When BMW announced last week that they had quit the BlueTec alliance, US diesel fans had reason for concern. It seems the concern was premature- Green Car Congress reports that BMW remains committed to a 2008 model year diesel introduction. Indeed, this may be all about branding and technology. The BlueTec alliance includes arch rivals Mercedes and Audi. The LA Times is reporting 12 diesel models from the alliance in 2008.
“DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen said Tuesday that their Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, VW and Audi brands were designing nearly a dozen cars and sport utility vehicles with diesel engines using an emission-cleaning technology called Bluetec”
This week should offer additional forward thinking vehicle announcements from the LA Auto Show.
I wasn’t paying close attention… wasn’t this very shortly after EPA grudgingly approved Bluetec (SCR?) for diesel emissions control?
Was BMW just being a good citizen in terms of staying on the bus long enough to get SCR approved, then jumping off?
Eddy