Gems From Jim O'Donnell

BMW's Jim O'Donnell, not to be confused with MINI USA's V.P. Jim McDowell, spoke at the APA Luncheon in Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday, September 1, 2009. He took the opportunity to make a few comments about the MINI. He said:

MINI is expanding its dealer network by 20% over the next 18 months to just over 100 stores as MINI prepares for further growth in the US. These new dealerships will be spread across the US with a focus on the South, Northeast and West.

Mr. O'Donnell pointed out that BMW has

. . .three Vehicle Distribution Centers in NJ, CA and GA, a parts logistics network with six regional facilities and 593 dealers representing all BMW Group products including BMW, MINI, Rolls Royce and BMW Motorcycles.

He also spoke to future offerings:

Increasingly, premium manufacturers are looking at non-automotive fields of innovation and many companies are focusing on four areas that will be major drivers for future innovations (read from slide):
1. Car-to-Car and car-to-Infrastructure Communication.
2. Assisted Driving.
3. Better Utilization of Drive Time.
4. More Effective Energy Management.

* Within these areas, here is just a sample of what we see ahead of us:

1. Car-to-Car and Car-to-Infrastructure Communication:
* Engine start-stop systems will be able to communicate with traffic lights saving gas waiting for the green light.
* The car will be able to exchange information with other cars on the road and with traffic control systems creating a very accurate early warning system for dangerous situations. What does this mean in real life? For example, when cars detect icy patches on the road this data alerts the city and salt trucks can be sent out immediately to fix the spots.
* Since cars will be “online” all the time, you are always connected to data services. Choosing the most efficient route or one with the least traffic disruptions will be much easier in the future.

2. Assisted Driving:
* We will see the next step of active cruise control as the car of the future will be much more aware of its surroundings using radar, cameras and sensors. Some engineers are even thinking about a “traffic jam” button. During congestion, all you do is press a button and the car maneuvers automatically through the traffic jam while you are reading the newspaper. By the way, this is not a direction BMW is following – if you do not want to drive, you should take a bus.

3. Better Utilization of Drive Time:
* In the future, you will be able to make better use of your time in the car. Internet services will be integrated seamlessly and drivers can hear and passengers can read the online edition of the papers either on built-in monitors or on their own handheld devices.

4. More Effective Energy Management:
* This is currently the most discussed area and includes both innovations reducing energy consumption and lowering vehicle emissions. Examples:
* New eight speed automatic transmission.
* More use of lightweight materials like synthetics.
* New techniques to reduce air drag. A cut of just 10% offers a reduction in fuel consumption on the road by more than 2.5%. Just two months ago, the BMW Group opened its new Aerodynamic Test Center in Munich investing some $250 million US dollars in this area alone.
* Thermo electrical generators. Working like a “reverse fridge” this devise converts exhaust heat in electricity. Tests at our research facility in Palo Alto have shown that this generates sufficient energy to power the A/C.
* More clean diesel engines. In Europe, BMW has just introduced a V8 diesel in the 7 Series and we are currently working on an all new 4-cylinder diesel family. Compared to a gasoline engine, Diesel typically requires 30% less fuel and produces 20% less CO2.
* More sophisticated exhaust gas recirculation, resulting in cleaner vehicles. We are currently working on this project at our Palo Alto facility.

Finally, he addressed the MINI E program and new MINI concepts:

We call our work on this “Project i” and our all-electric MINI E vehicle already in “mega-city” use today is just the first chapter. Over the next few years more changes will unfold and each will bring a new level of innovative thinking. We recently announced the first production vehicle will be a sub-brand of BMW so we believe we’ll be able to capture hearts and minds and customers with the brand’s strength behind it.
* We achieved a significant milestone this June when the MINI E program successfully delivered 450 vehicles to consumers in Southern California and the NY/NJ Metropolitan area.
* New York City is a top “mega city” already playing a significant role. We partnered with the City of New York and have provided ten of these zero-emission MINI E electric vehicles as part of the city fleet that daily traverse all five boroughs morning till night and they will soon add another dimension to helping find ways to enhance big city mobility.
* We also believe the world will go much further in accepting size is no longer a point of entry into the club of premium.
* MINI broke this mold in the US seven years ago and will continue to set the tone. New variants are on its way, including a MINI crossover. At the Frankfurt Auto Show in two weeks, we will show some additional fresh ideas including something with 2-seats.

[Source: The Auto Channel]