BMW 2012 US lineup getting hybrid BMW 5-series
German car manufacturer BMW recently announced the expansion of their hybrid vehicle lineup including the ActiveHybrid 5 which is based on the BMW 5-series.
The ActiveHybrid 5 is basically a BMW535i that is designed to run with the help of an electric motor. The new BMW hybrid will be using in combo a 3.0L turbocharged 6 cylinder engine and an electric motor. The power of the engines will be transferred to wheels thru an automatic transmission with 8 speeds.
The numbers going around are still unofficial but suggests that the ActiveHybrid 5 will have an output of 335 horsepower with a torque of 447 Nm. This will make a 0-100 kilometer per hour acceleration possible in just 5.7 seconds.
The hybrid BMW 5-series running on electric power alone may go as far as four kilometers on a maximum speed of 60 kph. The electric motor is housed in the transmission itself to conserve space while the battery pack made of lithium ion cells are located in the space between wheel arches.
Charging of the lithium ion battery occurs as the car coasts or as the driver brakes. The electric motor is configured to serve as a generator too feeding energy into the BMW 5-series hybrid’s battery. The electric motor also has a boost function where the inline six engine gets an extra power which gives the sporty ride an edge.
Other features of the ActiveHybrid 5 include the EcoPro mode which adds to the overall efficiency of the vehicle, start-stop system, and a coasting mode that shuts off the combustion engine and decouples it from the car’s drive shaft for maximum efficiency and zero emission, and an improved iDrive interface.
The ActiveHybrid 5 is expected to reach the BMW showrooms in the United States by March 2012.
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