17th Technical Congress of the VDA Connectivity makes cars more efficient

Cars still have their best days ahead of them. “Connectivity makes cars more efficient,” said Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the Bosch board of management, at the 17th Technical Congress of the VDA in Filderstadt, Germany.

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As an example of this, Denner pointed to the connected electronic horizon. 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 10 percent or more. “These efficiency-enhancing measures should be recognized as ‘eco-innovations’ by the EU,” Denner said.

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“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.

Eco-innovations can help meet EU fleet targets

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 liters of fuel consumed per hundred kilometers. In 2013, new vehicles emitted an average of 132.9 grams of CO₂ per kilometer. The EU recognizes 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 kilometer.

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