BMWi

The battery of an electric car stores energy. The electric motor converts this into movement. The power flows directly to the wheels without having to go through a conventional manual transmission. You simply press the accelerator pedal and immediately feel the full force of the acceleration. Unlike a combustion engine, an electric car has full drive power even at the lowest speed, which you can feel in the surprisingly powerful acceleration from a standstill.

A plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV, Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle) combines a combustion engine, an electric motor, and a high-voltage battery – thus offering the best of both worlds. This allows for the reduction of fuel consumption and local CO2 emissions. The collaboration of the two systems also provides additional performance and acceleration power.

A plug-in hybrid can be charged at a socket, a wallbox, or a public charging station ("plug in" = English for "insert"). The maximum efficiency of a plug-in hybrid is achieved with a well-charged battery, so a charging option at home or at the workplace should be available.

The electric range for purely electric driving is, for example, up to 110 kilometers with a fully charged battery in the BMW X5 xDrive50e or up to 102 kilometers in the BMW 530e Sedan. When recuperating, i.e., whenever you take your foot off the accelerator, kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy and fed into the battery – thus gaining additional kilometers of electric range.

At BMW, customers should have the choice through technological openness. Therefore, BMW offers a wide range of plug-in hybrids to consciously choose this particularly efficient drive.

A plug-in hybrid is ideal for drivers who want the greatest possible variability. On the one hand, an electric drive for everyday use, such as cost-effective and sustainable commuting to work. Optimal are regularly recurring medium-length commuting distances, where the electrically driven kilometers predominate. On the other hand, the vehicles offer high range and flexibility for long distances, such as for weekend trips.

Range depends on various factors, especially: personal driving style, road conditions, outside temperature, heating/air conditioning, pre-conditioning.

A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is a vehicle that has both a combustion engine and an electric motor. The plug-in hybrid is powered by an electric motor. The high-voltage battery is charged via an external power source, for example, at a public charging station or via a BMW Wallbox at home. When the high-voltage battery is discharged, the vehicle automatically switches to the combustion engine, which then takes over the drive.

The advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that you can drive purely electrically, locally emission-free, and quietly. If you regularly charge the electricity, you can significantly reduce fuel consumption.

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is especially worthwhile if you actually use the electric drive. This enables locally emission-free driving. Plug-in hybrids are thus significantly more environmentally friendly than pure diesel or gasoline vehicles with a high proportion of electric driving. Through recuperation (brake energy recovery), the battery even recharges itself a little bit again and again. A plug-in hybrid should be regularly charged to use electric driving as often as possible. Many PHEVs now have a range of more than 100 km and are ideal for city and country traffic. If you are still concerned about the range on trips, you can travel with a hybrid with peace of mind and use the combustion engine for longer distances.

The efficiency of a drive system should also be taken into account: The efficiency indicates what proportion of the energy supplied is actually converted into the desired form of energy. An electric drive system from the current BMW generation has an efficiency of up to 95%.^[1] If the driving cycle (WLTP) prescribed for the EU and losses when charging and discharging the battery are also taken into account, the efficiency is around 75%. When operating a BMW electric car, around 75% of the charged energy is actually used for locomotion. A gasoline engine has an efficiency of around 20% under comparable conditions. Electric cars also have the advantage that they cause hardly any noise pollution and are therefore less stressful for people and animals.

^[1] Drive unit consisting of electric motor, power electronics and gearbox at its best.

If you don't charge your plug-in hybrid, you can use the car like a conventional fuel-powered vehicle. The electric motor supports when needed and converts braking energy into electrical energy through recuperation.