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Smart Transmission: maximizing your car’s fuel efficiency

By Channtal Fleischfresser | September 24, 2012, 3:00 AM PDT

Navigation systems are usually intended to get drivers from point A to point B. But what if your car’s system were specifically geared towards getting you better fuel economy on the way to your destination?

BMW has developed a navigation-based transmission control and Foresight Assistant to do just that. The system considers uphills and downhills along a route, as well as speed limits and even the car’s turn radius around a corner, to give drivers the best fuel economy.

The automaker’s Predictive Power Management system can channel information from the car’s navigation system, as well as from sensors throughout the vehicle, and can select the optimal gear to prioritize either fuel economy or spirited driving. The car is then able to downshift ahead of a roundabout, and shift back up as the car starts to accelerate again. BMW claims that this ‘Eco Pro’ mode can increase fuel efficiency by up to 25 percent.

In ‘Sport’ mode, the car will shift faster, break efficiently and only as necessary, and eliminate the need for unnecessary gear shifting.

According to Wired, the technology is likely to be part of BMW’s new line of hybrid and electric vehicles - the first of which, the i3, is expected to hit the market in late 2013.

Photo: BMW

via [Wired]

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About Channtal Fleischfresser

Channtal Fleischfresser is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

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And when there is no driver behind the wheel?

This technology might make the most sense if you think of it as another milepost on the way to self-driving cars. I would hate to think of a self-driver behaving like my current cruise control -- the throttle is basically all-or-nothing.

Posted by Day Dreamer

24th Sep

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Fuel economy vs. total fuel consumption

It would be nice if the author had commented on whether this technology is designed to seek only greater fuel economy (lowest liters per hundred kilometers) or lowest fuel consumption (least fuel to make the trip). The route selection could be quite different in many circumstances.

Posted by Schleeve

24th Sep

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Fuel economy through stealth

Nice bit of Teutonic engineering BUT...........
Don't you think that a really good driver could accomplish the same thing (or better) through careful observation of route conditions and his vehicle's operating characteristics?
BMW, Mazda and other producers are shifting emphasis from "fuel economy via mechanical efficiency" to "fuel economy through grasping at straws". This is an admission by the industry that new regulations are not attainable, and that they must gain some control over how the vehicle is operated no matter how stupid the driver may be. Or face a confrontation with EPA etc.
The industry has made astonishing progress in 20 years. Drivers have not. Speed limits in Canada have increased to 110 kph on the big roads, so drivers now pass us at 120.
But anyway, BMW has the right idea. Nice bit of engineering.

Posted by johnhopkins1@...

24th Sep

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Right foot and common sense...

Technological wizardry can help attain better MPG, but it's really the driver behind the wheel and pedals that can make the most of a gallon of fuel. Thinking about how one drives and doing it as smoothly as possible, not braking suddenly or accelerating too briskly will save more fuel than the best technology out there.

Unfortunately, it's not easy to achieve this in the real world, where so many drivers are in a hurry and must make it to the next red light faster than anyone else. Plus we now contend with more distracted drivers than ever on cell phones, texting or doing other things that shouldn't be done when driving a vehicle. Distracted drivers are a menace to safety, traffic flow and fuel efficiency.

Paying attention to your driving, having patience, being courteous, and trying to maintain reasonable traffic flow helps keep fuel costs down for everyone. If possible, plan trips around and not during local rush hour traffic periods. Plan routes and combine trips to diminish miles driven. Proper car maintenance, not using you car as a rolling storage unit to keep weight down, and proper tire inflation are also extremely important if you want to get more miles from the very expensive fuel in your gas tank.

If you try this, not only will you save fuel and significant money, but you will also notice that you end up much more relaxed and less tired when you arrive at your destination. Beyond technology and good driving habits, walking or riding a bicycle when possible, instead of hoping into the car, will really help to hold down your energy expenditures.

Posted by MaineBikah

24th Sep

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And when there is no driver behind the wheel?

Posted by Day Dreamer

24th Sep

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What efficiently?

I like cars that don't break when I apply the brake.
Many BMW owners are going to turn the system off if it limits itself to the legal speed limit. 1 doesn't buy a fast car to drive slow.
The 1 thing I'd really like is something that will get me at the correct speed to reach intersections after instead of before a stoplight turns from red to green. That's unlikely to be possible for many years.

Posted by theotherwill

24th Sep

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