It’s one of the biggest auto shows in the world, and biodiesel-ready cars from one of the world’s biggest makers seem to be getting some good attention at the venue.
Biodiesel Magazine reports that the 63rd International Auto Show underway Frankfurt, Germany has opened with several interesting diesel debuts from BMW… and all are compatible with biodiesel:
Receiving a lot of attention is the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car. This futuristic vehicle is a diesel hybrid plug-in, but costs a fortune to make. The powertrain provides acceleration to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.8 seconds, and its average fuel consumption is near 62.6 miles per gallon, BMW reported. “This is a very far look into the future,” [Dirk Arnold, BMW product communications manager] said. “Maybe this would be possible for production with some completely new diesel engine or other new technology, but for the next five years the advantage of combining diesel and electric systems is relatively low compared to the tremendous cost.”
One of BMW’s brands, the popular sports hatchback Mini, is entering the diesel market with a new model being presented in Frankfurt. “The broad range of new models is being rounded off by the world debut of the Mini One D, a new entry-level diesel consistently upgrading the Mini portfolio of particularly economical and efficient models,” BMW said.
“Engineers have been working continuously with the technical aspects of biodiesel, and blends of seven percent to 12 percent work in our motors with no problem at all,” Arnold told Biodiesel Magazine on the opening morning of the show.
Nearly 750,000 visitors are expected at the show, which has a focus this year of environmental sustainability, including the production of clean diesels.