BMW to electrify Coldplay’s 2022 world tour with 40 recycled car batteries

MANILA: BMW’s long-running collaboration with British rock band Coldplay is set to reach a new peak in 2022. After the band’s virtual performance at the IAA Mobility in Germany and the inclusion of the successful hit “Higher Power” in the BMW i4/iX advertising campaign, BMW will now provide the world’s first-ever mobile, rechargeable show battery for the band’s upcoming “Music of the Spheres” world tour.

Using more than 40 recycled car batteries, the show battery will provide the electric power needed during live performances — making the series of concerts more sustainable and one of the greenest tours in music history. BMW and Coldplay’s collaboration sets new standards and might serve as the blueprint for the entire live industry.

The storage technology for the power supply will be provided by partially recycled BMW i3 batteries. The show battery will provide the necessary super low emission electric power and will replace the typical diesel and petrol generators, resulting in a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of the band’s land performances. It will be recharged using various renewable sources including solar installations, a kinetic stadium floor, power bikes, and generators powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil. The collective power of the audience will be harnessed via the kinetic stadium floor and power bikes.

The car batteries are the first in the world to be made suitable for reuse. The technology is a vital component of the BMW Group’s sustainability and circular economy goal.

In a statement, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin said, “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.”

Meanwhile, BMW Senior Vice President for Customer and Brand Jens Thiemer stated, “A common awareness of sustainability has led during recent years to an intensive, creative co-creation process between BMW and Coldplay. 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.”

BMW and Coldplay have had a long-running partnership since 2014. Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Guy Berrymen performed in front of 1,500 fans at the BMW Welt in Germany to round up their “Ghost Stories” tour. These initial connections, as well as a shared interest in sustainability, eventually led to a collaboration between the luxury carmaker and the rock band.

The BMW iX and BMW i4 campaign launched last June was the first major project of this collaboration, with BMW and Coldplay working together in a unique co-creation process. The campaign song “Higher Power” became a huge hit, with the line “This joy is electric” fitting perfectly with the two new BMW premium models.

At this year’s IAA Mobility in Germany held last September, another major success of this co-creation was achieved. BMW’s newly developed Metaverse Joytopia presented a virtual performance by Coldplay. The show was streamed live for 24 hours and was witnessed by over 150,000 people around the world. Joytopia was a quantum leap for the digital world in terms of marketing and corporate communication.

This successful partnership between BMW and Coldplay has been further extended, leading to a new climax on the band’s world tour next year. As a partner and recyclable car battery supplier, BMW will help the band achieve its objective of becoming even more sustainable. This collaboration is a game changer, and it has the potential to become a blueprint for the whole live industry.

Photos from BMW

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