Plug-in hybrids are becoming a must for every manufacturer with a presence in the Chinese market due to the serious smog problems in their major cities.
BMW’s latest plug-in petrol-electric X5 uses a 4-cylinder turbocharged 240hp 2.0-litre engine paired with an 111hp electric motor that sits in the front section of the eight-speed automatic transmission.
The combined output is rated at 308hp and 332lb-ft of torque which allows the X5 xDrive40e to accelerate from zero to 60mph in 6.5 seconds and return a claimed 85.6mpg on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions are rated at 77g/km.
A 9 kWh lithium ion battery mounted underneath the luggage compartment gives the X5 enough energy to run around on electric juice only for 13 miles (21km) at speeds up to 75mph. BMW says that a full charge through the optional BMW Charging Station takes 2 hours and 45 minutes.
BMW’s first plug-in hybrid model (i3 and i8 excluded) will be available to European customers as well in the near future.
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