Bosch is aiming high to reduce CO2 emissions with a wide range of technologies becoming a reality.
The aim to reduce petrol and diesel CO2 emissions by an additional 20% is only one of Bosch's stated ambitions. According to a recent announcement, it is aiming to develop plug-in hybrid systems with an electric driving range of 60 kilometres as well as having 30 electromobility projects in series production by the end of 2014.
EU vehicle fleet emissions target are 95 grams of CO2 per kilometre and Bosch believes this reduction in fuel consumption is not a distant prospect, with with new diesel engines now emitting as little as 105gm CO2/km and modern petrol engines producing just 115gm/km in some classes.
Using technology similar to the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) developed for Formula One cars, it is possible for systems to recover braking energy and convert it into additiona electrical power to the vehicle. Bosch also sees potential for installing economical combined natural gas (CNG) engines in all vehicle classes. Bosch believes there will be a volume market for electric vehicles after 2020.
Bosch is not alone in using these new technologies, with Volvo announcing its new KERS-based engine technology which is set to reach European showrooms this year. In this case, the system not only reduces emissions but adds significant engine performance, reducing the 0-100kph dash by around 1.5 seconds.