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BMW Eco Vehicles
BMW will soon have Battery-Powered Eco-Car for U.S. -
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
BMW CEO, Norbert Reithofer, said the company will likely “make a
battery-powered ecologically compatible car for the U.S. market”
Estimated launch date would be somewhere around 2012.
Sadly, BMW most likely would not have plans for such a model if the
new CAFE standards were not going to take effect 2012. With the new
CAFE standards BMW will be considered a “large vehicle
manufacturer,” which means that it will be held to more stringent
efficiency standards.
In an interview Tuesday with Mobile Magazine, Reithofer suggested
that the vehicle could be a collaboration with another carmaker.
“Our goal is a cooperation but if it does not work out, we will do
it alone. We will make a decision this year,” he said. Reithofer
added that the new vehicle might serve as the basis for the global
launch of a new “mini car” designed for big cities.
This website will help you to see that there are
many other options available to us as consumers to satisfy our
transportation needs and desires. We do not have to think that the
options at our disposal are all going to be ugly, and/or box like.
Actually that is about as far from the truth as you can get.
Manufacturer's like General Motors, with their Chevrolet, and Saturn
branches. Also Toyota, and Honda, as well as BMW, Lexus, Ford,
Chrysler, SSC, Hyundai and many others have jumped into the eco car
reality. Some companies by choice to help make our world a better
and greener place to live. A place that has less emissions, or even
better no emissions from the vehicles that we choose to drive.
By setting strict guidelines as to what we as a society will
tolerate for the new emissions levels coming from the vehicles that
we produce, purchase and drive. Deciding to not buy and or use
vehicles that do not meet our personal requirements is a good place
to start. Write to your state representative telling them that you
want them to enforce stronger regulations on the newer vehicles that
are being produced in our country. The rest of the world and auto
makers will conform as well once we set the example of making our
world a better place.
"Aerodynamic improvement is a critical step in meeting the range
targets necessary for moving the vehicle to a final production
decision." Aerodynamic drag accounts for approximately 20 percent of
the energy consumed in an average vehicle, directly impacting
vehicle fuel efficiency. Aerodynamics development begins with a
1/3-scale model where basic shape and major features are defined.
The model includes a highly detailed underbody and engine
compartment. Radiator and under hood cooling flow is developed with
computational fluid dynamic models. Simultaneously, computation
development takes place to determine aerodynamic drag of design
alternatives. Development continues with full-scale models, where
shape is refined and optimized for low wind noise. The development
process concludes with a vehicle prototype validation of the
math-based analysis and physical testing. |
