SUSTAINABILITY DISRUPTOR OF THE YEAR
Newsweek US|April 12, 2024
SUSTAINABILITY ISN'T JUST ABOUT BUYING an electric vehicle or driving in a way that saves fuel.
EILEEN FALKENBERG-HULL, JAKE LINGEMAN
SUSTAINABILITY DISRUPTOR OF THE YEAR

The entire life cycle of a vehicle is considered in its footprint, from the mining of rare earth metals to make batteries and computer chips to recyclability once its usable life has ended.

MINI began making cars when the world of high priced gasoline collided with the trend of large car ownership. Big cars weren't just costly to fill up, they were impractical for use on European roads.

"In 1959, the first Mini was created to address an energy challenge and an urban mobility challenge.

The result was a car that was both energy efficient and space efficient that helped grow MINI into an enduring icon. That first Mini also showed that being sustainable did not have to be boring," a MINI spokesperson told Newsweek.

"With the wheels at the four corners, a low center of gravity in a small, light and nimble package, the Mini was fun to drive as much as it was sustainable," they said.

Those priorities remain in the latest batch of MINIS to be revealed. Attention was paid to the entire life cycle of the Cooper and Countryman during their redesign process.

MINI is one of the first companies to create a vehicle with full-body end-of-life recyclability in mind from the get-go. Considerations for the new MINI Cooper and Countryman include battery removal and recycling, as well as how easy it is to pull apart the model and recycle its various components such as plastic and aluminum for use in future vehicles.

As designers and engineers spent years creating new products, MINI's manufacturing plants were busy changing how they operated, becoming greener.

Many MINIs are made at the company's Oxford, England, plant. There, 21 heavy-goods vehicles, powered by liquified natural gas rather than petrol or diesel, move components around the site. The result is near-zero particulate matter emissions and 20 percent lower CO2 emissions than traditionally powered models.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEWSWEEK USView all
Can Alternative Therapies Treat Cancer?
Newsweek US

Can Alternative Therapies Treat Cancer?

Doctor and breast cancer survivor Liz O'Riordan addresses misinformation around managing the disease

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Falling for Romance
Newsweek US

Falling for Romance

A new book, Nora Ephron at the Movies, celebrates the writer/director best known for her iconic rom-coms and strong female characters

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Cracking the Norse Code
Newsweek US

Cracking the Norse Code

Walrus DNA has shown that Vikings were likely the first to have encountered Indigenous North Americans

time-read
4 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Monumental Shift
Newsweek US

Monumental Shift

The discovery of 165-million-year-old crystals Easter Island has upended the longheld notion of how the Earth's \"conveyor belt\" moves

time-read
6 mins  |
November 15, 2024
'OUR FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC REFORMS ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN'
Newsweek US

'OUR FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC REFORMS ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN'

It is a well-known fact across the globe that the North Korean regime is irrational and unpredictable, but we have been consistent in strengthening our defense posture against the threat from North Korea since the Korean War, and I believe that their conventional capability is much inferior to that of the Korean military.

time-read
10 mins  |
November 15, 2024
'They Read My Eulogy As I Lay in an Open Grave'
Newsweek US

'They Read My Eulogy As I Lay in an Open Grave'

Like Paris Hilton, Natasia Pelowski claims she was subjected to abuse at a teenage therapy program

time-read
3 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Russian Economy Faces 'Burnout
Newsweek US

Russian Economy Faces 'Burnout

Vladimir Putin admits difficulties” as the country’s key interest rate reaches a historic high

time-read
3 mins  |
November 15, 2024
China's 'Silent Chemical War'
Newsweek US

China's 'Silent Chemical War'

The U.S. must investigate Beijing's role in the manufacturing of fentanyl that is killing Americans, says one mom whose daughter died after accidentally taking the illicit substance

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
HARSH HEADWINDS
Newsweek US

HARSH HEADWINDS

President Yoon Suk Yeol's BATTLE to reform a South Korea beset with structural problems under the specter of an increasingly aggressive neighbor to THE NORTH

time-read
7 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Bridget Everett
Newsweek US

Bridget Everett

BRIDGET EVERETT NEVER THOUGHT SHE'D BE THE LEAD OF A TV SHOW. \"I come from the downtown world in New York, a cabaret singer, and these things just don't happen, you don't find yourself with three seasons of HBO.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 08, 2024