Munich.
As a provider of premium mobility products and services, the
BMW Group is constantly in search of answers to the question: what
will move us (forward) in the future? In the past, the BMW Group has
already presented pioneering solutions for future individual
mobility with a range of different concept vehicles as well as the
visionary studies presented to mark its centenary. In view of the
challenges to come, however, BMW Group developers are also working
on visionary mobility solutions that go well beyond established
conventions.
Innovations that reach far beyond the conventional vehicle context.
The world of individual and sustainability mobility faces
enormous challenges in conurbations. As urbanisation progresses,
more and more people are crowding into cities, so conventional
mobility concepts and local public transportation are reaching the
limits of their capability. Congestion and high levels of air
pollution are the result, which in turn leads to constraints on the
quality of life.
The BMW Group’s “Research, New Technologies,
Innovations” division is a unique competence centre that is
devoted to addressing this and other challenges.
“Our goal is to link sustainable and efficient mobility with a high
quality of living in cities. We use new technologies as well as our
creativity in order to create innovative approaches as the BMW Vision
E³ Way“, explains Dr. Gerd Schuster, Senior Vice President
Research, New Technologies and Innovations.
The “BMW Group Technology Offices” in Mountain View
(CA), Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul guarantee proximity to the world’s
technological hotspots, while a central department for trend and
technology scouting collates and supplements the insights acquired
in the field. Once challenges and needs have been identified, they
are then fed into concrete research projects.
BMW Vision E³ Way – emission-free two-wheeler mobility at a
new level.
Developed at the BMW Group Technology Office China in Shanghai,
the BMW Vision E³ Way project shows a visionary mobility concept
that is designed not just to specifically address the challenges
faced by megacities – such as traffic congestion and air pollution –
but to provide a solution that is both simple and effective. It
consists of an elevated road concept for electrically powered
two-wheel vehicles which links key traffic hubs in urban
conurbations. The three E’s stand for “elevated”,
“electric” and “efficient” – the concept’s
defining properties. The use of roadways that are elevated above
existing roads means the project generates additional traffic
capacity. The BMW Vision E³ Way is explicitly conceived for locally
emission-free single-track mobility concepts only
(“electric”), such as e-bikes, the BMW Motorrad Concept
Link and the recently presented BMW Motorrad X2 City – likewise
developed by the “Research, New Technologies, Innovations”
division. The elevated road is simple and modular in design,
economical to build as a result, and provides a fast,
direct link between key traffic hubs, making it the perfect
alternative for commuters travelling up to 15 km. This makes use of
the elevated road very efficient not only in terms of cost but also
as regards travel time (“efficient”).
“The BMW Vision E³ Way opens up a whole new dimension of
mobility in overcrowded conurbations – efficient, convenient and
safe. It works by simply creating space for two-wheel zero-emissions
traffic,” explains Dr. Markus Seidel, Director BMW Group
Technology Office China. “In China, more than a billion people
will be living in cities by 2050. The country will become the global
incubator for numerous mobility innovations such as the BMW Vision E
3 Way,” Seidel adds, “after all, nowhere else is there
such an urgent need for action.”
The BMW Vision E³ Way was elaborated in collaboration with the Tongji
University in Shanghai. The university possesses outstanding expertise
in a number of areas that are relevant to the concept. Headed by the
renowned Professors Jun Ma, various departments as the „School of
Automotive Studies“, as well as the „College of Design and
Innovation“, were involved in the project.
Emission-free and safe.
Ramps and sluice systems are used to connect the BMW Vision E³
Way to the regular road network, underground stations, other traffic
hubs, and even shopping malls. By shifting single-track mobility to
its own spatial level, the BMW Vision E³ Way makes daily commuting
not just faster but safer, too. The fact that is used solely by
electrically powered two-wheel vehicles means that collisions with
cars are ruled out. The general risk of accidents is further reduced
by means of an automatic speed limit of 25 km/h. In addition, there
is an elaborate system of lanes that separates filtering traffic
from flowing traffic: not until travel speed has been reached do the
two merge.
Convenient and efficient.
The BMW Vision E
3 Way is not just fast and safe to use, however, it is also
convenient. Those who do not already own a vehicle approved for the
BMW Vision E³Way can still use the facility spontaneously by means
of a sharing scheme that provides rental vehicles at each access
point. The elevated road is largely roofed over, ensuring protection
from rain and heat as well as sufficient ventilation. A cooling
system with purified rainwater creates pleasant temperatures: this
can also be used to clean the road surface at night.
The outstanding feature of the BMW Vision E³ Way concept is that
it takes existing emission-free mobility solutions on two wheels
such as e-bikes and the BMW Motorrad X2 City and places them on a
new traffic level: this means the vision can be realised quickly and
without the need for additional space. Initial feasibility studies
demonstrate that a concept such as the BMW Vision E³ Way can
significantly reduce congestion, emissions, travel time and the risk
of accidents. Traffic flow is permanently optimised by means of
automated video surveillance systems and artificial intelligence as
well as through the integration of smart city ecosystems. And the
best thing is that its modular design and free scalability make the
concept essentially suitable for use in any megacity.
Premium solutions in the future, too.
The BMW Vision E³ Way is just one possible solution to the
question “What will move us (forward) in the future?” At
the same time, it exemplifies the innovative spirit of the BMW Group
– its capacity to produce concepts such as this that extend far
beyond the conventional vehicle context. “Our aspiration in the
future will continue to be innovation and technology leadership at
the premium level,” explains Dr. Rainer Daude, Project Director
Special Projects and Mobility Concepts. “The very meaning of
the term ‘premium’ will change in future too, of course. Attributes
such as ‘straightforward’, ‘convenient’, ‘efficient’, ‘safe’ and
’emission-free’ are becoming increasingly important. In concrete
terms, this means being able to offer solutions that meet all
mobility needs, with the capacity to make better use of travel time
and/or to cover distances in less time – offering the highest
possible level of safety, convenience and efficiency.”
In case of queries please contact:
Renate Heim, BMW Motorrad Communication
Telefon +49-89-382-21615, Fax: +49 89 382-28567
Markus Sagemann, Head of Communication MINI, BMW Motorrad
Telefon: +49 89 382-68796, Fax: +49 89 382-23927
Internet: www.press.bmw.de
E-mail: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly
facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than
140 countries.
In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately
€ 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31
December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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