GM Teams Up With DCX & BMW To Develop Hybrids

[Guest Josh]

Munich/Stuttgart/Detroit - The BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler AG and General Motors Corporation today signed a "memorandum of understanding" governing the formation of an alliance of equals for the joint development of hybrid drive systems. The three global automakers are cooperating in order to pool their expertise for the accelerated and efficient development of hybrid drive systems. Objective: Development of a two-mode hybrid drive system The objective is to jointly develop a two-mode hybrid drive system that reduces fuel consumption while not compromising vehicle capability. While the base two-mode hybrid design will be common, each company will individually integrate the hybrid system into the design and manufacturing of vehicles in accordance with their brand specific requirements. "The participation of the BMW Group has allowed us to gain another expert partner for the development of this advanced two-mode hybrid system," says Tom Stephens, Group Vice President at GM Powertrain. "This cooperation paves the way for extensive hybrid collaboration among the three companies. We also continue to discuss additional partners for this alliance." "By pooling the development expertise of the three automakers -- BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors -- we are making it possible for all companies to bring to market appealing vehicles with convincing performance, comfort and environmental features for the benefit of our customers," says Dr. Thomas Weber, DaimlerChrysler Board of Management member responsible for Research and Technology as well as for Development at the Mercedes Car Group. "The creation of a shared technology platform for hybrid drives will allow us to more quickly integrate the best technologies on the market and will therefore exploit and strengthen the innovative potential of all participating companies," explains Prof. Burkhard Göschel, Board of Management member for Development and Procurement at BMW AG. "Because the technologies will be adapted to the individual vehicle models, the participating brands will retain their distinctive characters." Joint development center In Troy, Michigan, the new "GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW Hybrid Development Center" will develop the overall modular system and the individual components: electric motors, high-performance electronics, wiring, safety systems, energy management, and hybrid system control units. In addition, the Hybrid Development Center will be responsible for system integration and project management. A key factor in ensuring optimum development is the focus on a high bandwidth architecture system that can be adapted to the needs of the various vehicle concepts and brands. The extensive sharing of components and production facilities, and the collaborative relationship with suppliers, will enable the alliance partners to achieve significant economies of scale and associated cost advantages, which will also benefit customers, thanks to an outstanding cost-to-performance ratio. The two-mode concept Two-mode hybrid technology further enhances the performance, fuel efficiency and range of conventional hybrid drive vehicles. In city driving and in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicles can be powered either by two electric motors or by the combustion engine, or the two drive systems can be used simultaneously. Regardless of which type of operation is chosen, the drive system's fuel saving potential is exploited to maximum effect. When traveling at high speeds, for example on rural roads and highways, the two-mode system switches to a different driving mode. The two-mode system provides a number of benefits even when driving at such constant speeds. Because the hybrid drive's full power is available when climbing steep inclines, passing other cars or hauling a trailer, fuel consumption can be reduced and performance increased even when operating in the second driving mode. GM and DaimlerChrysler signed binding, definitive agreements on August 22, 2005. BMW Group today signed a "memorandum of understanding" with the intent to enter into a definitive agreement with GM and DaimlerChrysler later this year. A photo opportunity with Dr. Helmut Panke, CEO of BMW AG, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Head of the Mercedes Car Group und G. Richard Wagoner, Jr., CEO of General Motors Corporation will occur on Monday, September 12, at 17:00 CET in the Mercedes-Benz exhibit at the IAA.

[me3head]

Anyone been by the GM-DCX Hybrid center in Troy? I drove by last week and took a picture if anyone wants me to post it. Also had a lot full of EV1s next door at the GM Advanced powertrain center.

[toyoguy]

I thought Lexus was going to have the luxury hybrid market essentially to themselves, guess not.

[Cremazie]

Umm, I hope that GM does most of the "developing"

[johnnyangelb]

Anyone been by the GM-DCX Hybrid center in Troy?  I drove by last week and took a picture if anyone wants me to post it.  Also had a lot full of EV1s next door at the GM Advanced powertrain center.

[post="10667"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yes, please do post it. I was just thinking I would like to see it and was going to look for a pic on the web. I thought all of the EV1s where collected and destroyed. I remember reading the articles and seeing the pictures of crushed EV1s all grouped together.

[regfootball]

i love this. this is like saying 'f-you' to toyota's face.

[cmattson]

Finally, the long-rumored 3rd partner emerges! Just how much do you read into this? In my eyes, this is primarily GM's technology, and these "partners" are nothing more than capital-investors; they pay GM a pile of money to make the technologies available to them. Is DCX or BMW contributing anything more significant than money to this partnership?

[91z4me]

Umm, I hope that GM does most of the "developing"

[post="10675"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I belive that they are. Or else you will have to hit 15 buttons to get the car to move under its own power.

[sciguy_0504]

I belive that they are.  Or else you will have to hit 15 buttons to get the car to move under its own power.

[post="10718"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

No, you'd have to use I-Drive!

[NOS2006]

Nick will like this news..

[Satty]

So we're going to have an ugly, yuppie oriented(BMW), unreliable(Anything from DCX), overpriced(Anything GM) hybrid?

[Newbiewar]

So we're going to have an ugly, yuppie oriented(BMW), unreliable(Anything from DCX), overpriced(Anything GM) hybrid?

[post="10764"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Really?! :omfg: Sign me up! :withstupid: :booyah: