Published March 13, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Dr. Norbert Reithofer.
Today BMW said it is entering the second phase of its tech-intensive “Efficient Dynamics” strategy to meet planned European regulations of 95 grams CO2 per kilometer average across car fleets for 2020 and to satisfy new U.S. CO2 targets for 2025.
“Now we have a clear focus for the year 2020” said Dr. Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, during BMW Group’s Annual Accounts Press Conference.
Reithofer spent a good part of his time in front of the audience highlighting steps the BMW Group will take in the near future toward greening its vehicles.
“Through Plug-in Hybrids and electric cars, such as the BMW i Family, we will make further progress significantly reducing CO2 emissions across our fleet.” said Dr. Reithofer. “In 2020, we will have reduced the BMW Group fleet’s CO2 average by half.”
Reithofer said weight savings and innovation would be needed.
“To achieve these targets in Europe and worldwide, we will continue investing in many areas. This includes developing innovative drive technologies and light-weight construction,” he said. “With our new BMW i family, we position ourselves as the leader of innovation in the field of e-mobility. “
The plug-in i cars, he said, are the first to be built from the ground up around an electric powertrain.
“Our BMW i family will be the first cars made of carbon fiber in series-production,” Reithofer said. “The power for the assembly of the BMW i3 and i8 at our Leipzig site will come from regenerative sources. We are convinced that sustainable mobility can only be created within sustainable structures.”
Its structures may be sustainable, but others have said materials like carbon fiber can be cost intensive. BMW’s higher-tech approach contrasts with statements Toyota has made about
its FT-Bh concept hybrid, which it has conspicuously said uses less-exotic materials where possible, such as structural high-tensile steel, instead of carbon fiber.
Where Toyota and BMW do see eye-to-eye however is in other areas in a cooperative alliance similar to collaborations also between other ordinarily competitive automakers as an expedient toward sharing technological development costs.
“We intend to take basic research into lithium-ion technology to the next level in cooperation with Toyota Motor Corporation. At the same time, we will provide Toyota Motor Europe with high-efficiency diesel engines.”
