BMW ActiveHybrid X6 Is Stretching The Green Image Of Hybrid Cars

[GaryG]

Originally Posted by xcel

Hi Gary:

___I was asking around the BMW execs in SC this past week and the X6 Hybrid launch is next week or the week after in Miami. The full details will be released very soon. Your X6 will be one of those that were in the launch press fleet although the Press Fleet manager and I know little about it just yet. We will have a News item or two posted soon and I have an E-Mail in about the actual launch date and if their will be an embargo. Tomorrow I will start catching up again and if Luigi has info, I can bet we have it available to us as well?

___I had the opportunity to drive the X6 around a race track and it was an interesting drive to put it lightly. As Darrel mentioned, it is not the prettiest vehicle BMW has built but the hybrid drivetrain should be very interesting. An item of note is that it will be manufactured in the new addition to the Spartanburg plant alongside the X3, X5 and std. X6’s as well!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi Wayne

I was sent a copy of the specs but ask not to let them get published till Nov. 5th. They're in German so they are no good to me. There are about a hundred new BMW vehicles ready for show in Miami in an enclosed Resort parking garage with guards. I drove down to Miami and saw the Active Hybrid X6 being driven around the parking lot by BMW Execs as I was talking to the guard. Neat car and I have a whole day with one on Friday.

The round trip (164 miles) down to the Resort in my '09 FEH yielded a real 60mpg according to my SGII which is adjusted properly.

I'm looking for my CleanMPG.Com cap given to me by you at the '07 Hybridfest as a winner so I can wear it during the filming.

GaryG

[GaryG]

Just got back from Miami where I hypermiled the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid CUV for a documentary by German Vox Channel TV. This is the most powerful V8 Hybrid with 480 horsepower but it can purr like a kitten in a Pulse, and Glide as good or better than my FWD FEH in neutral. Coasting in "D" produced more regen than I'm use too in my FWD FEH but this is an AWD.

The wind was a big problem because the gust made to much noise with the windows open so we had to run the electric AC to film. We even had to move to places that the buildings shielded the wind in outside interviews on the CUV and Hypermiling. When I turned off the A/C and open the windows I got the MPG above 30 but I was having problems going EV for the glide. Sometimes it was real easy by just letting off the accelerator and other times I had to tap the brake pedal. The SoC gauge was just four big bars and somewhere in the 2nd bar the SoC was to low to go EV. At any rate, it didn't seem as consistent with EV as my '09 FEH with the SGII SoC gauge. I am sure that I could put this CUV above 40mpg and higher with a little more practice. It was bumper to bumper in South Beach during lunch hour and people were crossing the streets in front of you if there was any space between cars moving.

Very nice vehicle inside and out and BMW even put those wheel air spoilers in front of all the tires. In my opinion the V8 seems very efficient with a moderate Pulse just like my '09 FEH. BMW can let me test drive that CUV all year round if they want to.

GaryG