Photo: BMW
In 1999 BMW invented the Sports Activity Vehicle segment with the X5. Now, 14 years later, the Bavarians are reinventing it with the new BMW Concept5 X5 eDrive, a car that wears the same X5 outfit but has a fuel consumption of 3.8 l/100km (74.3 mpg imp).
At the 2013 Frankfurt International Motor Show we'll get to see this brand new car in person, checking what will be the most economical SAV in the world.
So, what's in this eDrive concept car that makes it so efficient? First of all, BMW fitted the Concept5 with an electric motor that produces 70 kW or 95 HP that sources its energy from a lithium-ion battery mounted in a particularly crash-safe position, underneath the load area.
Using only the electric power, the car has impressive performances: range of up to 30 km (19 miles) without any kind of emissions and a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). They don't seem like much, but remember this is a full-on SAV with all-wheel-drive.
BMW claims that the electrified drivetrain hooks up to the BMW xDrive transmission for the first time in the Concept5 eDrive. This way, the vehicle has superior driving characteristics due to the way the front and rear wheels are controlled by the intelligent AWD system.
To be more precise, regardless of the driving mode selected, the power generated by the electric motor, combustion engine or the two together, is channeled to the wheels where it can be converted most efficiently into propulsion.
As we brought the internal combustion engine into discussion, BMW says it's a 4-cylinder turbocharged unit but they don't specify which one. No doubt it's the N20 unit but we have to guess what power output it provides. Since the sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) is done in 7 seconds, we're guessing it's the 184 HP unit, the one that has the perfect balance between power, efficiency and CO2 emissions.
Finally, we have to say that the Concept5 eDrive is designed as a plug-in hybrid so that it can be recharged at any domestic power socket. Furthermore, the way the batteries are stored, interior space is reduced by a really small amount.
In September you'll get to see the new car in real life at the BMW stand in Frankfurt. See you there!
So, what's in this eDrive concept car that makes it so efficient? First of all, BMW fitted the Concept5 with an electric motor that produces 70 kW or 95 HP that sources its energy from a lithium-ion battery mounted in a particularly crash-safe position, underneath the load area.
Using only the electric power, the car has impressive performances: range of up to 30 km (19 miles) without any kind of emissions and a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). They don't seem like much, but remember this is a full-on SAV with all-wheel-drive.
BMW claims that the electrified drivetrain hooks up to the BMW xDrive transmission for the first time in the Concept5 eDrive. This way, the vehicle has superior driving characteristics due to the way the front and rear wheels are controlled by the intelligent AWD system.
To be more precise, regardless of the driving mode selected, the power generated by the electric motor, combustion engine or the two together, is channeled to the wheels where it can be converted most efficiently into propulsion.
As we brought the internal combustion engine into discussion, BMW says it's a 4-cylinder turbocharged unit but they don't specify which one. No doubt it's the N20 unit but we have to guess what power output it provides. Since the sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) is done in 7 seconds, we're guessing it's the 184 HP unit, the one that has the perfect balance between power, efficiency and CO2 emissions.
Finally, we have to say that the Concept5 eDrive is designed as a plug-in hybrid so that it can be recharged at any domestic power socket. Furthermore, the way the batteries are stored, interior space is reduced by a really small amount.
In September you'll get to see the new car in real life at the BMW stand in Frankfurt. See you there!
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