BMW diesel to power US police

THE previously unidentified diesel engine that will power the dedicated Carbon E7 law enforcement vehicle that will vie directly with Ford’s new Taurus-based Police Interceptor and Holden’s Commodore-based Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle has been revealed as an oil-burning 3.0-litre straight six from BMW.

The BMW Group has announced a major order from Indiana-based start-up police car-maker Carbon Motors to supply more than 240,000 diesel engine for the E7 interceptor, which enters production in 2012 – after the Caprice PPV in early 2011 and Ford’s Crown Victoria police car replacement late next year.

The deal – which extends to the supply of cooling, exhaust and automatic transmission systems – was signed at a ceremony in Washington DC this week by BMW sales and marketing board member Ian Robertson and Carbon Motors chairman and CEO William Santana Li.

BMW said the agreement represented a substantial expansion of its customer business in the powertrain field that will significantly reduce the US government fleet’s carbon footprint.

“We announced the expansion of our powertrain system sales business as part of the company’s Strategy Number ONE – today’s agreement with Carbon Motors marks another important milestone along this route, with others to follow,” said Mr Robertson.

“We are delighted to support Carbon Motors Corp with our engine expertise. BMW Group diesel engines have a clear lead over the competition when it comes to fuel consumption, emissions and performance.

“In this way, we will also help reduce the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of more than 240,000 US law enforcement vehicles by up to 40 per cent over the coming years.”

Mr Li said Carbon Motors was founded in 2003 as the world’s first manufacturer of purpose-built law enforcement vehicles.

“In the BMW Group, we have found a strong partner who has been operating successfully in the US for more than two decades,” he said.

“The BMW Group drive system makes it possible to accommodate the mission-critical law enforcement needs for performance, efficiency, and driving dynamics. Efficient BMW diesel engines will benefit not only the environment, but – thanks to the fleet’s lower running costs - also the American taxpayer.”BMW says it has sold more than 1.6 million diesel vehicles since 2007, including about 498,000 last year – representing almost 39 per cent of the 1.286 total vehicle sales it recorded in 2009. In Europe, 63 per cent of more than 761,000 BMW customers opted for diesel engines last year.

However, just two diesel BMW models have been available in the US since December 2008 – the X5 xDrive 35d and 335d sedan – with diesel accounting for just one in three X5 sales in the US last year and just 17 per cent of X5 sales globally last year.