Connecting vehicles to the
internet makes them safer, more fun to drive, and reduces fuel consumption. Stating this Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of
the Bosch board of management, noted that “Connectivity makes cars more
efficient.” Dr. Denner was speaking at the 17th Technical Congress of the
German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) in Filderstadt, Germany.
Pointing to the connected
electronic horizon, Denver said that in the future, this Bosch technology will
provide real-time information about mobile construction zones, traffic jams,
and accidents. On this basis, further improvements to existing functions such
as start-stop coasting will be possible. At the same time, it will enable a
predictive operating strategy for plug-in hybrids. Technologies such as this
reduce CO2 emissions by up to ten percent or more. “These efficiency-enhancing
measures should be recognised as ‘eco-innovations’ by the EU,” Denner said.
“A connected
car drives more proactively than any person”
The reductions to consumption
brought by start-stop coasting and an optimum operating strategy are most
noticeable in real traffic conditions. In the New European Driving Cycle
(NEDC), however, they have no effect. “A connected car drives more proactively
than any person,” Denner said. Using up-to-date maps, cars can precisely
calculate their remaining range in addition to the most efficient route. At the
same time, intelligent connectivity increases the suitability of electrified
vehicles for everyday use. “In only ten years, more than 15 percent of new
vehicles worldwide will be electrified,” Denner said. Of these, more than 13
million new vehicles will be able to run on electricity alone, at least in
urban traffic. To further increase the electric range of hybrids and electric
cars, Bosch is working on improving electronic battery management. This can
increase the electric range of a car by up to an additional 10 percent and give
electromobility a further boost.
Technically-sophisticated
components make vehicles more economical and efficient, allowing them to meet
the strict CO2 targets set by the European Commission. European regulations
stipulate that in 2021, new vehicles will be allowed to emit an average of only
95 grams of CO2 per kilometer. This corresponds to just over four litres of
fuel consumed per hundred kilometers. In 2013, new vehicles emitted an average
of 132.9 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The EU recognises especially
environmentally-friendly technologies as “eco-innovations.” Automakers can use
these as CO2 credits to reduce their fleet consumption levels. The maximum
possible credit is 7 grams per kilometre. This was stated in a press release
from Bosch.