What’s Next for the Bosch-BMW Developed Water Injection Technology?

The BMW M4 GTS was the very first car to get the Bosch-BMW developed water injection technology. So where will we see it next? According to Bosch, the system will make it to a much wider car range by 2019.

In an interview with Autocar, Bosch global project manager Fabiana Piazza said: “We’re launching it [water injection] into the market now as tighter legislation and new real driving emissions tests are increasing the importance of this technology in all cars.”

When the Bosch-BMW water injection system was first introduced in M4 GTS, it gave up to 5% power boost. However, Bosch highlights that the primary objective is to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. They promise to bring a 13% boost in fuel efficiency and 4% reduction in CO2 emissions. The numbers are according to the internationally recognized WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedures).

“The system works best on cars with an output of more than 80kw (107bhp) per liter,” Piazza said. “We’re launching it into the market now as tighter legislation and new real driving emissions tests are increasing the importance of this technology in all cars.”

Piazza further added that the system Bosch is offering to the market is basically identical to the one on the M4 GTS. A 5 liter water tank is what makes the system run and it needs to be refilled every 1800 miles on average. Performance increase is 100% attributed to the water. The water’s physical quality to extract energy from the environment as it evaporates is the key. The pump supplies water to the injectors at a pressure of approximately 10 bar and the amount of injected water varies depending on load, engine speed and temperature, helping to keep water consumption to a minimum.

Bosch is still experimenting on using a heating system for colder markets. “We can say that we expect the system to make mass production from 2019,” says a Bosch representative.