TALKING CARS FOR LESS CONGESTION - THE FUTURE OF TELEMATICS

Munich, September 25, 2003 ... BMW's ConnectedDrive research vehicles can
communicate to one another exchanging information on traffic, weather and road
conditions directly from car to car by means of WirelessLAN communication
technology. Traffic information of this kind will supplement telematics
services in the future, connecting cars with one another in ad-hoc networks.

BMW ConnectedDrive is a concept that networks the driver, the vehicle, and the
surroundings by means of telematic, online and driver assistance systems. The
vision for the future is to provide congestion-free motoring.

In promoting the development of this technology and integrating other
manufacturers in the process, BMW is looking to develop a uniform standard for
the exchange of information. "If only 10 percent of all vehicles in Germany
were able to communicate directly with one another, we would have the benefit
of nationwide traffic information", stated Dr. Burkhard Göschel, Board Member
Development of BMW AG. "Talking cars will reduce traffic congestion and
optimize the flow of traffic in the future", he added, while addressing the 1st
German Telematics Forum in Berlin.

Cars Acting As Sensors In Road Traffic

BMW's research vehicles exchange such sensor data directly with one another. An
intelligent computer system decides whether or not a vehicle should transmit a
congestion warning to other cars. Through its calculated speed and local
coordinates determined by the navigation system, the car acts as a sensor
registering and monitoring the flow of traffic. Whenever such a vehicle runs
into congested traffic, it recognizes the situation immediately and can
transmit a local traffic report by WirelessLAN to other vehicles in the
surrounding area, requiring no driver intervention. All other vehicles
approaching the congested roadway are therefore able to choose another route in
good time, using dynamic navigation to redirect them onto less-congested routes.

This can optimize the flow of traffic not only on the highways, but also on
side roads and through small towns. The objective of BMW Group engineers is to
build up a comprehensive network of cars of all makes that are able to
communicate with one another in the manner described.

The advantage of ConnectedDrive is the use of ad-hoc networks, as it would not
require any kind of communications infrastructure. The vehicles themselves will
make up the network and provide the "multi-hopping" of data, allowing unlimited
range. Each vehicle, depending on the situation, effectively takes on the role
of the sender, receiver, and/or router of information.

Local hazard warning provided by vehicle-to-vehicle communication

Aside from transmitting its location and speed, the ConnectedDrive cars can
also send a wide range of additional information. This includes the current
status of the low and high beams, the foglamps and hazard warning flashers, as
well as the brake lights. More complicated data provided by the anti-lock brake
system (ABS), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), as well as the ambient
temperature can also be sent. This data provides a clear reference to local
road or weather conditions that would suggest slippery road surfaces, dense
fog, wet conditions or a sudden change in traffic patterns.

A specific example: If ABS is activated at slow speeds, the brake pedal is
depressed down only slightly, and the outside temperature is low, it may
indicate a slippery surface. In that case, just like a traffic message system,
BMW's research cars transmit a local hazard warning quickly and directly by
WirelessLAN to all vehicles in the area. Vehicles approaching the
potentially-dangerous area are therefore able to warn and prepare the driver in
good time with an acoustic and/or optical signal on the on-board monitor. Local
hazard warnings therefore can offer an enormous potential in enhancing active
safety on the road.

BMW Group In America
BMW of North America has been present in the United States since 1975. Since
then, the BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales
and financial service organizations for the BMW and MINI brands and Rolls-Royce
Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a
technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the
country. BMW Manufacturing Corp. in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's
global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all
Z4 roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization
is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW car, 327 BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle, 148 BMW Motorcycle retailers, and 70 MINI dealers. BMW (US)
Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South
America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet
at:
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorradusa.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available
to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address:
www.press.bmwgroup.com.

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