BMW's EfficientDynamics Go Aero

[JoshCalkins]

BMW's ATC

BMW knows that making the internal combustion automobile more efficient is a task comprised of many small steps, not one giant leap. Their EfficientDynamics program is all about making small tweaks to vehicles that, when taken together, add up to big improvements. And the EfficientDynamics team just added a new weapon to their arsenal: a 6.2 acre facility that houses one of the most advanced wind tunnels in the world.

The facility, called the BMW Aerodynamics Test Center (ATC) was recently completed in Germany at a cost equivalent of 235.6 million USD and will be staffed by 500 specialist engineers from the EfficientDynamics program as well as support personnel.

What makes the wind tunnel at ATC so special is its versatility. In the top left photo, you can see that the vehicle is placed on a disc structure in the floor. This disc is controlled by a series of motors and gyroscopes that allow testing engineers to precisely simulate on-road conditions, whether it be hairpin turns, acceleration at highway speeds to pass another vehicle, or 186 mph straight-aways.

Why spend so much money on a wind tunnell like this? Because every 10% reduction in a vehicle's aerodynamic drag coefficient yields a 2.5% increase in fuel efficiency. Small gains made here, when applied across BMW's product range and coupled with other EfficientDynamics efforts (they've got a great new 3.0-liter twin turbo diesel we'll be looking at tomorrow) make for a fairly large reduction in fleet fuel consumption and emissions. This reduction means that BMW and BMW drivers can avoid taxes and penalties levied by governments on gas-guzzling and high-emissions vehicles (like the upcoming stricter EU Euro 6 emissions standard due in 2014). When you look at the ATC in that global perspective, $235.6 million seems like a bargain.