BMW shows how an SUV can rival car-like fuel economy

BMW has prepared its customers for its exotic i8 plug-in hybrid and pure electric i3 for several years now. But for more mainstream electric power appeal, it now plans to offer an electrically augmented SUV, the X5 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) it is about to reveal at the New York auto show.

The BMW Concept X5 eDrive uses a 95-hp electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the eight-speed automatic transmission in place of a conventional torque converter. Instead of BMW’s lineup of powerful six-cylinder engines found in other X5s, this one uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, putting out 245 hp.

BMW claims a maximum electric range in E-mode of 15 to 20 miles, which it says will cover 80 percent of X5 drivers’ daily trips. It’s premature to rate the X5 PHEV’s fuel economy, but BMW says its target is 40 MPGe. If the idea of a plug-in hybrid SUV seems like ordering Diet Coke with your Whopper, remember that boosting fuel economy in a gas hog saves more fuel than squeezing every last drop out of an econobox.

Visit our guide to alternative fuels and vehicles.

The X5 eDrive’s big 9 kWh battery pack occupies the space where some X5s have their third-row seat, so the X5 PHEV will be available only as a five seater. The battery also raises the cargo floor about an inch higher than in other X5s. It adds about 500 pounds for a total of about 5,000 pounds, BMW says. With a conventional transmission, it will retain a towing capacity of 4,000 to 5,000 pounds.

The X5 eDrive uses a 3.3-kW onboard charger, which can fully recharge the battery on standard household 120v current in about eight hours, or about four hours using a 240-volt, Level 2 electric car charger.