BMW X6 Active Hybrid cancelled with a quickness

oh boy:

yea . . . joint venture with GM (shaking head) . . . that was a costly lesson for BMW. So much for being the 'ultimate driving machine'.

 

Maybe it's because I am new here, but I don't understand the comments about the GM 2-mode drive unit. Granted it's installed in big vehicles, but it works exactly as intended. The BMW application is obviously a pig if the 2-mode only added 20% fuel economy improvement, but I thought the GM utilities got a nearly 50%? That's a serious improvement for a perfectly capable commercial vehicle. And yeah, I think using a pickup truck as a daily driving lifestyle vehicle for hauling nothing but a bed full of air is stupid.

BMW clearly had no intention of using the drive unit as an economy tool, rather they used the instant electric motor torque as a performance enhancer (like many of the luxury applications do). How is that GM's fault? Is someone suggesting the Prius system would have been better suited to this BMW application????

 

Mercedes seemed to have killed their 2-mode ML too. BMW and Mercedes partnered with GM for this technology, and Mercedes has publicly said it is too expensive. Mercedes and BMW have partnered on lithium + small motor in the activehybrid 7 and S400, and are adding it to future cars with bigger motors. Porsche/VW have a large powerfull SUV hybrid to compete with the 2 mode Escalade/Yukon. I think the flywheel hybrid is the one BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Infiniti, etc are going to stick with. Toyota and Ford may come up with something good for rwd trucks and SUVs.

 

I was thinking of the Tahoe 4WD ratings of 14mpg City vs. 20mpg City which calcs out to 42.8%.

 

Even here in Southern California, where we see every type of car, I still don't see many X6s. I'm guessing total sales of all X6s are less than stellar. I wouldn't be surprised if BMW announces in six months that they are discontinuing the entire X6 model.

 

Aren't all of these single motors placed between the engine and a traditional transmission? Sort of like the Insight . . .

I don't know that I have seen any "powerful" German hybrids. More like short duration electric assist paired with a full size engine - thus little fuel economy improvement to show for it.

 

X6 sells great worldwide.

 

close. They have a traditional transmission instead of a cvt, and have a clutch to disconnect the motor from engine. Activehybrid 5 should be a full hybrid, meaning it can run on its electric motor alone.

I've seen a couple of activehybrid 7s, and one S400, no Lexus LS hybrid sitings here. Bmw went more horsepower, mercedes went more efficient with their flagships. BMW has 15% improvement, mercedes a little more. The trick is when they get them into smaller cars. Infiniti in the M hybrid does get significantly better mileage in this architecture, and its still a large high horsepower luxury car.

 

These larger vehicles are more suited to an air compressor hybrid system and maybe diesel (yeah, I said it.) Does anyone know where air compressors are being used (braking pumps up air tank, acceleration from stop is assisted by air driven motor sort of thing?)

 

well not really... it is just implementation that sucks.

sure diesel hybrid is even better but that would bring another set of issues.

 

Compare the GM/BMW type of a hybrid configuration to the HiHy / RX-450h SUV's. You CAN get great power AND mileage from the system which for all intents & purposes is the system that the Prius uses. But BMW/GM could never live it down if they had to buy technology from Toyota. What an irony that they didn't - because Toyota's hybrids are all over the landscape. Meanwhile, Toyota's SUV hybrid competition? . . . . hello . . . . anybody there? (crickets)

See my thoughts above. It applies to your question here, too. The point of enhancing power via hybridization does not sell as it does for economy. GM/BMW don't understand that point. GM continues to brag that the Caddy Escalade gets 19mpg ... a 20% improvement, and thus they tout that the most gas can be saved by raising F/E numbers on land barges. No ... you save the most gas by DUMPING land barges for an SUV that can get 30mpg as the hyhi does. That logic, to this day alludes GM because all they REALLY see is bigger dollar signs IF they can sell land barges. They still don't get that they need to stop trying to advertise them as sexy macho and safer when in fact they're not.

 

It's my understanding that BMW is looking at the Toyota system for the upcoming 1 Series.

Not sure if they are going to enter into an official licensing agreement or if they are going to try to get ZF to mimic it.

 

Mercedes has talked to toyota about licensing for a small car. BMW has other ideas for the 1.