BMW and its Chinese joint venture partner Brilliance Automotive have unveiled a concept plug-in hybrid sedan based on the long wheelbase version of the BMW 5 Series Sedan.
The BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid was developed exclusively for the Chinese automobile market and produced at the Shenyang site. Series production of the automobile is to start in China in 2013.
The parallel hybrid set-up consists of a 160 kW combustion engine featuring BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and an electrical motor with a maximum output of 70 kW, thereby ensuring characteristic BMW driving dynamics and ground-breaking efficiency. The electrical motor draws its energy from a high-voltage battery housed in the luggage compartment which can be charged via the mains power supply.
When running purely on electrical power, it is possible to travel for up to 47 miles (75 km) at a constant speed of 37 mph (60 km/h). Use of the combustion engine provides a minimum additional range of 249 miles (400 km), which is in line with the driving profile of Chinese customers in the premium segment, according to BMW.
The prototype plug-in is part of the BMW Group’s electromobility strategy for China. The road map for a new energy vehicle presented at Auto China 2010 in Beijing includes the consistent expansion of both development expertise and value-creation potential in China. The BMW Group is running a number of projects to support the market launch of electrically powered vehicles in China.
The model-specific components for the plug-in hybrid drive, power electronics and high-volt battery were developed in close collaboration between the joint venture partners BMW Group and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. The project drew intensively on the drive expertise of the BMW Group as well as the know-how built-up in China in the field of electromobility so as to take account of the latest technological innovations and also tap into scientific insights regarding the potential uses of a new energy vehicle.
The prototype of a plug-in hybrid sedan is part of the BMW Group’s electromobility strategy for China. The road map for a new energy vehicle presented at Auto China 2010 in Beijing includes the consistent expansion of both development expertise and value-creation potential in China. The BMW Group is running a number of projects to support the market launch of electrically powered vehicles in China. The very first German-Chinese research project, a co-operative venture with Tongji University in Shanghai, saw the development of a purely electrically powered BMW 5 Series in the long wheelbase version. The worldwide MINI E fleet trial was extended to China at the beginning of the year, involving the sites of Peking and Shenzhen. The MINI E is being tested for everyday use at these locations by a consortium made up of the energy partners State Grid Corporation and Southern Grid as well as the China Automotive Technology and Research Corporation (CATARC). This also applies to field testing of the BMW ActiveE. This purely electrically powered vehicle based on the BMW 1 Series Coupé will be put to use in China in the course of this year.
