

The ActiveHybrid 7's power is closer to that of the V-12 760i.īMW puts the ActiveHybrid 7's acceleration at 4.7 seconds to 60 mph, and it feels every bit that fast when you put pedal to metal, or pedal to plushly carpeted floor. Compare that with the 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque in a 750i. The combined output from the turbo V-8 and the electric motor is rated at 455 horsepower and 515 pound-feet of torque. Putting a hybrid label on a car may sound green, but the real virtue of this hybrid system is horsepower. The amount of power on tap in the ActiveHybrid 7 also takes some getting used to, as the car lunges forward with just a light tap on the accelerator. But in traffic jams, with stop-and-go traffic, shutting down the engine for 5 seconds at a time is not as efficient, and is slightly annoying for the driver. It works great in places with particularly long traffic lights, as the car can sit there not burning gas or pumping out pollutants and carbon dioxide. This idle stop system requires some getting used to, and is not preferable in some situations. But the ActiveHybrid 7 feels much smoother. Like Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system, BMW's hybrid system adds boost under acceleration and lets the engine shut down at stop lights. Things such as the 16-speaker audio system upgrade, head-up display, and rearview camera come with the car, helping to justify its premium price tag, high even by BMW standards.Īs the ActiveHybrid 7's hybrid system can't fully drive the car under electric power, it should be considered a mild hybrid system. In fact, BMW makes many tech features standard on the hybrid that would be options on other 7-series models. The result: substantially more horsepower and better fuel economy than the 750i.īesides the power train, the ActiveHybrid 7 offers all the amenities of a typical 7-series.

Such is the case with the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7, which hosts the same engine as the standard BMW 750i, a twin turbo direct-injection 4.4-liter V-8, but straps on an electric motor getting power from a 120-volt lithium ion battery pack. BMW looked at that extra power and thought, "Excellent, we can make our cars go even faster!" (I'm not sure if this says good things about the life of the car, however.Most automakers use the additional energy provided by a hybrid system to get away with a smaller gasoline engine, thereby maintaining expected power but reducing fuel use. Daringly, BMW claims its 96-cell battery will last the life of the car - probably why the battery is cycled through a cautious 50 percent of its state of charge. (Symbiotically, the battery's energy also supports the air conditioner.) The battery resides within the trunk, between the wheel wells, where it consumes 28 percent of the cargo space, though what's left is still a credible cargo hold. It's energized by a 1.35-kW-hr (0.68 of it is available) lithium phosphate battery from Massachusetts' own A123 Systems, and it's cooled by the air conditioner's refrigerant. In this scenario, you're being motivated by the liquid-cooled 54-hp electric motor residing within the bell housing.
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But unlike its gas and electric stablemate, the ActiveHybrid 5 is a genuine full hybrid - meaning it can electrically propel itself with the engine as a non-combusting passenger for about 2.5 miles and up to 37 mph, assuming you don't get frisky with the throttle. At an estimated $61,845, it's about $8000 more than a similarly equipped 535i using the same basic, turbo-charged, direct-injection Valveltronic engine.
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Like the existing 7 Series hybrid, the ActiveHybrid 5 is an expensive proposition.
