BMW - Emissions standards present ‘huge challenge’

[jpd80]

BMW chief tells shareholders their company will meet impending new European targets

17 May 2012

By DAVID HASSALL

BMW admits it faces “a huge challenge” to meet European fleet emissions standards proposed
for the year 2020, which are expected to be approved by the EU Commission in July.

Company chairman Norbert Reithofer told shareholders at yesterday’s annual general meeting that
BMW Group needed to intensify the development of plug-in hybrid vehicles and full electric vehicles
to meet not only the European standards but others around the world, including the United States.

“In Europe, the EU Commission will be voting this summer on a European fleet average of 95gm
of CO2 per kilometre for the year 2020,” said Mr Reithofer.

“That will be a huge challenge. “In order to meet these ambitious CO2 targets worldwide, we at the
BMW Group are intensifying our efforts to develop plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.”

Mr Reithofer said BMW would not only produce more such vehicles, but that they would need to be
“cool” and meet BMW’s core value of driving pleasure.

“Last year, I promised you, our shareholders, that in 2012 a BMW i model would be parked here
right in front of the stage, and there it is – the BMW i8 – an extremely fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid and,
above all else, a genuine sports car.

“Anyone can see that. And the moment you get behind the wheel you can feel it too.

“It embodies the innovative power of BMW, it embodies the DNA of BMW (and) it shows how we plan to
develop our DNA into the future.

“For alternative drive forms to really gain traction, it will not be sufficient to confine such vehicles to
low-fuel consumption or emission-free options.

BMW center imageFrom top: BMW company chairman Norbert Reithofer, BMW i3.

“We need “cool” cars – cars that impress customers with their design, their innovative technology
and their digital connectivity, cars that are also a compelling option for young people.

“I have personally tested the BMW i8 and … BMW ensures electric cars will provide sheer driving pleasure, too.
We move people. We trigger emotion – no matter what sort of drive is under the bonnet.”

BMW unveiled both the i8 coupe and a smaller i3 city car in Germany in July last year, and announced
they would both be built as the company’s first all-electric production vehicles from 2013.

Mr Reithofer said BMW had already reduced its European fleet average by 30 per cent since 1995 –
from 210g/km to 145g/km – as a result of investing €1.2 billion ($A1.5bn), and would meet
the EU legislative targets for 2015.

“We are now looking even further ahead,” he said. “By 2020 we want to halve the CO2 emissions of
the European BMW Group fleet compared to the mid-1990s.”

Mr Reithofer said the US government has also set new carbon emission targets for the year 2025,
with valuable credits for electric vehicles.

The European Union for many years accepted voluntary agreements with automobile manufacturer
associations, but in 2007 the EU’s Council of Environment Ministers formally adopted a resolution
for mandatory standards after a review found that many car-makers had failed to meet their objectives.

Two years ago, the EU noted that, while Peugeot-Citroen, Fiat, Renault and Volkswagen were well
placed to meet forthcoming standards, both BMW and Daimler had relatively high CO2 emissions
– though Daimler’s position had improved after ridding itself of Chrysler.

Mr Reithofer said a key plank in BMW’s environmental drive was its Efficient Dynamics program,
having sold 5.2 million vehicles with its new technology – exemplified by the new “CO2 champion of
the BMW brand”, the BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Edition that consumes just 4.1L/100km
and emits 109g/km.

“Efficient Dynamics continues to improve, because vehicle emissions will be subjected to even stricter
regulations in the future,” he said.

“We are investing in Efficient Dynamics for the combustion engine and hybrid technology, we are
investing in new technologies like electric mobility (and) we are investing in new materials
like carbon-fibre.

“The BMW Group is highly innovative. That makes us an attractive collaboration partner, which
is why many manufacturers want to work with us.

“Toyota has paved the way for hybrid technology (and) we are now working together on new
advances in lithium-ion cell technology.

“The BMW Group is the pioneer of state-of-the-art diesel technology and Toyota Europe plans to
buy four-cylinder diesel engines from us.

“Step by step we are moving towards sustainable mobility. That is what the BMW i family stands for.”

Hmmm, interesting times ahead

[Franco Cozzo]

Things will be ok, because they have to be, look at what happened to V8s with emissions laws and look at them today.

If anything it forces manufacturers to constantly improve.

[Kryton]

Looks like the EU is slowly trying to be rid of all vehicles that dont run on thin air.

[jpd80]

“In Europe, the EU Commission will be voting this summer on a European fleet average of 95gm
of CO2 per kilometre for the year 2020,” said Mr Reithofer.

OMG, that works out to around 3.7 l/100 km for the combined fleet A-V-E-R-A-G-E

Companies are going to need lots of zero emission vehicles to keep a steady keel on that upper limit.
Sad to say but I think it means anything with a big engine has to go and wider use of hybrids will be the norm.

As an example, the new 1.0 itrel EB Focus gives 5.0 l/100 km, that's around 50% over the average proposed.

[Chopped]

That's seems ridiculous.

I wonder what would happen if all the car manufactuers banded together and said get nicked to the EU.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Chopped

That's seems ridiculous.

I wonder what would happen if all the car manufactuers banded together and said get nicked to the EU.

It's an old boys club, the manufacturers have been given additional time with Euro 6 strategies.

By contrast, the US EPA is very uncompromising and actually does testing outside the prescribed test cycles
to catch out manufacturers gaming the system, I have a feeling a lot of Euro companies are doing just that
with results that are difficult to repeat under US testing protocols.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by jpd80

OMG, that works out to around 3.7 l/100 km for the combined fleet A-V-E-R-A-G-E

As an example, the new 1.0 itrel EB Focus gives 5.0 l/100 km, that's around 50% over the average proposed.

I think the only car that was / is on the Ford lineup that could achieve 3.7 combined was the Fiesta Econetic. And it's no longer being sold here.

[Bossxr8]

The manufacturers will require a lot of EV's to reach those averages, but herein lies the problem, not enough people buy them to make it worth their while having a whole range of them from small to big.

Are the manufacturers just going to build them and hope they sell just to pass the mark.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

The manufacturers will require a lot of EV's to reach those averages, but herein lies the problem, not enough people buy them to make it worth their while having a whole range of them from small to big.

Are the manufacturers just going to build them and hope they sell just to pass the mark.

I think they can buy credits from other manufacturers too, something I don't agree with as it makes a mockery of the legislation's intent.

[prydey]

not related to fleets etc, but this is why you have a toyota badged as an aston martin. so they can lower their average without compromising their top models.

[99AUXR]

Maybe but its just wrong. . . oh so wrong

[2011G6E]

California some years back tried to say to auto makers the same sort of rubbish, hopping way ahead of available technology at the time and saying "if you don't like it we don't care if you leave the state". Until of course reality bit and the big makers said "With your state economy the way it is, are you sure?". They compromised, and still got their plug-in emissions-shifting (from the tailpipe to the power station exhaust stack) cars, just not as much as they hoped because, unsurprisingly, they turned out to be expensive to make and there just wasn't the widely available system of "filling stations" you would need.

Yes, it's fine to aim for the sky...but you have to temper it with realism. What is it doing to the price of BMW's generally by forcing the company to invest billions in plug ins and hybrids? The ordinary punter who buys a normally-powered BMW model (and in Germany & Europe generally, they, like Mercedes Benz, are just an ordinary car like our Commodore or Falcon, not all "prestige" models from top to bottom like our inflated prices through taxation and tariffs makes them) is subsidising the development of these cars.

Sometimes aiming for overly optimistic emissions restrictions has unseen effects...look what ADR27A did to Australian cars in 1976...sixes became asthmatic, fuel hungry, and slow, eights were strangled even more so. The government was aiming for technology and efficiencies that just didn't exist at the time. Look at the hassles unleaded fuel brought in. Yes, we ended up with better engines...eventually...but for several years we were lumbered with half-arsed attempts that had less power (unless you do a Holden and just throw away your Aussie motor and buy a foreign one to put in your car).

Let's hope that our own green-backed government doesn't get any stupid ideas about how "easy" this sort of technology is, or we'll all be paying a lot more for cars as makers desperately try to spend up big to make a few of these vehicles that someone in a government somewhere has seen as a prototype and got a hard on over, believing "how hard can it be?", and that we should all be clean and green and drive one...

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Sometimes aiming for overly optimistic emissions restrictions has unseen effects...look what ADR27A did to Australian cars in 1976...sixes became asthmatic, fuel hungry, and slow, eights were strangled even more so. The government was aiming for technology and efficiencies that just didn't exist at the time. Look at the hassles unleaded fuel brought in. Yes, we ended up with better engines...eventually...but for several years we were lumbered with half-arsed attempts that had less power (unless you do a Holden and just throw away your Aussie motor and buy a foreign one to put in your car).

Having lived through those times and sampled the vehicles you're talking about, I can say that the
transition from XB to XC and XF to unleaded versions went off pretty seamlessly for Ford.

[JG34JA]

Ford did those changes well.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by JG34JA

Ford did those changes well.

Contrast Holden's progress with the I-6 that really struggled in emission guise until being replaced by a very expensive engine..

Those engine men at Ford knew their stuff all right...

[mik]

the way the euro economy is going very few will be able to afford hybrids, there`s speculation that greece will pull out of the euro and others may follow, time will tell though, it looks like the greenies are running the world, and it may well back fire on them.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by mik

the way the euro economy is going very few will be able to afford hybrids, there`s speculation that greece will pull out of the euro and others may follow, time will tell though, it looks like the greenies are running the world, and it may well back fire on them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB_mH1BZ8Ow

[gtfpv]

i'll go against the grain here , today engines are complex , yet plug and play , technology will become simpler in the form of manufacturing nad more brainy . its called modern technology . in the year 2025 , as we say thats yonks away . its not further away than the year 2000. but in 2025 , simplicity , efficiency , will acheive those targets . complex but simple . i'm looking forward to technology getting better .

[StrikeTwiceXR6]

Can someone please explain to me how the current V8 that Holden Aus uses can pass emission standards (Euro 4-5 whatever), but the Boss 5.4 couldn't. My understanding is that the quad cam 5.4 would be more efficient than a single cam, push rod "dinosaur" that has more displacement.

[cs123]

Originally Posted by StrikeTwiceXR6

Can someone please explain to me how the current V8 that Holden Aus uses can pass emission standards (Euro 4-5 whatever), but the Boss 5.4 couldn't. My understanding is that the quad cam 5.4 would be more efficient than a single cam, push rod "dinosaur" that has more displacement.

I would imagine that there would be lots of R&D time in meeting later Euro specs. It would have been a case of return on investment.

[StrikeTwiceXR6]

Originally Posted by cs123

I would imagine that there would be lots of R&D time in meeting later Euro specs. It would have been a case of return on investment.

Originally Posted by NC1183

Because it has more displacement, they can get away with a higher emissions level.

Thanks guys. I would have thought the end of the 5.4 would have spelt the end of the 6L, and all the pressure on the inline 6 as well.

[NC1183]

Because it has more displacement, they can get away with a higher emissions level.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by StrikeTwiceXR6

Can someone please explain to me how the current V8 that Holden Aus uses can pass emission standards (Euro 4-5 whatever), but the Boss 5.4 couldn't. My understanding is that the quad cam 5.4 would be more efficient than a single cam, push rod "dinosaur" that has more displacement.

i'll give it ago but it isnt an informed explanation . the ba 5.4 fpv had an inbuilt cam overlap which gave it the lumpy idle , which was ok for euroII . When euro III came in the cam timing had to be altered so that the overlap was reduced giving a smoother idle ( less unburnt fuel ) with a more technical exhaust monitoring 2 oxygen sensors , with a more inteligent mixing tune to keep a leaner burn at all conditions .
then euro 4 , i'm guessing being non variable cam and cast iron block , it simply just couldnt cut the mustard without further development , so rather than develop it further , an alloy block was sourced which is good for quicker warming and better burn ,also producing more power for less weight combined with variable cam enabling it to be further refined with tuning . thats my ( GUESS ) . APOLOGIES IF IT'S OFF THE MARK .

[OzJavelin]

As everything these days is driven by $$$ Im wondering at what point does it just become to cost prohibitive to design, build and sell cars in Western countries? That the overheads of emissions and other environmental impacts, etc .. Maybe with such a large market, some manufacturers will just start building and selling only in China, India, etc?

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

As everything these days is driven by $$$ Im wondering at what point does it just become to cost prohibitive to design, build and sell cars in Western countries? That the overheads of emissions and other environmental impacts, etc .. Maybe with such a large market, some manufacturers will just start building and selling only in China, India, etc?

How soon? I'd say "Now"...
The ABC radio had a motoring program a few months back where the commentator had visited a big motoring show in Asia, and he was shocked at the long list of manufacturers either planning on or outright opening soon manufacturing plants in India...he mentioned the usual suspects of the big Japanese makers (who already do build there anyway, our sons nicely screwed together little Suzuki Alto is made in India), but also other brands like Ford, GM, Chrysler, Mercedes, BMW, Aston Martin, and many others including, surprisingly, Harley Davidson.

[StrikeTwiceXR6]

Thanks for the input guys, but I still can't understand how the I6 is under the pump with regards to meeting future Euro standards, but nobody in the red corner is concerned about the current V8 lineup facing the scrapheap.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by StrikeTwiceXR6

Thanks for the input guys, but I still can't understand how the I6 is under the pump with regards to meeting future Euro standards, but nobody in the red corner is concerned about the current V8 lineup facing the scrapheap.

i think we are still in euro 4 , the current I6 already meets euro 5 , i think euro 7 will see it out of action .

we are getting to a point now where you cant even gas yourself in the car . next will be more economy - mixed technologyies and highest power and efficiency per litre current technology just cant get there . i read an article a couple of years ago saying technoligy doesnt exist yet to acheive 2020 design requirements .

[4LTRsixT]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i think we are still in euro 4 , the current I6 already meets euro 5 , i think euro 7 will see it out of action .

we are getting to a point now where you cant even gas yourself in the car . next will be more economy - mixed technologyies and highest power and efficiency per litre current technology just cant get there . i read an article a couple of years ago saying technoligy doesnt exist yet to acheive 2020 design requirements .

Is there any reason we follow these euro laws though, like is it part of a treaty or something?

What would be the repocussions if we didn't follow them?

It seems that that this sort of decision is made by people who have no understanding of how to implement it.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by 4LTRsixT

Is there any reason we follow these euro laws though, like is it part of a treaty or something?

What would be the repocussions if we didn't follow them?

It seems that that this sort of decision is made by people who have no understanding of how to implement it.

Well for a start I would imagine any cars we make for export won't be bought by countries that require them to fall under a certain standard.

[StrikeTwiceXR6]

Originally Posted by 4LTRsixT

Is there any reason we follow these euro laws though, like is it part of a treaty or something?

What would be the repocussions if we didn't follow them?

It seems that that this sort of decision is made by people who have no understanding of how to implement it.

Maybe ask the dirty ranga that is running this country

The only country in the world stupid enough to implement a carbon tax and one of the lowest polluters to boot