Following the “National Diesel Forum” aimed at further improving air quality in cities, BMW Group has issued a detailed statement on the current problems. Munich emphasized the importance of the diesel engine for the car drivers and again made it clear that all the engines of the company meet all legal requirements.

For the benefit of the owners of older BMW diesel engines, in accordance with the Euro 5 standard, the BMW Group will offer a free software update that further reduces pollutant emissions in practice and thus further reduces the legal requirements.

“Sustainability is as much a part of us as Sheer Driving Pleasure. With BMW i, we were the first German manufacturer to make a clear commitment to electric mobility,” BMW AG Management Board Chairman Harald Krüger explained. “But as well as emotion and pleasure, we are convinced that future mobility must be sustainable mobility. We are driving the transition as hard and as fast as possible and have launched more electrified vehicles than any of our established competitors.”

In this context, the BMW Group supports the comprehensive measures of the “National Diesel Forum” aimed at further improving air quality in cities.

  • In addition to these measures, the BMW Group is preparing an EU-wide fleet-renewal campaign which will have a positive impact on resources, the climate and the environment as a whole. Initially until 31 December 2017, owners of diesel vehicles that meet Euro 4 standards or less will be granted an environment bonus of up to €2,000 (amount dependent on model bought) when they trade in their vehicle and purchase a new BMW or MINI. Their chosen replacement must be either a BMW i3, a plug-in hybrid or a Euro 6-standard vehicle with CO2 emissions of up to 130 grams per kilometer (in the NEDC). This special campaign will begin soon, certainly before the end of August. The bonus is in addition to any other government incentives.
  • Averaged across the fleet, BMW Group diesel vehicles emit 40% less NOX than the German average, as reported by the Germany Federal Environment agency in April 2017. These excellent figures are true for both our Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles. In addition, experience gained through actual on-road driving between 2010 and 2015 means the BMW Group can offer an additional optimization of the exhaust-treatment system for 225,000 of the Euro 5 models currently on the road in Germany – at no extra cost to the customer, of course.

With regard to the current diesel debate, Krüger said, “For almost two years now, diesel technology which is cutting-edge, highly efficient and popular with customers has been deliberately and publicly discredited. This has caused tremendous uncertainty among millions of drivers and it’s not going to get us anywhere. The German automotive industry will remain strong in innovation: we will provide tomorrow’s mobility solutions.”

The BMW Group has repeatedly made clear that its exhaust treatment technologies are very different from others available in the market and the company continues to seek true competition in this area. The company categorically rejects allegations made by some media of non-compliant technology employed in diesel exhaust-treatment systems. “Investigations by authorities at home and abroad confirm that vehicles by the BMW Group are not rigged for testing purposes,” Krüger explained.