BMW develops mobile refuelling tech for world record attempt – and you may never have to stop at a petrol station again
A world record attempt by BMW is trialling an ingenious technological development. And it could mean you never need to pull into a services to refuel your car
STOPPING at services to refuel your car could be a thing of the past thanks to BMW's latest technological development.
The German motor manufacturer will trial a pump device that allows car-to-car refuelling without ever needing to stop either vehicle.
BMW plan to use the device as part of a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest vehicle drift around the Nurburgring in Germany on Wednesday.
Former record holder Johan Schwartz will seek to make history in his M5 alongside the most glamorous fuel-tank top-up in motoring history.
Rather than take advantage of record-attempt rules that allow them to stop for fuel or add a bigger tank, the manufacturer's engineers have opted to take inspiration from military aircraft and trial the car-to-car fuelling technique.
Engineers removed the rear seats of the supply car, installing a fuel cell in the boot area that acts as a storage tank.
Then when Schwartz needs to refuel during his record attempt, the supply car will drift beside the M5, transferring 15 to 18 gallons of fuel in just 50 seconds via the fuel hose.
If the system works, maybe one day in the future we will see the technology available for the public especially if driverless cars hit the road.
Supply cars could top up your tank without you ever needing to stop driving - but don't hold your breath just yet.
If Schwartz manages the eight-hour drift, it will be the second time he has set the best distance in a BMW M5.
In 2013 he set the drift record, going sideways for 51.3 miles at the BMW Performance Driving School in South Carolina.
The record has been broken twice since, and currently stands at 102.5 miles across nearly six hours, set by South African journalist Jesse Adams in a Toyota GT86.