PRESS RELEASE

27 October 2022

BMW announces new partnership with National Parks UK to improve EV access and boost nature restoration

• The BMW Recharge in Nature Project will enhance the recharging network across all 15 National Parks
• New charging points installed in locations that will bring benefit to visitors and local communities
• Partnership will also support National Park nature restoration, biodiversity and wellbeing projects

Today, [27 October 2022] BMW UK and National Parks UK announce a new three-year partnership, called Recharge in Nature, that will help to make the 15 National Parks even more accessible for electric cars. The partnership will also support nature restoration, biodiversity, sustainability and well-being projects across the Parks.

The UK’s 15 National Parks are visited over 100 million times each year[1] and 90 per cent of these visits are made by car.[2] With the exponential growth of demand for electric cars, which already account for 14 per cent[3] of new car sales in the UK, pressure on the limited recharging networks in the National Parks is growing. BMW’s Recharge in Nature project will enhance this network with the installation of recharging posts at key locations across the 15 UK National Parks, helping to enable access to these beauty spots for the lowest emitting and quietest vehicles.

The Lake District National Park is the first location, where the installation of recharging posts has already started. It was chosen because it is the most visited of all the National Parks and because the enhanced recharging network has the potential to support local communities as well as to increase travel choices for tourists.

Over the next three years, BMW UK will also work with National Parks UK to support locally delivered initiatives, focussed on enabling more sustainable tourism, nature restoration, biodiversity and wellbeing through the Recharge In Nature Fund. These supported projects will enable the National Parks to promote more sustainable UK tourism, enhance wellbeing and to restore nature and biodiversity, helping the National Parks to progress faster and with greater impact in these priority areas.

The first Recharge In Nature Fund grant will support the restoration of dew ponds in the South Downs National Park. It will then roll out to support projects within Snowdonia, Dartmoor and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs in 2023, with projects at the other 11 National Parks to be confirmed.

Chris Brownridge, CEO, BMW UK, commented:

“Sustainability is at the heart of our business and enhancing the EV recharging network in the UK’s National Parks will help to make these favourite destinations more accessible for the increasing numbers of drivers who choose an electric car, as well as to support local communities in their shift to the new technology. With biodiversity and the health of UK nature more important than ever before, we are also pleased to support a range of local projects within the Parks to help preserve these precious landscapes for the future.”

Richard Leafe, CEO, Lake District National Park, said:

“The UK’s National Parks are enjoyed by millions of visitors, near and far, every year and increasingly they are looking for transport options that will benefit people, place and planet. In the Lake District, we’re aiming to be a net zero National Park by 2037 and one of the best ways to achieve this is by reducing carbon emissions from visitor travel. 

Our partnership with BMW is a significant step towards this. Whilst we continue to encourage people to travel to and around the park by public transport, visitors travelling in electric vehicles presents a real opportunity to lower the National Park’s carbon footprint. Our new BMW charging points will give visitors and communities a wider choice of sustainable travel options, meaning we can all play a part in continuing to protect and enhance this special place.”

The BMW Group has set clear CO2 reduction targets across the lifecycle of every vehicle and is constantly seeking new ways to cut emissions. By 2030, the CO2 emissions per vehicle will be at least halved from 2019 levels. BMW Group is the first German carmaker to join the Business Ambition for 1.5°C as part of the Paris Climate Agreement – the most robust commitment to the goal of full climate neutrality, over the entire value-added chain, by 2050 at the latest. By doing so, the company is also part of the Race to Zero.

For more information about BMW Group UK and the Recharge in Nature Project visit: http://www.bmw.co.uk/nationalparks

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

For more information, please contact Olivia Martins, Natalie Cush or Sam O’Flynn at bmw@forster.co.uk or by calling:

Olivia: 07710 986406

Natalie: 07990 606623

Sam: 07801 849967

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

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About National Parks UK

• There are 15 National Parks in the UK, spanning the length and breadth of the country. 10 in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland.
• National Parks cover almost 10 percent of England, 20 percent of Wales and 8 percent of Scotland.
• Each National Park is administered by its own authority, but that authority does not own all of the land within the Park. They are independent bodies funded by central government to:
  • Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage.
  • Promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of national parks by the public.
• In carrying out these aims, National Park Authorities are also required to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the National Park.
• National Parks are free to enter and explore and have 104 million visits each year.
• For more information visit nationalparks.uk

[1] STEAM tourism data, 2019

[2] Aggregated National Parks data, 2018

[3] www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/evs-and-afvs-registrations/