German automaker BMW said it plans to launch its diesel engines in the United States, the company's strongest market, in 2008.
BMW said an enhanced concept for minimum exhaust gas emissions has been developed for the engine to meet the strict emission standards in effect in California and other states, making it possible to simultaneously introduce the new diesels as so-called 50 States (Bin5) models.
While BMW has been offering diesel vehicles in Europe since 1983 and 67 percent of the BMW sales there are Diesel models today, the company said the acceptance of this type of engine has been increasing among potential vehicle customers in the U.S. market.
The diesel models for the U.S. are part of BMW's EfficientDynamics corporate strategy, which integrates a combination of short-term, mid-term and long-term measures for the continued reduction of fuel consumption and emissions while enhancing the performance and driving characteristics. In the long term, BMW said it favors hydrogen as a sustainable source of energy.
The type designations and specifications of the BMW diesel vehicles for the U.S. will be announced later.