalf

864-989-5333

max.metcalf@bmwmc.com