BMW AG said Wednesday it was recalling 200,000 vehicles over concerns that the front passenger air bag may not deploy in a crash.
The German automaker said the recall involves the 2006 3 Series, the 2004-2006 5 Series, and the 2004-2006 X3 compact sport utility vehicles in the United States.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a posting on its Web site that small cracks could develop in a seat detection mat and deactivate the front passenger air bags.
NHTSA said the air bag warning lamp and the passenger air bag "on-off" light would remain on. The head protection system, however, would not be affected, the government said.
BMW spokesman Tom Plucinsky said there were no injuries or accidents reported.
If the seat detection mat fails to sense that a person is sitting in the passenger seat, it deactivates the air bag. Plucinsky said customers alerted the company when they noticed that the air bag light indicated a deactivated air bag even when a passenger sat in the seat.
NHTSA opened an investigation into the issue in September 2007 and upgraded its probe in January. In addition to the vehicles under Wednesday's recall, the ongoing investigation also includes the 2004-2006 Z4, 2006 X5, 2006 6 Series and some 2004-2006 7 Series vehicles.
BMW had received 23,739 warranty claims over the air bag system issue by early January, NHTSA said. Plucinsky could not immediately address why the additional vehicles under NHTSA's investigation were not part of the recall.
To respond to the problem, BMW said it would extend the warranty to 10 years without any mileage limit for the following vehicles: 2006 6 Series, 2006 3 Series with standard seat, 2004-2005 Z4, 2004-2006 7 Series, 2006 X5, and 2004-2006 5 Series with comfort seats.
BMW said under the extended warranty program, the detection mat in a vehicle with the air bag system problems would be replaced at no charge to the customer.
Owners can contact BMW at (800) 525-7417.
On the Net:
BMW of North America: http://www.bmwusa.com
Showing posts with label BMW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BMW. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
BMW Winning back Market
BMW, buoyed by a new line of small cars, threatens to end the 8-year reign of Toyota's Lexus as the leading US luxury brand.
BMW topped Lexus in July for the third time in 2008. BMW, the world's largest maker of luxury cars, trails Lexus by 3466 sales after 7 months, erasing 90% of the gap from the start of the year.
The US debut of the 1-Series car in March bolstered BMW's offerings with a model that gets 28 miles per gallon on the highway, blunting the effect of record gasoline prices that are sapping sales of big four-wheel-drives. Lexus has added only a sports car and a 4WD with 400 horsepower, V8 engines.
"Looking at BMW's line-up with all the gas issues of the day, they may be in better shape than Lexus,'' said Stephanie Brinley, a product researcher with AutoPacific. She said Munich-based BMW may pass Lexus by the end of the year.
A 40% jump in global demand for the 1-Series helped boost last month's worldwide deliveries by 2.2%, BMW said.
The 1-Series generated 7400 US sales through July that the Munich-based carmaker didn't have a year earlier. BMW also is benefiting from a 32% rise in US sales of the Mini compact.
V8 engines
Lexus has this year introduced a redesigned version of its biggest 4WD, the $US74,000 LX570, powered by a 383-horsepower V8 engine, and the $US56,000, 416-horsepower, IS F sports sedan. The brand is suffering its biggest decline since Toyota unveiled it in 1989.
But a BMW title isn't assured. The company is scaling back on leasing programs after being forced to take writedowns on returned leased vehicles. Residual values, the projected worth of a vehicle at the end of a lease, are dropping industry-wide because of waning demand for pick-ups and 4WDs.
BMW also is struggling with the weakest industry-wide demand for new cars in 16 years. The company said this month that it would ensure profitability by reducing the number of vehicles produced for the US market this year by 40,000.
Still, BMW's 8% US sales decline in 2008 has been less severe than the industry's 11% drop and Lexus's 15% slide.
Cadillac, Lincoln
Lexus and General Motors' Cadillac have held the top-luxury-brand title for most of the past seven decades. Ford's Lincoln took the crown from Cadillac in 1998 and ceded it to Mercedes-Benz a year later. Lexus has held it since.
Ms Brinley said BMW had more small cars. The 1-Series starts at $US28,600, and the best-selling 3-Series line begins at around $US32,700 for the 328i. The 3-Series also gets as much as 8.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway.
Lexus relied on 4WDs for 39% of its 2007 US sales; BMW's 4WDs accounted for 22% of its volume.
Lexus has also been among the leaders in quality. It ranked as the most dependable car brand in the US for the 14th consecutive year, according to a study of 3-year-old vehicles released last week by J.D. Power & Associates. BMW ranked 7th.
Enjoying the title
"We definitely have enjoyed having that status'' as the best-selling luxury brand, said Greg Thome, a spokesman for Lexus in Torrance, California. "That is not our number one goal, especially in context of this market.''
In addition to the 1-Series, BMW has introduced a small 4WD called the X6 as well as its M3 series of performance sedans. It also will sell a partially redesigned 3-Series starting in October and introduce two diesel-powered models late this year, said spokesman Tom Plucinsky.
"It is not at all a focus to beat Lexus,'' said Jan Ehlen, a spokesman for BMW North America. "All we are doing right now is trying to maintain profitability in the current market conditions.''
BMW and Lexus may not be affected in the same way by changes in consumer behaviour, said Jim Hall, principal of 2953 Analytics, an automotive market research company in Birmingham, Michigan.
"The brands are getting two different parts of the market,'' Mr Hall said. "BMW has a much younger demographic'' and a broader line-up with several niche, low-volume vehicles for which Lexus doesn't have a competing model, he said.
Should Lexus cede the crown, it may not be runner-up for long, Mr Hall said. A redesigned RX, the brand's best-selling 4WD, will boost sales after it reaches showrooms early next year, he said.
BMW topped Lexus in July for the third time in 2008. BMW, the world's largest maker of luxury cars, trails Lexus by 3466 sales after 7 months, erasing 90% of the gap from the start of the year.
The US debut of the 1-Series car in March bolstered BMW's offerings with a model that gets 28 miles per gallon on the highway, blunting the effect of record gasoline prices that are sapping sales of big four-wheel-drives. Lexus has added only a sports car and a 4WD with 400 horsepower, V8 engines.
"Looking at BMW's line-up with all the gas issues of the day, they may be in better shape than Lexus,'' said Stephanie Brinley, a product researcher with AutoPacific. She said Munich-based BMW may pass Lexus by the end of the year.
A 40% jump in global demand for the 1-Series helped boost last month's worldwide deliveries by 2.2%, BMW said.
The 1-Series generated 7400 US sales through July that the Munich-based carmaker didn't have a year earlier. BMW also is benefiting from a 32% rise in US sales of the Mini compact.
V8 engines
Lexus has this year introduced a redesigned version of its biggest 4WD, the $US74,000 LX570, powered by a 383-horsepower V8 engine, and the $US56,000, 416-horsepower, IS F sports sedan. The brand is suffering its biggest decline since Toyota unveiled it in 1989.
But a BMW title isn't assured. The company is scaling back on leasing programs after being forced to take writedowns on returned leased vehicles. Residual values, the projected worth of a vehicle at the end of a lease, are dropping industry-wide because of waning demand for pick-ups and 4WDs.
BMW also is struggling with the weakest industry-wide demand for new cars in 16 years. The company said this month that it would ensure profitability by reducing the number of vehicles produced for the US market this year by 40,000.
Still, BMW's 8% US sales decline in 2008 has been less severe than the industry's 11% drop and Lexus's 15% slide.
Cadillac, Lincoln
Lexus and General Motors' Cadillac have held the top-luxury-brand title for most of the past seven decades. Ford's Lincoln took the crown from Cadillac in 1998 and ceded it to Mercedes-Benz a year later. Lexus has held it since.
Ms Brinley said BMW had more small cars. The 1-Series starts at $US28,600, and the best-selling 3-Series line begins at around $US32,700 for the 328i. The 3-Series also gets as much as 8.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway.
Lexus relied on 4WDs for 39% of its 2007 US sales; BMW's 4WDs accounted for 22% of its volume.
Lexus has also been among the leaders in quality. It ranked as the most dependable car brand in the US for the 14th consecutive year, according to a study of 3-year-old vehicles released last week by J.D. Power & Associates. BMW ranked 7th.
Enjoying the title
"We definitely have enjoyed having that status'' as the best-selling luxury brand, said Greg Thome, a spokesman for Lexus in Torrance, California. "That is not our number one goal, especially in context of this market.''
In addition to the 1-Series, BMW has introduced a small 4WD called the X6 as well as its M3 series of performance sedans. It also will sell a partially redesigned 3-Series starting in October and introduce two diesel-powered models late this year, said spokesman Tom Plucinsky.
"It is not at all a focus to beat Lexus,'' said Jan Ehlen, a spokesman for BMW North America. "All we are doing right now is trying to maintain profitability in the current market conditions.''
BMW and Lexus may not be affected in the same way by changes in consumer behaviour, said Jim Hall, principal of 2953 Analytics, an automotive market research company in Birmingham, Michigan.
"The brands are getting two different parts of the market,'' Mr Hall said. "BMW has a much younger demographic'' and a broader line-up with several niche, low-volume vehicles for which Lexus doesn't have a competing model, he said.
Should Lexus cede the crown, it may not be runner-up for long, Mr Hall said. A redesigned RX, the brand's best-selling 4WD, will boost sales after it reaches showrooms early next year, he said.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
New BMW 520 Beats Prius in fuel Economy
Is this a case of man bites dog? A mid-size BMW sedan equipped with a diesel engine returned better fuel economy on a 545-mile, London-to-Geneva, run than a gasoline-powered Toyota Prius. A BMW 520d with a 2.0-liter diesel engine and regenerative braking (but no heavy duty hybrid features) got 41.9 mpg while the full-hybrid Prius, 500 pounds lighter, got 40.1 mpg.
Two writers for the Sunday Times (London) wondered if official mpg ratings were accurate after hearing from their readers who said the Prius ratings were high by 15 (U.K.) mpg. "If our readers are right and the official figure is wrong it has important implications, not least of which is that people driving frugal diesels are getting a raw deal," the paper said, since hybrids get some tax and roadway access benefits in Europe as they do in the U.S. To find out, they drove BMW's midsize 5 Series sedan and the Prius London-to-Geneva, adding 100 miles to the route "to give the Prius the advantage of running in urban conditions where its petrol-electric drivetrain comes into its own."
Whilst the BMW "doesn't have the external look of a green car and you don't get the same self-righteous glow when you are driving it," it does have a series of energy-saving features BMW calls EfficientDynamics: battery recharge when braking, good aerodynamics, low rolling resistance, a continuous fuel consumption gauge on the dashboard, and a six-speed manual transmission that is rated as improving fuel economy by about 10%. Testers found the 520d "not startlingly quick ... [but] it cruised happily at the French autoroute limit (dry conditions) of 78mph towards the champagne region." When the trip was done, the BMW still had a third of its tank in reserve.
The Prius, in comparison, ran out of gas. Not because of lousy mileage but because the tank is smaller (and the testers had a spare can of gas aboard). Acceleration was "hardly dragstrip quick and slower than the BMW, but still respectable." The Prius weighed 573 pounds less and had an aerodynamic shape "as slippery as a campaign manager discussing political donations," leading the testers to believe "the Prius should take less energy than the BMW to maintain a constant cruising speed." Not so. As many people know, the advantage of hybrids lies in urban driving where the stop-and-go recaptures the car's energy. On the highway, it's one more four-cylinder car pushing throught the wind.
The full story is on the website of the Sunday Times (London): "Toyota Prius proves a gas guzzler in a race with the BMW 520d: The Toyota hybrid is hailed as an eco-paragon, so how does it fare against a big BMW? To find out our correspondents go on a run to Geneva." An Imperial gallon is 1.2 U.S. gallons, or a U.S. gallon is 0.83 Imperial gallons. Roughly speaking, discount the Times numbers by one-fifth: a 50 mpg vehicle to them is a 40 mpg vehicle in the US. Another reason we should all go metric.
Two writers for the Sunday Times (London) wondered if official mpg ratings were accurate after hearing from their readers who said the Prius ratings were high by 15 (U.K.) mpg. "If our readers are right and the official figure is wrong it has important implications, not least of which is that people driving frugal diesels are getting a raw deal," the paper said, since hybrids get some tax and roadway access benefits in Europe as they do in the U.S. To find out, they drove BMW's midsize 5 Series sedan and the Prius London-to-Geneva, adding 100 miles to the route "to give the Prius the advantage of running in urban conditions where its petrol-electric drivetrain comes into its own."
Whilst the BMW "doesn't have the external look of a green car and you don't get the same self-righteous glow when you are driving it," it does have a series of energy-saving features BMW calls EfficientDynamics: battery recharge when braking, good aerodynamics, low rolling resistance, a continuous fuel consumption gauge on the dashboard, and a six-speed manual transmission that is rated as improving fuel economy by about 10%. Testers found the 520d "not startlingly quick ... [but] it cruised happily at the French autoroute limit (dry conditions) of 78mph towards the champagne region." When the trip was done, the BMW still had a third of its tank in reserve.
The Prius, in comparison, ran out of gas. Not because of lousy mileage but because the tank is smaller (and the testers had a spare can of gas aboard). Acceleration was "hardly dragstrip quick and slower than the BMW, but still respectable." The Prius weighed 573 pounds less and had an aerodynamic shape "as slippery as a campaign manager discussing political donations," leading the testers to believe "the Prius should take less energy than the BMW to maintain a constant cruising speed." Not so. As many people know, the advantage of hybrids lies in urban driving where the stop-and-go recaptures the car's energy. On the highway, it's one more four-cylinder car pushing throught the wind.
The full story is on the website of the Sunday Times (London): "Toyota Prius proves a gas guzzler in a race with the BMW 520d: The Toyota hybrid is hailed as an eco-paragon, so how does it fare against a big BMW? To find out our correspondents go on a run to Geneva." An Imperial gallon is 1.2 U.S. gallons, or a U.S. gallon is 0.83 Imperial gallons. Roughly speaking, discount the Times numbers by one-fifth: a 50 mpg vehicle to them is a 40 mpg vehicle in the US. Another reason we should all go metric.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Misc Auto News
Starting this weekend, Honda DN-01 automatic motorcycle is officially on sale in Japan. When we first heard about the concept, we wondered how it would perform with its 680 cc V-Twin and new hydraulic transmission design. Since then, we've heard that the engine will make 61 horsepower, so think of this machine as a bridge between large maxi-scooters and entry-level sportbikes like the Ninja 500 or GS500. We expect that the DN-01 will have no problem handling daily commuting chores and the often necessary highway-drones, but don't expect to challenge any sportbikes on long straights. Handling will likely be a strong point, with 17" rims sporting 130/70 front and 190/50 rear tyres combined with ABS for panic-free stops.
Honda ending US motorcycle production
Honda has announced that next year it will cease motorcycle production at its Marysville, OH manufacturing plant. That facility's output, along with that of the Hamamatsu, Japan factory, will be shifted to the company's brand-new bike plant in Kumamoto next year. In 2007, Marysville built 44,000 Gold Wing and VTX models, though Honda notes that there will be no layoffs because of this shift in production. Instead, the Marysville workers will be reassigned to other Honda businesses in the fair state of Ohio.
Ban on used cars
Mexico has ban all imported used cars from US except 1998 models. The only used cars the Mexican government will allow across its borders for resale are those exactly 10 years old. There are two main reasons for Mexico's seemingly arbitrary automotive adjudication. First, its new-car dealers are tired of trying to compete with all manner of relatively inexpensive, recent-model used cars from the US. Second, the government says cars older than 10 years are wreaking havoc on the country's air quality. Until now, it was legal to import cars into Mexico that were between 10 and 15 years old. The Mexican Association of Automobile Distributors fought for the newer, more restrictive law.
BMW diesel hybrid
BMW's X5 Vision EfficientDynamics hybrid has a 2.0-litre twin-turbo 4-cylinder diesel engine mated to a li-ion battery pack. Third-generation common-rail injection and an all-aluminum crankcase to deliver 204hp 400Nm of torque between 2,000-2,250rpm. The relatively small capacity engine delivers nearly the same levels of horsepower as the conventional X5, but offers improvements in its already class-leading consumption and emissions figures. Special aero rims, a solar roof panel to heat up engine fluids before you start the vehicle; it has an 8-speed transmission. The mild hybrid solution in the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics uses a compact generator that, for the first time, is flange mounted directly on to the gearbox. This motor produces up to 20hp of on-demand power. Innovatively, the alternator is also integrated into the crankcase rather than conventionally driven from the front of the engine.
Lancer Sportback coming to America
Mitsubishi has put out its global business plan for the next few years. The official title of the blueprint for Mitsubishi's future is 'Step Up 2010' and the automaker's overall prognostication look good globally, but more 'bear' than 'bull' for the US market. Mitsubishi figures that worldwide sales will increase from the 1.34 million units sold currently to 1.42 million by March 31, 2011. Most of the boom is expected to come from emerging markets in Brazil, China, India, the Middle East and Russia, with the latter expected to climb by close to 70 per cent and eclipsing the American market by around 63,000 in vehicle sales. On the product front, Mitsubishi is touting the introduction of the Evolution X that's currently on sale, plus a redesigned Eclipse that will be coming to market in the next few years.
No diesel hybrids for Toyota
One company that won't be joining that diesel hybrid party is Toyota. Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said the hybrid pioneer had no plans to introduce any diesel hybrids.
Watanabe announced that Toyota would offer a diesel engine in the Sequoia and Tundra in 2010. Toyota already offers a variety of diesels in the European market. However, according to Watanabe, the combination of diesel and hybrid doesn't yield enough of an incremental improvement in efficiency to justify the combined cost premium of both. At this point, the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system is not suitable for use in the big trucks, which is why Toyota is following just the diesel path for now.
BMW to offer unlimited in-car Internet access
BMW is planning to offer a production version of its Connected Drive system by the end of the year, which will allow for unlimited web browsing while on the go. BMW says that the functioning display model it has in the X6 is a prototype, but that the final consumer version of the system won't look a lot different. Connected Drive will be interfaced with BMW's much-discussed iDrive, with the web pages appearing on a high resolution, dash-mounted display. The engineers have wisely limited front-seat access to the system to when the engine is turned off, but passengers with an optional rear display (and a special iDrive interface) will be able to browse while the car is running.
No Honda Accord Type-R
The all-new European Honda Accord buyers will be disappointed to hear there are apparently no plans to launch a high-performance Type-R version of the car. Honda does not feel the all-new model fits the Type-R brand, adding that the new European Accord is designed to propel the company into competing with the likes of BMW and Audi. Honda does have plans to release Accords with modified suspension and body kits, but with standard engines, much like Audi does with its S-line models.
Honda ending US motorcycle production
Honda has announced that next year it will cease motorcycle production at its Marysville, OH manufacturing plant. That facility's output, along with that of the Hamamatsu, Japan factory, will be shifted to the company's brand-new bike plant in Kumamoto next year. In 2007, Marysville built 44,000 Gold Wing and VTX models, though Honda notes that there will be no layoffs because of this shift in production. Instead, the Marysville workers will be reassigned to other Honda businesses in the fair state of Ohio.
Ban on used cars
Mexico has ban all imported used cars from US except 1998 models. The only used cars the Mexican government will allow across its borders for resale are those exactly 10 years old. There are two main reasons for Mexico's seemingly arbitrary automotive adjudication. First, its new-car dealers are tired of trying to compete with all manner of relatively inexpensive, recent-model used cars from the US. Second, the government says cars older than 10 years are wreaking havoc on the country's air quality. Until now, it was legal to import cars into Mexico that were between 10 and 15 years old. The Mexican Association of Automobile Distributors fought for the newer, more restrictive law.
BMW diesel hybrid
BMW's X5 Vision EfficientDynamics hybrid has a 2.0-litre twin-turbo 4-cylinder diesel engine mated to a li-ion battery pack. Third-generation common-rail injection and an all-aluminum crankcase to deliver 204hp 400Nm of torque between 2,000-2,250rpm. The relatively small capacity engine delivers nearly the same levels of horsepower as the conventional X5, but offers improvements in its already class-leading consumption and emissions figures. Special aero rims, a solar roof panel to heat up engine fluids before you start the vehicle; it has an 8-speed transmission. The mild hybrid solution in the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics uses a compact generator that, for the first time, is flange mounted directly on to the gearbox. This motor produces up to 20hp of on-demand power. Innovatively, the alternator is also integrated into the crankcase rather than conventionally driven from the front of the engine.
Lancer Sportback coming to America
Mitsubishi has put out its global business plan for the next few years. The official title of the blueprint for Mitsubishi's future is 'Step Up 2010' and the automaker's overall prognostication look good globally, but more 'bear' than 'bull' for the US market. Mitsubishi figures that worldwide sales will increase from the 1.34 million units sold currently to 1.42 million by March 31, 2011. Most of the boom is expected to come from emerging markets in Brazil, China, India, the Middle East and Russia, with the latter expected to climb by close to 70 per cent and eclipsing the American market by around 63,000 in vehicle sales. On the product front, Mitsubishi is touting the introduction of the Evolution X that's currently on sale, plus a redesigned Eclipse that will be coming to market in the next few years.
No diesel hybrids for Toyota
One company that won't be joining that diesel hybrid party is Toyota. Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said the hybrid pioneer had no plans to introduce any diesel hybrids.
Watanabe announced that Toyota would offer a diesel engine in the Sequoia and Tundra in 2010. Toyota already offers a variety of diesels in the European market. However, according to Watanabe, the combination of diesel and hybrid doesn't yield enough of an incremental improvement in efficiency to justify the combined cost premium of both. At this point, the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system is not suitable for use in the big trucks, which is why Toyota is following just the diesel path for now.
BMW to offer unlimited in-car Internet access
BMW is planning to offer a production version of its Connected Drive system by the end of the year, which will allow for unlimited web browsing while on the go. BMW says that the functioning display model it has in the X6 is a prototype, but that the final consumer version of the system won't look a lot different. Connected Drive will be interfaced with BMW's much-discussed iDrive, with the web pages appearing on a high resolution, dash-mounted display. The engineers have wisely limited front-seat access to the system to when the engine is turned off, but passengers with an optional rear display (and a special iDrive interface) will be able to browse while the car is running.
No Honda Accord Type-R
The all-new European Honda Accord buyers will be disappointed to hear there are apparently no plans to launch a high-performance Type-R version of the car. Honda does not feel the all-new model fits the Type-R brand, adding that the new European Accord is designed to propel the company into competing with the likes of BMW and Audi. Honda does have plans to release Accords with modified suspension and body kits, but with standard engines, much like Audi does with its S-line models.
Friday, March 7, 2008
BMW working on Bi-Fuel Liquid Hydrogen car
BMW may have a limited number of a 7 Series bi-fuel hydrogen-gasoline vehicle in the hands of a small number of customers in Europe and perhaps the US this year, according to Christoph Huss, senior vice president Science and Traffic Policy, BMW Group.
Huss made the remark during a panel session at the NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference and Expo in Long Beach, CA.
The 7 Series vehicle will use a bi-fuel 6.0-liter V12 engine fueled by gasoline and liquid hydrogen (LH). Both the engine and the LH storage system were on display at the Hydrogen Expo. (Earlier post.)
The engine, which uses direct injection for gasoline but port injection for the hydrogen, is optimized for neither—in other words, it sits in the middle. Running on hydrogen, it can produce 170 kW (228 hp) of power and 337 Nm of torque.
A monofuel-fuel hydrogen version of this engine powered the record-setting H2R in 2004 (earlier post), highlighting that there is further power enhancement work that can be done.
With the 170-liter liquid hydrogen tank storing about 8 kg of hydrogen, the car has a hydrogen-fueled range of 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 185 miles). On gasoline, the car has a range up to 500 kilometers (310 miles).
Running on hydrogen, the bi-fuel engine far exceeds SULEV II targets in the US:
Less than 1% of the 0.01 g/mi NMOG
Less than 1.0% of the 1.0 g/mi CO
30% of the 0.02 g/mi NOx. The monofuel version delivers less than 10% of the NOx target.
BMW combines engine management with catalytic aftertreatment to reduce the NOx emissions. Through the mid range of the engine curve, BMW operates on a lean burn to reduce NOx. Once a power threshold is crossed, is switches to a stoichiometric mix, with the aftertreatment handling the NOx.
BMW continues to explore the utility of liquid hydrogen as a vehicle fuel (earlier post). With its higher volumetric density (0.070 kg/liter) than gaseous hydrogen (0.030 kg/liter @ 10,000 psi, liquid hydrogen offers BMW an way to satisfy what it sees as its customers needs better than a compressed hydrogen gas system. (Both BMW and DaimlerChrysler were in full agreement during the panel discussion that storage is the biggest obstacle automakers faces in delivering hydrogen vehicles acceptable to the market.)
Cutaway view of the LH tank, with the insulating layers visible between the two walls.
One of the downsides of liquid hydrogen is the energy required to compress it. The other is that as the liquid hydrogen inexorably warms from its fueling temperature of -253º C, it expands, increasing the pressure in the tank. Once internal pressure in the tank reaches 5 bar, excess pressure is relieved via a pressure check valve.
Boil-off management catalytically converts the hydrogen together with oxygen in the air to form water.
With current tank technology, the hydrogen takes about one day with the engine not running to reach a pressure of 5 bar.
BMW notes that it is “carefully observing” the ongoing technical development of gaseous fuel tanking systems, and will ultimately deliver the best solution for the customer.
In close cooperation with the South German Technical Inspection Authority (TÜV), BMW has simulated a variety of accident scenarios with the tank, which it is developing with Magna Steyr. (BMW earlier had worked with Linde on LH tanks. Linde is still working with BMW on standardizing liquid hydrogen fueling systems.)
In one series of tests, full tanks with blocked safety vales were destroyed under high pressure. Additional safety valves inside the tank ensure that the hydrogen discharges safely under such conditions.
Another series of test exposed filled tanks to fire on a test bed, surrounding the tanks with flames of almost 1,000 º C for up to 70 minutes.
A final series of test deformed full LH tanks by hard and solid objects causing “substantial damage” in the process. No tank exploded. TÜV concluded that running a car on liquid hydrogen can be just as safe as running a car on gasoline.
BMW is definitely in a minority among automakers with respect to its work with liquid hydrogen, especially given the additional energy required to compress the gas. In response, the company keeps coming back to the need to fit a technology to customer requirements and capabilities.
There are a number of reasons BMW sees it worthwhile continuing to work with LH—one is the range of the vehicle as mentioned before. The other is the geographic area available for refueling stations in Europe.
Liquid hydrogen storage requires a smaller footprint than on-site production, for example, and BMW argues that those restrictions would prove to be important obstacles in the widespread deployment of a hydrogen infrastructure.
With a road program looming, the company should soon be able to collect both quantitative data and subjective responses from its test customers on the LH bi-fuel vehicles, just as other automakers are collecting data on their fuel-cell prototypes, to enhance its work and validate—or disprove—its assumptions.
Huss made the remark during a panel session at the NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference and Expo in Long Beach, CA.
The 7 Series vehicle will use a bi-fuel 6.0-liter V12 engine fueled by gasoline and liquid hydrogen (LH). Both the engine and the LH storage system were on display at the Hydrogen Expo. (Earlier post.)
The engine, which uses direct injection for gasoline but port injection for the hydrogen, is optimized for neither—in other words, it sits in the middle. Running on hydrogen, it can produce 170 kW (228 hp) of power and 337 Nm of torque.
A monofuel-fuel hydrogen version of this engine powered the record-setting H2R in 2004 (earlier post), highlighting that there is further power enhancement work that can be done.
With the 170-liter liquid hydrogen tank storing about 8 kg of hydrogen, the car has a hydrogen-fueled range of 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 185 miles). On gasoline, the car has a range up to 500 kilometers (310 miles).
Running on hydrogen, the bi-fuel engine far exceeds SULEV II targets in the US:
Less than 1% of the 0.01 g/mi NMOG
Less than 1.0% of the 1.0 g/mi CO
30% of the 0.02 g/mi NOx. The monofuel version delivers less than 10% of the NOx target.
BMW combines engine management with catalytic aftertreatment to reduce the NOx emissions. Through the mid range of the engine curve, BMW operates on a lean burn to reduce NOx. Once a power threshold is crossed, is switches to a stoichiometric mix, with the aftertreatment handling the NOx.
BMW continues to explore the utility of liquid hydrogen as a vehicle fuel (earlier post). With its higher volumetric density (0.070 kg/liter) than gaseous hydrogen (0.030 kg/liter @ 10,000 psi, liquid hydrogen offers BMW an way to satisfy what it sees as its customers needs better than a compressed hydrogen gas system. (Both BMW and DaimlerChrysler were in full agreement during the panel discussion that storage is the biggest obstacle automakers faces in delivering hydrogen vehicles acceptable to the market.)
Cutaway view of the LH tank, with the insulating layers visible between the two walls.
One of the downsides of liquid hydrogen is the energy required to compress it. The other is that as the liquid hydrogen inexorably warms from its fueling temperature of -253º C, it expands, increasing the pressure in the tank. Once internal pressure in the tank reaches 5 bar, excess pressure is relieved via a pressure check valve.
Boil-off management catalytically converts the hydrogen together with oxygen in the air to form water.
With current tank technology, the hydrogen takes about one day with the engine not running to reach a pressure of 5 bar.
BMW notes that it is “carefully observing” the ongoing technical development of gaseous fuel tanking systems, and will ultimately deliver the best solution for the customer.
In close cooperation with the South German Technical Inspection Authority (TÜV), BMW has simulated a variety of accident scenarios with the tank, which it is developing with Magna Steyr. (BMW earlier had worked with Linde on LH tanks. Linde is still working with BMW on standardizing liquid hydrogen fueling systems.)
In one series of tests, full tanks with blocked safety vales were destroyed under high pressure. Additional safety valves inside the tank ensure that the hydrogen discharges safely under such conditions.
Another series of test exposed filled tanks to fire on a test bed, surrounding the tanks with flames of almost 1,000 º C for up to 70 minutes.
A final series of test deformed full LH tanks by hard and solid objects causing “substantial damage” in the process. No tank exploded. TÜV concluded that running a car on liquid hydrogen can be just as safe as running a car on gasoline.
BMW is definitely in a minority among automakers with respect to its work with liquid hydrogen, especially given the additional energy required to compress the gas. In response, the company keeps coming back to the need to fit a technology to customer requirements and capabilities.
There are a number of reasons BMW sees it worthwhile continuing to work with LH—one is the range of the vehicle as mentioned before. The other is the geographic area available for refueling stations in Europe.
Liquid hydrogen storage requires a smaller footprint than on-site production, for example, and BMW argues that those restrictions would prove to be important obstacles in the widespread deployment of a hydrogen infrastructure.
With a road program looming, the company should soon be able to collect both quantitative data and subjective responses from its test customers on the LH bi-fuel vehicles, just as other automakers are collecting data on their fuel-cell prototypes, to enhance its work and validate—or disprove—its assumptions.
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