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BMW has lashed out at those who have accused it of conniving with other German car makers over emissions.
The accusations, which have implicated the entire German car industry, have said that all the large car makers decided ahead of time that their emissions control systems (specifically the size of the tanks for AdBlue exhaust additive, which controls emission of dangerous nitrogen dioxides - NOx) should be sub-standard, as a way of sidestepping rigorous environmental laws.
BMW says that is is an outright lie, pointing out that "technology employed by the BMW Group is clearly differentiated from other systems in the market. We compete to provide the best exhaust treatment systems: unlike other manufacturers, BMW Group diesel vehicles employ a combination of various components to treat exhaust emissions. Vehicles which use urea injection with AdBlue (SCR) to treat exhaust emissions also employ a NOx-storage catalytic converter. With this combination of technologies, we fulfil all legal emissions requirements and also achieve a very good real-life emissions performance. This means there is no need to recall or upgrade the software of BMW Group Euro 6 diesel passenger cars.
"In addition, the combination of both systems, together with exhaust-gas recirculation, requires a lower level of AdBlue injection and leads to a very low AdBlue consumption in comparison to other manufacturers. This enables an optimized tank size while also achieving very low emissions in real-driving conditions. Furthermore, BMW Group diesel vehicles have a simple refill solution through the tank lid or engine hood, depending on the model. BMW Group customers are informed by the vehicle in good time and repeatedly concerning a low AdBlue fill level. If this is ignored, the vehicle eventually prevents operation."
In the same statement, however, BMW did also announce that it would recall all of its Euro 5 compliant diesel engined cars, for a software upgrade. "This upgrade incorporates knowledge gained in the field over the last years to realize further improvements in emissions. We deem this to be a part of a comprehensive and joint plan of measures involving municipalities and the industry, to further improve inner-city air quality without across-the-board driving bans" said the statement.