Sounds good, although BMW should really figure out how to make a fully-working and producible hydrogen-powered car. Obviously, the procurement of such a technology won’t be easy for mass production, but surely, after the workability of its 7-Series flex gasoline / combustible hydrogen powered car, the concept turning into reality isn’t as far away as we may think.

Jon.

Diesel based hybrids will give much better results than gasoline based ones. This is a good move and shows why BMW is an industry leader.

It’s a good idea. Bmw’s engines are genuinely good & DCX and GM will help make it more economical.

Good thinking from BMW. Of course it won’t be available in California which has regulations which perpetually keep diesels out of the market.

take that asia, the best of the western auto companies will make this work. saud has it on the mark.

Sadly, I agree with The Stig…

I know someone who’s working on SUPER clean diesels pretty successfully. In fact he’s already in business with the system but as far as I know he only works with trucks. If only we could somehow get that installed on diesel cars for market in California.

If Lexus can get away with a $104,000 LS hybrid (which it hasn’t gotten away with yet, but probably will), BMW can probably do something with the 5-Series in that price neighborhood. Hell, this could be an opportunity for BMW to undercut Lexus’s pricing.

It amazes me that no one has thought of this before. Good thinking from the Roundel!

BMW is always at the top of the game along with Mercedes-Benz with new and better technologies. And what will happen next? Lexus will copy BMW as usual and get credit for it just like they did with the Auto Parallel Parking when BMW did it first and theirs works 10x better…

It’s not that easy to copy something though…either they had spies or something waaaay before we knew about it, or they were working on it at the same time. BMW very well could have a better system and they very well could have thought up of it first. But to just say “oh, there’s a good idea. Let’s copy it and release it before them” doesn’t sound too likely.

Its easy to sell a $8 to $10k premium in the segment BMW and Mercedes plays in. That is pocket money to buyers in that segment. A lot harder sell for a $20k car typical of a Ford/Chevy. You can’t count a Prius because Toyota loses money on those and Chevy/Ford can’t afford to lose money with the situation they are in. This is how innovation and the technology waterfall works. Innovate at the high end and when the cost falls the technology flows downward (anti-lock brakes, ESC, air-bags, etc.). For the record, I’d like to own a diesel-hybrid because it really does trump it all with efficiency. I hope they can get the cost down to bring it to market.

So BMW is working on a hybrid diesel with DCX and GM, and yet, not too many posts ago, GM is saying that they may “pause” the Zeta platform due to CAFE concerns. Um…

wasn’t there an issue with the constant starting and stopping of a diesel engine compared to gasoline engine? maybe it’s another feat for engineers to overcome? question mark?

BMW has been working with DCX and GM on hybrid technology for quite some time now. This post from GM is recent but will be resolved.

As for the Diesel Hybrid… what a magnificent concept. BMW can tug a 4-cylinder diesel to push 60MPG, with hybrid tech… 80-100MPG?

BMW needs to seriously contemplate putting a spare tire back in the trunk, and regular tires on the car.

Does anyone have more info on the reports that BMW will bring diesels to the US that will meet regulations for all 50 states in 2008?

It seems that BMW is poised to be a leader in new engine tech for the future. A diesel hybrid engine would be very significant in the continuing efforts to make vehicles with great gas mileage and their continuing work on a full hydrogen powered car will revolutionize other than oil based fuels I think.

JoshL, if anyone’s copying and following the leader, wouldn’t it be BMW? Lexus already has a hybrid (not diesel, but that’s a variation of the application) in the GS - a direct 5er competitor. Also, let’s not forget that BMW’s diesel hybrid is a big *if*, while the GS hybrid is available *now*.

Actually, if you do a search for ‘diesel hybrid’ you’ll find many car companies already contemplating it. We should wonder why BMW is actually slow to the game, rather than admire them for their original thoughts.

Here’s the Peugeot concept car:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/01/psa_peugeot_cit.html

Toy Yoda - I somewhat agree. How hard is it to think of gas-hybrid then diesel-hybrid? I can think of more. Ethanol, Kerosone, Coal, basically anything that burns can be the constant energy part of the hybrid. BMW is making a good step here but it is not revolutionary.

My problem is that no one wants to do anything until 2010. So for the next few years that have decided to let the common person be raped by over priced gas gaugers?

……uber alles

what else can you say about THE Motor Werkes?

Just before everyone starts screaming that Toyota/Lexus has copied BMW on this thing, I’d like to point out that they have infact been working on a DieseHybrid for quite some time already.

“JoshL, if anyone’s copying and following the leader, wouldn’t it be BMW? Lexus already has a hybrid (not diesel, but that’s a variation of the application) in the GS - a direct 5er competitor. Also, let’s not forget that BMW’s diesel hybrid is a big *if*, while the GS hybrid is available *now*.”

Well you are right that Lexus had a Hybrid before BMW, but I was speaking more on terms of that BMW just has innovative technology that they are working on outside of the Hybrid-Diesel, a few things that I have been reading about. and the GS Hybrid isn’t really anything that is that special, I mean I can get a 550i to get similar gas mileage… Toyota just thinks they are worlds ahead of everyone else when they really aren’t at all… Ya sure they have good cars and good technology, but they are still not ahead of BMW or Mercedes-Benz like they think they are.

“Just before everyone starts screaming that Toyota/Lexus has copied BMW on this thing, I’d like to point out that they have infact been working on a DieseHybrid for quite some time already.”

Well the biggest problem we have is that we can’t really say who did it first or last because car companies are going to dream up ideas but not say them in the news right away so that they have more time to develop them before anyone else…

Go from gasoline complexity to diesel complexity ??

BMW can’t even get the gas engines right.

Diesels will push them to the rock bottom of JD Power.

“Go from gasoline complexity to diesel complexity ??

BMW can’t even get the gas engines right.

Diesels will push them to the rock bottom of JD Power.”

please explain what you mean?

I have been reading about a lot of problems with BMW engines failing.

If they “know” how to do gasoline, god help them if they get into diesels.

“I have been reading about a lot of problems with BMW engines failing.

If they “know” how to do gasoline, god help them if they get into diesels.”

what models? Issues? Where are you getting this information from. There have been some recent hiccups in the E90/E92 but nothing that I would call failures, but there could be some info I’m overlooking.

and for the record though, BMW actually knows how to do diesel better than gas engines, and if anyone on here has truly owned a BMW or BMW’s, then you will understand that that right there is an amazing thing, bc BMW’s are great cars when you understand them for what they are.

There are a lot of people that get in BMW’s and just look at it for what it cost and what kind of image they get out of it, but they fail to understand that the car is a high performance machine even in 325i form. My ex-gf’s family had an 02 325i, and i was stuck taking care of the car and telling them what do to on the car bc they didn’t know and when the car started crapping out on them i had to tell them how to take care of it, and when they started doing the things I told them, like putting 93 octane in it instead of 89 or 87 the car worked brilliantly. The car then went on to save my ex’s life in a car accident where about 95% of the car was damaged on the drivers side front area right near my ex’s door. The car was deemed totaled and her family bought a 2007 328i bc they felt the car saved her life (she walked away with a few bruises).

I believe in BMW’s, bc my family has had 3 and i have had 2 and they have been exceptional automobiles for us and on many occasions have gotten me and my family out of very sticky situations…

JoshL, you sound like Chris Bangle. did you read my post? Peugeot already did this and have a concept car out already. Unlike BMW, which is just mulling over the possibility.

ya i read that, did you read mine earlier? Has anyone else seen Puegot’s new Le Mans Diesel btw?

@ Get Real

What do you mean BMW “getting into diesel engines”? BMW has been in diesel engines for at least 30 years now. In fact, half of all BMW’s sold in Europe are diesels. BMW has won many, many awards on their engines so that must be evidence that they’ve gotten it quite right.

VW failed in not bringing Diesel/Electric hybrids to market first.. particularly in the US, where they desperately need something to set them apart from the rest of the pack.

Yeah that Peugeot LeMans is one beautiful diesel car. Audi has some real competition. The LeMans series is gonna be exciting.

I think what “Get Real” is referring to is the catastrophic engine failures on the new Twin-Turbo engines in the 3 and 5 series cars. Also, it’s pretty much common knowledge to all but the clueless that BMW ranks very low on the JD powers and CR scales with machines like the 7 series and the XUV’s. Yet, owners put up with it just so they can live their Yuppie wetdreams instead of doing the smart thing and buying American iron.

I guess my point is that I would never own a German car knowing that it’s gauranteed to break down on me on a weekly basis and require exhorbitant amounts of money to fix.

I’d just buy a Cadillac or a Buick and be done with it, but that’s just me.