Automakers Must Collaborate On Global EV, CO2 Standards, Say Top Engineers

With global economies stalled, auto sales - and profits - in the tank and pressure mounting daily for new automotive technologies to improve fuel economy and slash CO2 emissions, automakers the world over are finding themselves in a massive R&D investment bind.

To help relieve pressure on their collective pocketbooks, Germany's two top luxury-car makers suggest, the major players in the auto industry need to be working together on development of electric vehicle standards.
Speaking at a global auto engineers gathering, Thomas Weber, research chief at Daimler, and Klaus Draeger (right), BMW 's head of development, called for universal common standards that would enable carmakers to avoid duplicating R&D efforts.

Agreement on common power management and charging criteria, for example, would end the need for each automaker to invent its own components and systems - a situation that resulted in two competing and incompatible electric car charging systems in California when EVs first appeared in the 1990s.

In their presentations at the engineering summit, reported by the industry trade journal Automotive News , Weber and Draeger said that common standards would mean that automakers and technology developers would share the burden of staggering development costs.

Weber (left) also called for standard auto emissions rules, pointing out that there now are different requirements in the U.S., Asia and Europe.

That forces automakers to develop different emissions systems and powertrain configurations for each region. "We need to say this is nonsense," Weber said.

For their part, Daimler - parent of Mercedes-Benz and Smart - and BMW, parent of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce -- are widely expected to begin a collaboration of their own later this year.

Originally intended to help with development of small cars - the new hot product now that fuel prices and energy security have become major issues worldwide - the joint effort could involve electric vehicle R&D as well, analysts at Global Insight suggest.

"Weber and Draeger talk perfect sense regarding the development of electric vehicles. Although the technology is expected to grow considerably in popularity, electric cars have no proven business case, indeed many proven failures, and are furthermore expected to occupy only a marginal market share in the future," the economic and business forecasting firm's European team wrote in auto industry analysis newsletter this week.

"Far better to co-share the development, and therefore the risk, and see if the business case materializes."

It had to argue against such logic, especially as a developing a common set of standards - for EVs, emissions or even in-car entertainment and communication electronics - doesn't stifle competitiveness.

It could even spur it as automakers would have more funds available to spend on design and engineering to would make the respective vehicles unique where it counts in the marketplace -- in looks and performance.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

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John O'Dell September 18, 2008, 5:00 AM

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BMW, Daimler, Emissions, Plug-ins and Electric

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Auto Industry Collaboration, Electric Vehicle Research