BMW is the Official Automotive Partner to the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games. 40 cars the start of the BMW Olympic Fleet were delivered to the Olympic park today .

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The BMW cars feature brightly coloured slick liveries. The cars are to form part of the fleet which will be used to help drive the London 2012 Games.  It is brilliant to see the fleet consists of electric and hybrid cars alongside the diesel models. There is also a range of motorcycles and bicycles. the vehicles benefit from BMW’s EfficientDynamics technologies that it will achieve LOCOG’s strict 120g CO₂/ km emissions target for the games.

Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW UK, said:  “BMW’s Olympic fleet needs to be varied to deal with the complex operational demands of the Games time effort.  We were selected as a partner based on our ability to provide such a diverse fleet that could achieve the challenging emissions threshold as set by LOCOG. The Games fleet will include our class leading efficient diesels, hybrids, electric vehicles and even bicycles. We are extremely proud for our cars to be involved in the London 2012 Games and are excited about seeing them in full service this summer in these eye-catching designs.”

Amongst the first cars that have now arrived are the 520d EfficientDynamics and the 320d EfficientDynamics, both of which will be active throughout the course of the Games.

Paul Deighton, LOCOG’s CEO said: “The BMW fleet will become a familiar sight around our venues this summer and will help us perform a huge range of tasks to will help to ensure the smooth running of the Games.  Taking delivery of the first vehicles is an exciting moment for us as we continue our preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

BMW and London 2012

BMW Group is the world’s most sustainable automotive manufacturer and the natural automotive partner for a truly sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games. BMW Group was chosen by London 2012 due to its ability to meet the emission targets set by London 2012.

The Efficient Dynamic, hybrid and zero emissions cars, motorcycles and bicycles provided by BMW Group for London 2012 provide essential mobility for officials and people that are vital to the operational success of the Games.

[learn_more caption=”BMW and the UK Economy – READ MORE“] A new report published by Oxford Economics makes clear the significance of BMW Group’s business operations to the UK economy. The key findings of the study show:

• The activities of BMW Group contribute £1.2 billion each year to UK GDP
• For every additional £1 contribution to UK GDP directly generated by the company and its dealer network, £2.20 in GDP is created across the UK economy
• BMW Group and its dealer network employ 18,000 people directly while supporting over 46,000 UK jobs in total
• 80 per cent of MINIs and 90 per cent of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are exported. In total, £2.4 billion worth of cars and engines are exported each year, accounting for around one per cent of all goods exported by UK companies
• BMW Group and its dealer network spend nearly £1.2 billion each year sourcing goods and services from UK-based suppliers through the payment of employee income tax, national insurance contributions, business rates and VAT on vehicle sales, the activities of BMW Group and its dealer network directly contribute over £900 million per annum to the UK Exchequer[/learn_more]