Porto proud to host company that works on cars of the future

Turning the city into a hub of the high-tech automotive world

These days competition in the automotive industry is intense when it comes to developing smart technologies that increase safety and contribute to a more sustainable traffic on European roads. Porto, is one of those European cities, which strive to attract national and global talent and investments that bring both prestige and employment.

In that regard, local municipal authorities were glad to report today that a new technology is in the works. Critical TechWorks, a Porto-based company, has been developing a hybrid car that, upon entering zones of zero or low emissions, automatically starts to function as an electric car.

This project has been taking shape since 2019

BMW, which partners with Critical TechWorks, explained that this is a good case of bringing intelligence systems to the automotive sector. The platform will allow the newest plug-in hybrid models from produced by that car brand to automatically switch to electric mode the moment they enter a zero or low emission zone within a city. The goal, naturally, is to allow the reduction of polluting emissions and noise levels, which in turn increase the quality of life for urban residents.

The new system bears the name ‘BMW eDriveZones’ and it "comes to complement the measures already implemented by the BMW Group in the area of ​​sustainability", which foresees, by 2030, the reduction of carbon emissions per vehicle produced and that 50% of the group's total sales will consist of electrified vehicles. "By the end of the year, new tools from the group will also arrive in Portugal with a view to promoting the transition to electric mobility," stated Massimo Senatore, general director of BMW Portugal.

Porto authorities are satisfied that this represents only one example of a project that Portuguese company is doing with a globally powerful brand. After all, it means bringing a type of industry to the city that adds high value and increases the strength of the economy and employment. Critical TechWorks have reportedly stated that they will hire more personnel in order to have 1400 people working on the ‘cars of the future’ by the end of the year.