BMW 5-Series Hybrid – From & To China, With Love
China-spec BMW 5-Series LWB Hybrid
You all know BMW, right? Well, they’ve teamed up with joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. in order to develop a brand new plug-in hybrid model based on the LWB (long wheelbase) version of the China-spec 5-Series sedan model. Later on this month we will see the prototype model at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show.
The hybrid configuration of the car will consist of a regular combustion engine that features the company’s TwinPower Turbo clever technology and an electric motor that develops 94 hp (70 kW), along with the 215 hp (160 kW) coming from the not so environmentally-friendly combustion engine. Unfortunately, BMW did not reveal any other details about the type of engine used in this hybrid 5-Series.
We do know that the electrical motor is fed by a high-voltage battery installed in the car’s luggage compartment and can be charged through the main power supply. The automaker said that the car can be driven on electric mode for up to 47 miles (75 km) at a constant speed of 37 mph (60 km/h). After that, the combustion engine kicks in, offering an additional range of at least 249 miles (400 km).
The Bavarian car manufacturer also said that the model-specific parts for the plug-in hybrid drive, along with the high-volt battery and the power electronics have been developed in close partnership with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd.
The car should hit the dealerships in China sometime in 2013 and it is going to be exclusive to this market, at least in this variant.
Source: Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: bmw 5-series hybrid, china
