Do we know if the X5 60e is going to basically use a detuned XM/M5 powertrain or will it essentially be an X5 50e with more powerful electric motors? FWIW, I personally would be much more prone to buy a hybrid BMW if they offered a non-PHEV hybrid. You can achieve huge fuel economy improvements with a traditional hybrid that also improves performance with much less weight and cost than a PHEV. PHEVs also often end up being less efficient than a pure-ICE alternative, especially on the highway. The X5 45/50e are good examples. Car and Driver got only 26mpg from the X5 50e on their 75mph test, while an X5 40i returned 28mpg. The X5 M60 got 24mpg.
I would not be surprised if a parallel hybrid X5 with an adequately sized electric motor (60-70kW) and maybe a 2.5kWh battery pack could end up returning a real world 35mpg highway/40mpg city. And it would likely weigh 700lbs less than a PHEV.
I had a hybrid Kia rental over the past week on vacation and the thing blew me away with 52mpg over 496 miles of driving. I only spent $24 in gas. That was mostly on the interstate at 80mph+. In the city I was seeing 60-70mpg. That car uses a tiny 1.35kWh battery pack to power a 56HP electric motor to augment a 1.6L I4/6-speed DCT. Even so, that small battery was enough for the car to run several miles engine-off in the city. On the highway the electric motor added an average 11kW boost to the engine. No need to worry about charging, no insane weight penalty, and the electric motor actually made the tiny N/A 1.6L engine able to maintain 85mph uphill at 2300rpm without downshifting. The electric motor also made the DCT as smooth as a torque converter automatic in stop and go, as the car would start on electric power. That means no need to slip clutches since the electric motor doesnÂ’t spin when stopped. BMW needs to develop some normal hybrid models that bridge the gap between MHEV and PHEV.
Last edited by AventurinG26; Yesterday at 11:03 AM..