BMW makes Coldplay world tour more sustainable

The show battery will provide the necessary electric power during the live performances with more than 40 recyclable car batteries, making the series of concerts more sustainable and one of the greenest tours in music history. 

The storage technology for the power supply during the live performances will be provided by partly recycled BMW i3 batteries. The show battery will provide the necessary super low emission, electric power and replace the usual diesel and petrol generators, which will in turn result in a significant reduction of the carbon footprint of all the band’s live performances. It will be recharged using a range of renewable sources including solar installations, a kinetic stadium floor, power bikes and generators powered by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. The kinetic stadium floor and the power bikes will harness the collective power of the fans themselves.

These car batteries are the first worldwide to be rendered suitable for second-life use. The technology is an essential part of the BMW Group’s vision of sustainability and circular economy.

“We’re proud to partner with BMW to create the world’s first tourable, rechargeable show battery – which will allow us to power our concerts almost entirely from clean, renewable energy,” says Coldplay’s Chris Martin. 

“A common awareness of sustainability has led during recent years to an intensive, creative co-creation process between BMW and Coldplay,” emphasises Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and Brand BMW. “The campaign song, “Higher Power”, marking the launch of our all-electric models BMW iX and BMW i4, as well as Coldplay’s performance at BMWs virtual world of JOYTOPIA during the IAA Mobility, were the first major highlights of our successful cooperation. With the use of second-life batteries from BMW i3 vehicles we are now helping Coldplay’s world tour become even more sustainable.”