Carbon Motors, a specialty car company that is developing a purpose built police cruiser, is going to be equipping their cars with BMW DIESEL engines. Seems like a great choice to me but I gather it is drawing some critics from the "buy American" crowd based on some newspaper reports. Diesel is roughly 40% more efficient and costs roughly the same as regular unleaded gas, yet delivers tons of torque power. Seems like a no brainer.
Carbon Motors opts for BMW parts
Indiana startup will use German diesels in its high-tech police cars
By Ted Evanoff and Tom Spalding
Posted: March 23, 2010
http://www.indystar.com/article/201...rbon-Motors-to-use-BMW-diesels-in-police-cars
Carbon Motors disclosed Monday that German diesels will power its innovative police cars, but analysts say the company still is trying to line up orders and production loans for its vacant Eastern Indiana plant.
Executives from Carbon gathered in Washington to announce a long-term deal to buy six-cylinder BMW diesels for its proposed E7 police car.
Aiming to get a federal green-car loan, Carbon would have the first diesel police car on U.S. roads.
The contract for up to 240,000 diesels over time from the German luxury carmaker comes after Connersville was selected last year for a factory that would assemble only police cars by 2012. Carbon already calls Connersville the "police car capital of the world." However, the company still needs a $310 million federal loan to get its former Ford Motor Co. plant ready for production. BMW now makes no engines in North America. BMW would most likely import the 250-horsepower diesel from Europe rather than open its own plant near Connersville. It is the same diesel offered as an option in the BMW X5 model.
As part of the $1.3 billion deal, BMW also would supply the police car's transmission and cooling and exhaust systems. Indiana companies make similar components, although Carbon apparently preferred to use the entire BMW drivetrain. Relying on the drivetrain of one manufacturer is the custom in the auto industry. Columbus-based diesel maker Cummins does not currently produce smaller engines for cars.
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and other elected Indiana officials attended the announcement Monday in Washington. Lugar said the U.S. Department of Energy will look at Carbon's police car this week. He said he expects federal officials to be as excited about it as he is.
Carbon is courting the Energy Department, where officials are in charge of lending $27 billion advanced for green cars under a plan embraced by Congress and President Barack Obama's administration to clear the air. Landing a loan would make Carbon a federally financed rival in a police car niche long held by the Detroit automakers, which have not begun to repay $77 billion in bailout loans provided last year by Washington from U.S. taxpayers.
While the loan application has been pending with the Energy Department for months, presenting a hurdle for Carbon, analysts say the soft economy has become another obstacle.
Although the company has secured what it calls pre-orders for 10,000 police cars, it has made no cars. Diesel expert Thad Malesh says tight state and city budgets could limit demand for high-end police cars.
"I don't know how cities are going to be able to justify the purchase," said Malesh, a diesel market researcher at Automotive Technology Research Group in Los Angeles. "If money is not an object, clearly this is a fast car, but clearly the environment they are coming into is not a good one," Malesh said. "The economy doesn't look like it's going to turn around anytime soon."
Carbon Motors hasn't disclosed the price for its 150-mph car, but analysts estimate a well-stocked vehicle could reach $65,000, almost triple the price of competing police cars.
Carbon's model includes bioweapon sensors, bulletproof steel panels, 360-degree surveillance systems, massive bumpers able to withstand a 75-mph rear-end crash and speeds reaching 60 mph from a stop in 6.5 seconds.
In contrast, Ford prices its new Taurus Police Interceptor model at about $25,000. Ford's cars have been workhorses for police forces across the United States, including the Indiana State Police. Diesel's advantage is longevity, Malesh said, noting diesels can run 250,000 miles and do it using up to 30 percent less fuel than a gasoline engine.
Indiana startup will use German diesels in its high-tech police cars
By Ted Evanoff and Tom Spalding
Posted: March 23, 2010
http://www.indystar.com/article/201...rbon-Motors-to-use-BMW-diesels-in-police-cars
Carbon Motors disclosed Monday that German diesels will power its innovative police cars, but analysts say the company still is trying to line up orders and production loans for its vacant Eastern Indiana plant.
Executives from Carbon gathered in Washington to announce a long-term deal to buy six-cylinder BMW diesels for its proposed E7 police car.
Aiming to get a federal green-car loan, Carbon would have the first diesel police car on U.S. roads.
The contract for up to 240,000 diesels over time from the German luxury carmaker comes after Connersville was selected last year for a factory that would assemble only police cars by 2012. Carbon already calls Connersville the "police car capital of the world." However, the company still needs a $310 million federal loan to get its former Ford Motor Co. plant ready for production. BMW now makes no engines in North America. BMW would most likely import the 250-horsepower diesel from Europe rather than open its own plant near Connersville. It is the same diesel offered as an option in the BMW X5 model.
As part of the $1.3 billion deal, BMW also would supply the police car's transmission and cooling and exhaust systems. Indiana companies make similar components, although Carbon apparently preferred to use the entire BMW drivetrain. Relying on the drivetrain of one manufacturer is the custom in the auto industry. Columbus-based diesel maker Cummins does not currently produce smaller engines for cars.
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and other elected Indiana officials attended the announcement Monday in Washington. Lugar said the U.S. Department of Energy will look at Carbon's police car this week. He said he expects federal officials to be as excited about it as he is.
Carbon is courting the Energy Department, where officials are in charge of lending $27 billion advanced for green cars under a plan embraced by Congress and President Barack Obama's administration to clear the air. Landing a loan would make Carbon a federally financed rival in a police car niche long held by the Detroit automakers, which have not begun to repay $77 billion in bailout loans provided last year by Washington from U.S. taxpayers.
While the loan application has been pending with the Energy Department for months, presenting a hurdle for Carbon, analysts say the soft economy has become another obstacle.
Although the company has secured what it calls pre-orders for 10,000 police cars, it has made no cars. Diesel expert Thad Malesh says tight state and city budgets could limit demand for high-end police cars.
"I don't know how cities are going to be able to justify the purchase," said Malesh, a diesel market researcher at Automotive Technology Research Group in Los Angeles. "If money is not an object, clearly this is a fast car, but clearly the environment they are coming into is not a good one," Malesh said. "The economy doesn't look like it's going to turn around anytime soon."
Carbon Motors hasn't disclosed the price for its 150-mph car, but analysts estimate a well-stocked vehicle could reach $65,000, almost triple the price of competing police cars.
Carbon's model includes bioweapon sensors, bulletproof steel panels, 360-degree surveillance systems, massive bumpers able to withstand a 75-mph rear-end crash and speeds reaching 60 mph from a stop in 6.5 seconds.
In contrast, Ford prices its new Taurus Police Interceptor model at about $25,000. Ford's cars have been workhorses for police forces across the United States, including the Indiana State Police. Diesel's advantage is longevity, Malesh said, noting diesels can run 250,000 miles and do it using up to 30 percent less fuel than a gasoline engine.
