Stuttgart and Renningen, Germany: \u201cThere\u2019s a future for diesel. Today, we want to put a stop, once and for all, to the debate about the demise of diesel technology.\u201d<\/em> It was with these words that the Bosch CEO Dr. Volkmar Denner, speaking at the company\u2019s annual press conference, announced a decisive breakthrough in diesel technology. New developments from Bosch could enable vehicle manufacturers to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) so drastically that they already comply with future limits. Even in RDE (real driving emissions) testing, emissions from vehicles equipped with the newly premiered Bosch diesel technology are not only significantly below current limits but also those scheduled to come into force from 2020. Bosch engineers achieved these results by refining existing technologies. There is no need for additional components, which would drive up costs. \u201cBosch is pushing the boundaries of what is technically feasible,\u201d <\/em>Denner said. \u201cEquipped with the latest Bosch technology, diesel vehicles will be classed as low-emission vehicles and yet remain affordable.\u201d<\/em> The Bosch CEO also called for greater transparency with regard to the CO2 emissions caused by road traffic and called for fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions to be also measured under real conditions on the road in the future.<\/p>\n [amazon_link asins=’B074PTW18Q’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’automotivetechno’ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’64c1d241-4874-11e8-afd3-e7468f340573′]<\/p>\n Record readings under real driving conditions: 13 mg NOx per kilometre <\/strong><\/p>\n Since 2017, European legislation has required that new passenger car models tested according to an RDE-compliant mix of urban, extra-urban, and freeway cycles emit no more than 168 milligrams of NOx per kilometre. As of 2020, this limit will be cut to 120 milligrams. But even today, vehicles equipped with Bosch diesel technology can achieve as little as 13 milligrams of NOx in standard legally-compliant RDE cycles. That is approximately one-tenth of the prescribed limit that will apply after 2020. And even when driving in particularly challenging urban conditions, where test parameters are well in excess of legal requirements, the average emissions of the Bosch test vehicles are as low as 40 milligrams per kilometre. Bosch engineers have achieved this decisive breakthrough over the past few months. A combination of advanced fuel-injection technology, a newly developed air management system, and intelligent temperature management has made such low readings possible. NOx emissions can now remain below the legally permitted level in all driving situations, irrespective of whether the vehicle is driven dynamically or slowly, in freezing conditions or in summer temperatures, on the freeway or in congested city traffic. \u201cDiesel will remain an option in urban traffic, whether drivers are tradespeople or commuters,\u201d Denner said.<\/p>\n Bosch delivered proof of this innovative advance at a major press event in Stuttgart. Dozens of journalists, from both Germany and abroad, had the opportunity to drive test vehicles equipped with mobile measuring equipment in heavy city traffic, under especially challenging conditions. The results recorded by the journalists, along with the route driven, can be viewed here. As the measures to reduce NOx emissions do not significantly impact consumption, the diesel retains its comparative advantage in terms of fuel economy, CO2 emissions, and therefore climate-friendliness.<\/p>\n Artificial intelligence can further boost combustion engines\u2019 performance <\/strong><\/p>\n Even with this technological advance, the diesel engine has not yet reached its full development potential. Bosch now aims to use artificial intelligence to build on these latest advances. This will mark another step toward a major landmark: the development of a combustion engine that \u2013 with the exception of CO2 \u2013 has virtually no impact on the ambient air. \u201cWe firmly believe that the diesel engine will continue to play an important role in the options for future mobility. Until electromobility breaks through to the mass market, we will still need these highly efficient combustion engines,\u201d Denner said. His ambitious target for Bosch engineers is the development of a new generation of diesel and gasoline engines that produce no significant particulate or NOx emissions. Even at Stuttgart\u2019s Neckartor, a notorious pollution black spot, he wants future combustion engines to be responsible for no more than one microgram of NOx per cubic meter of ambient air \u2013 the equivalent of one-fortieth, or 2.5 percent, of today\u2019s limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter.<\/p>\n Bosch wants to go further: transparency and realistic testing for consumption and CO<\/strong>2 <\/strong><\/p>\n Denner also called for a renewed focus on CO2 emissions, which are directly related to fuel consumption. He said that consumption tests should no longer be conducted in the lab but rather under real driving conditions. This would create a system comparable to the one used for measuring emissions. \u201cThat means greater transparency for the consumer and more focused climate action,\u201d Denner said. Moreover, any assessment of CO2 emissions should extend significantly further than the fuel tank or the battery: \u201cWe need a transparent assessment of the overall CO2 emissions produced by road traffic, including not only the emissions of the vehicles themselves but also the emissions caused by the production of the fuel or electricity used to power them,\u201d Denner said. He added that a more inclusive CO2 footprint would provide drivers of electric vehicles with a more realistic picture of the impact of this form of mobility on the climate. At the same time, the use of non-fossil fuels could further improve the CO2 footprint of combustion engines.<\/p>\n Product development code: ethical technology design <\/strong><\/p>\n Denner, who also has corporate responsibility for research and advance engineering, presented Bosch\u2019s product development code to the public. This lays down the company\u2019s principles for the development of Bosch products. First, the incorporation of functions that automatically detect test cycles is strictly forbidden. Second, Bosch products must not be optimized for test situations. Third, normal, everyday use of Bosch products should safeguard human life as well as conserve resources and protect the environment to the greatest possible extent. \u201cIn addition, the principle of legality and our \u2018Invented for life\u2019 ethos guide our actions. If in doubt, Bosch values take precedence over customers\u2019 wishes,\u201d Denner said. Since mid-2017, for example, Bosch has no longer been involved in customer projects in Europe for gasoline engines that do not involve the use of a particulate filter. A total of 70,000 associates, mainly from research and development, will receive training in the new principles by the end of 2018, as part of the most extensive training program in the company\u2019s more than 130-year history.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tomdenton.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/bosch_pems_20180412_011.jpg\")
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