An In-Depth Look at How BMW's EfficientDynamics Works

On the other hand, the German automaker also conceived EfficientDynamics. Since its inception in 2006, it has been present in all of BMW's cars, regardless of what powers them.

In 2006 – when BMW first laid out the idea – it was yet to introduce a production battery electric vehicle (BEV). Despite that, it already had it clear that it had to target mass, aerodynamics, and powertrain efficiency – the pillars of automotive efficiency – to deliver cars that drove well but were also frugal on energy consumption. It went public about that at the BMW Innovation Day 2006, in April.

According to the company, EfficientDynamics "consistently relates all factors of performance, fuel consumption, and weight to one another, providing target-oriented innovations on the drivetrain, in lightweight technology and aerodynamics, and providing the further option to overcome conflicts of interest."

It is not hard to figure out what a conflict of interest means in automotive terms. How can it be more powerful and less of a gas-guzzler at the same time? For more than 50 years, BMW's motto has been "Sheer Driving Pleasure," the English translation of "Freude am Fahren." Although that does not necessarily mean a very powerful vehicle – think about the first Lotus Elan and its maximum power of 126 bhp (94 kW) – that's what they usually offer. BMW followed precisely this path.

To make more powerful internal combustion engines (ICEs), the company already had the VALVETRONIC system, introduced in 2001 on the 316ti compact model. This valve control allowed BMW to eliminate the throttle body, which made the engine lighter and also reduced pumping losses.

The brand eventually added High Precision Fuel Injection (a second-generation direct injection system), Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC, which regulated when electric energy was generated), TwinPower Turbo, and several other powertrain improvements meant to make ICEs more powerful and more efficient. That intends to solve the "conflicts of interest" BMW mentioned.

Regarding aerodynamics, the German brand approaches it not only when it designs the vehicles. One example is the rear active spoiler. This feature was introduced for the first time on the 3 Series Gran Turismo and is meant to reduce the drag coefficient at higher speeds by up to 2%, further reducing fuel consumption and improving balance.

Another example related to that aspect is the front air breathers, a feature that several other automakers have also adopted. At low speeds, flaps in the front bumper close, which lets the engine reach optimal temperature easier and improve the drag coefficient. As speed and RPM increase, these flaps open gradually to cool down the engine.

The idea is to help the vehicle deal better with air resistance, which is particularly sensitive when we talk about BEVs. Being pretty efficient machines per se, they will face more energy consumption at highway speeds. ICE vehicles spend more fuel in urban cycles, which is exactly the opposite of what happens with cars powered by battery packs. Anyway, both kinds of vehicles benefit from allowing the air to flow along their bodies instead of resisting that movement.

One of the most important parts of the EfficientDynamics concept is weight reduction, possibly because it has the potential to make any improvement in the other efficiency pillars even more noticeable. Ironically, BMW has been accused for quite a while of making much heavier cars than before. Hefty machines are also less enjoyable.

The accusation couldn't be more true. Just check the G90 M5. It tips the scales at 2,445 kilograms (5,390 pounds). It is impossible for such a massive ride to take it easy on fuel consumption. BMW's way to deal with this was to research new materials, such as the Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) that made up almost the entire Life Module in a BMW i3. This material is produced on an industrial scale, has nearly the same resistance as conventional steel, and weighs over 50% less.

CFRP usage is not the only weight-reducing material used in the EfficientDynamics ideology. Other light materials are also used, like magnesium, light plastics, lightweight bolts, and even Gorilla Glass, a special kind of glass that is lighter than usual and has better noise-canceling properties.

EfficientDynamics found other ways to improve efficiency by looking at the problem from a holistic point of view. Heating, for example. BEVs have heat pumps, which reduce energy consumption by 50% compared to a classical heating system that uses resistors.

When only the driver is in the car, heat is only needed in the driver's seat, so that's the only place where you'd actually need to feel warm. But even with the four-zone climate control, you can't project heat into one specific area so precisely. BMW had to go beyond conventional solutions and came up with infrared heating surfaces.

How does it work? Energy is transferred as infrared radiation that heats the passenger's bodies directly. The advantages of such a system are numerous and important. First of all, you get instant heating to a target area without loss along the way (it takes about a minute to heat up). It's also noiseless, draught-free, has a higher efficiency for EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) through effective energy transmission and is seat selective, therefore reducing the consumption.

Want another example? In an era of GPS positioning and Google Maps, navigation systems could be used to reduce fuel efficiency even more, hence the Predictive Drivetrain Management.

The navigation system uses the maps and predefined course you enter into your car's infotainment system to predict the road ahead and adjust your car's speed correspondingly so that it consumes the least possible amount of fuel. The system takes into consideration hills, slopes, and everything that can have an impact on efficiency, choosing the best way to save fuel, and even adjusting the car to match these conditions.

Those are just a few of the technologies and resources that EfficientDynamics has applied in the past or still does. More than how it delivers what its name promises, it is the goal that defines it best.