BMW 7 Series iPerformance Hybrid
07-14-16, 05:02 PM
#1
BMW 7 Series iPerformance Hybrid
Today BMW released detailed information on the electrified 7 Series. The new plug-in hybrids will be available in both short- and long-wheelbase variants, with xDrive all-wheel-drive available on the long-wheelbase model. The new model will carry the 740e (or 740Le for the stretched version) iPerformance moniker. The models will be available in August starting at $90,095.
Drivers concerned about letting everyone know they have the most high-tech and environmentally friendly 7 Series will be happy to know that BMW has visually distinguished the hybrid. The car will carry eDrive and i badges as well as exclusive blue grille bars and hub covers. And for potential owners wishing to make a personal statement, all the other styling kits available on the normal 7 Series are also available on the hybrid.
Drivers concerned about letting everyone know they have the most high-tech and environmentally friendly 7 Series will be happy to know that BMW has visually distinguished the hybrid. The car will carry eDrive and i badges as well as exclusive blue grille bars and hub covers. And for potential owners wishing to make a personal statement, all the other styling kits available on the normal 7 Series are also available on the hybrid.
Mechanically, the big Bimmer is propelled by a 2.0-liter inline four coupled to an electric motor to make a combined 326 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. Power is transferred through an 8-speed automatic to either the rear wheels or all four. The electric motor, depending on configuration, can provide between 25 and 30 miles of driving on a full charge. That full charge also comes in under four hours using the standard wall charger, and under three when using the BMW i Wallbox accessory charger. When performance trumps frugality, the quickest 740Le xDrive iPerformance can hit 62 miles per hour in a claimed 5.3 seconds while it's two-wheel-drive counterparts are only 1 to 2 tenths slower.
Drivers will also have a remarkable amount of control in how the drivetrain doles out power. An eDrive button will allow the driver to choose between Auto and Max settings. The former is the default setting that attempts to maximize range, but will engage the gasoline engine at 50 mph or under heavy throttle usage. The latter shifts to electric-only mode and can remain a pure EV up to 87 mph. It will still engage the combustion engine if the driver floors the throttle.
Drivers will also have a remarkable amount of control in how the drivetrain doles out power. An eDrive button will allow the driver to choose between Auto and Max settings. The former is the default setting that attempts to maximize range, but will engage the gasoline engine at 50 mph or under heavy throttle usage. The latter shifts to electric-only mode and can remain a pure EV up to 87 mph. It will still engage the combustion engine if the driver floors the throttle.
Other features that control power usage are the new Adaptive driving mode and Battery Control function. The Adaptive driving mode is added to the normal Comfort, Sport, and EcoPro modes, and is designed to select the best powertrain and suspension settings based on driver inputs and even based on the navigation route. BMW says this navigation integration can also help optimize efficiency for specific routes. The Battery Control function is another useful feature that will allow the driver to tell the car to maintain the battery charge anywhere between 30 and 100 percent. BMW explains this can allow the driver to use the gas engine on the highway while saving electric power for city driving at the end of the trip. Sharp Chevy Volt owners may recognize this as similar to using "Mountain Mode" to save power.
Outside of these hybrid features, most everything else from the carbon-fiber chassis to the options list are carry-over from the standard 7 Series, but one difference is that all models will come standard with auxiliary heating and cooling. The system will allow the car to precondition the cabin to your preferred temperature using power from either the battery or the main grid when charging. It can also be set with a timer to only activate when you're almost ready to drive.
Outside of these hybrid features, most everything else from the carbon-fiber chassis to the options list are carry-over from the standard 7 Series, but one difference is that all models will come standard with auxiliary heating and cooling. The system will allow the car to precondition the cabin to your preferred temperature using power from either the battery or the main grid when charging. It can also be set with a timer to only activate when you're almost ready to drive.
07-14-16, 06:45 PM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Looks like another hybrid luxury car nobody will want or buy. How much money are they dumping into and wasting for these hybrid luxury sedans for them to have basically non existent interest or sale?
07-14-16, 07:18 PM
#4
Lexus Champion
It can't be just a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine; it must have forced induction to move such a large, heavy (and made heavier by the hybrid batteries) car. A small engine constantly under charge is not going to sip fuel.
07-14-16, 07:24 PM
#5
Although I do agree with your sentiment that it seems like a waste of engineering resources for cars that sell in such minuscule numbers. I think the motivating factors for building these cars is to keep CARB off their back, and a sense of German pride. They have to prove to the Japanese that they can build a superior hybrid, even if nobody wants to buy one from them.
07-15-16, 03:49 AM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
The S500 Plugin Hybrid came first and it uses a 3.0 turbo V6. That larger engine has a lot more grunt than the 2.0 four used in the 7 hybrid, X5e and the XC90, so it should be more efficient when running on gas only. I don't understand why some of these plugin hybrids use small, highly stressed engines that are gas guzzlers when run on their own. Toyota are smart to use larger NA engines for their hybrids.
07-15-16, 12:34 PM
#7
The S500 Plugin Hybrid came first and it uses a 3.0 turbo V6. That larger engine has a lot more grunt than the 2.0 four used in the 7 hybrid, X5e and the XC90, so it should be more efficient when running on gas only. I don't understand why some of these plugin hybrids use small, highly stressed engines that are gas guzzlers when run on their own. Toyota are smart to use larger NA engines for their hybrids.
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07-15-16, 04:27 PM
#8
Lexus Champion
The S500 Plugin Hybrid came first and it uses a 3.0 turbo V6. That larger engine has a lot more grunt than the 2.0 four used in the 7 hybrid, X5e and the XC90, so it should be more efficient when running on gas only. I don't understand why some of these plugin hybrids use small, highly stressed engines that are gas guzzlers when run on their own. Toyota are smart to use larger NA engines for their hybrids.
07-15-16, 06:23 PM
#9
Lexus Test Driver
Same thing I'm seeing with the ES300h. Its 2.5 liter engine is a lazy thing that puts out just 150 hp when the same engine in the ES250 has 184 hp. The upside is that the engine is most efficient at highway speeds while the electric motors handle low speed driving.
With a small turbo four, the engine has to be constantly on boost to move a big luxury sedan like the 7 or an SUV like the X5e. It would only be off-boost when running as a generator. Non-Toyota hybrids also don't use a power split device, maybe that's another thing that's hurting efficiency.
With a small turbo four, the engine has to be constantly on boost to move a big luxury sedan like the 7 or an SUV like the X5e. It would only be off-boost when running as a generator. Non-Toyota hybrids also don't use a power split device, maybe that's another thing that's hurting efficiency.
07-15-16, 07:45 PM
#10
Lexus Test Driver
Same thing I'm seeing with the ES300h. Its 2.5 liter engine is a lazy thing that puts out just 150 hp when the same engine in the ES250 has 184 hp. The upside is that the engine is most efficient at highway speeds while the electric motors handle low speed driving.
With a small turbo four, the engine has to be constantly on boost to move a big luxury sedan like the 7 or an SUV like the X5e. It would only be off-boost when running as a generator. Non-Toyota hybrids also don't use a power split device, maybe that's another thing that's hurting efficiency.
With a small turbo four, the engine has to be constantly on boost to move a big luxury sedan like the 7 or an SUV like the X5e. It would only be off-boost when running as a generator. Non-Toyota hybrids also don't use a power split device, maybe that's another thing that's hurting efficiency.
In the hybrid it is a 4cyl and ES250 is 6cyl
07-15-16, 07:56 PM
#11
Lexus Test Driver
It's the same engine, the ES250 has a four cylinder that's a successor to the previous gen ES240 engine. It's not the small V6 in the IS250. There's also a new direct injection 2.0 in the ES200; all these 4cyl models aren't available in North America except for the hybrid.
07-15-16, 07:58 PM
#12
Lexus Test Driver
It's the same engine, the ES250 has a four cylinder that's a successor to the previous gen ES240 engine. It's not the small V6 in the IS250. There's also a new direct injection 2.0 in the ES200; all these 4cyl models aren't available in North America except for the hybrid.
Eww.
That's an easy one to explain however. Supposedly the Hybrid version is an "Atkinson" cycle, resulting in less HP but more efficient.
07-15-16, 08:18 PM
#13
Lexus Test Driver
Yeah, the hybrid engine runs on an Atkinson cycle most of the time.
The ES300h weighs 1700 kg wet - that's a lot of weight to pull for a small engine but it's helped out at low speeds by the electric motors. 156 engine hp, 141 electric motor hp, 200 total system hp and I get 45 mpg on my urban commute.
The 7 plugin hybrid would probably weigh over 2000 kg. If the system is similar to the S500 plugin, the electric motor would contribute about 110 hp while the rest is provided by the engine. That means it's biased to run on engine power most of the time, with the electric motor running at low speeds on battery charge - good for performance but not great for efficiency, especially with a small turbo four.
You'll see some gains from engine-off coasting at high speed, brake regen and engine-off idling but efficiency would take a nosedive once battery charge gets depleted. This thing isn't a carbon fiber lightweight like the i8.
The ES300h weighs 1700 kg wet - that's a lot of weight to pull for a small engine but it's helped out at low speeds by the electric motors. 156 engine hp, 141 electric motor hp, 200 total system hp and I get 45 mpg on my urban commute.
The 7 plugin hybrid would probably weigh over 2000 kg. If the system is similar to the S500 plugin, the electric motor would contribute about 110 hp while the rest is provided by the engine. That means it's biased to run on engine power most of the time, with the electric motor running at low speeds on battery charge - good for performance but not great for efficiency, especially with a small turbo four.
You'll see some gains from engine-off coasting at high speed, brake regen and engine-off idling but efficiency would take a nosedive once battery charge gets depleted. This thing isn't a carbon fiber lightweight like the i8.
Last edited by chromedome; 07-15-16 at 08:22 PM.
07-16-16, 11:50 AM
#15
Lexus Champion
Yeah, the hybrid engine runs on an Atkinson cycle most of the time.
The ES300h weighs 1700 kg wet - that's a lot of weight to pull for a small engine but it's helped out at low speeds by the electric motors. 156 engine hp, 141 electric motor hp, 200 total system hp and I get 45 mpg on my urban commute.
The 7 plugin hybrid would probably weigh over 2000 kg. If the system is similar to the S500 plugin, the electric motor would contribute about 110 hp while the rest is provided by the engine. That means it's biased to run on engine power most of the time, with the electric motor running at low speeds on battery charge - good for performance but not great for efficiency, especially with a small turbo four.
You'll see some gains from engine-off coasting at high speed, brake regen and engine-off idling but efficiency would take a nosedive once battery charge gets depleted. This thing isn't a carbon fiber lightweight like the i8.
The ES300h weighs 1700 kg wet - that's a lot of weight to pull for a small engine but it's helped out at low speeds by the electric motors. 156 engine hp, 141 electric motor hp, 200 total system hp and I get 45 mpg on my urban commute.
The 7 plugin hybrid would probably weigh over 2000 kg. If the system is similar to the S500 plugin, the electric motor would contribute about 110 hp while the rest is provided by the engine. That means it's biased to run on engine power most of the time, with the electric motor running at low speeds on battery charge - good for performance but not great for efficiency, especially with a small turbo four.
You'll see some gains from engine-off coasting at high speed, brake regen and engine-off idling but efficiency would take a nosedive once battery charge gets depleted. This thing isn't a carbon fiber lightweight like the i8.
