BMW's particle filter launched at Frankfurt this week will be entering the market in the course of next year, enabling even BMW's larger and more powerful models to fully maintain the EU4 emission standard. The BMW Group's smaller diesel models will fulfill EU4 legislation even without a particle filter.

The European EU4 emission standard will be introducing new exhaust gas limits in January 2005, requiring a further, substantial reduction of all emission components.

The novelty of BMW's system is the filter element's catalytic coating which eliminates the need to use additives in the fuel, the vast majority of particles generated being permanently converted within the filter itself throughout most driving conditions. As a result, the intervals up to automatic, self-induced regeneration of the filter element are much longer than in the case of a conventional system.

PSA Peugeot Citroen, hitherto the pioneer in particulate filters for diesels, also announced at Frankfurt the launch of a second-generation, self-regenerating filter for selected diesel models next year.