BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid & X6 ActiveHybrid Unveilings Confirmed for Frankfurt

BMW 7-Series Hybrid Prototype / autoscoop.biz / Jensha

Expected to feature a 15-20% improvement in fuel efficiency

By Michael Gauthier
July 30, 2009 10:01 PM
Filed Under: BMW, Frankfurt Motor Show, German, Hybrid

BMW has officially confirmed the production 7-Series and X6 ActiveHybrids will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Although details are limited, both hybrids are expected to use a small electric motor that develops 15 kW (20 hp) and 210 Nm (155 lb-ft) of torque. The motor will be integrated in the transmission housing, and it effectively replaces drag inducing auxiliary components such as the alternator and starter. Power is expected to come from a small lithium-ion battery, which will be recharged via a Brake Energy Regeneration system (regenerative braking), that will provide more than enough energy to run the various electrical systems when the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine is deactivated.

The company has previously stated the 7-Series hybrid will achieve a 15% improvement in fuel economy, while the X6 hybrid will offer up to a 20% improvement.

 

Source: BMW

Press Release (Click to expand)

IAA Frankfurt Motor Show opens its gates to the press. A first for BMW Group: This year, all three brands are presented under one roof – in Hall 11 which today was officially opened by Frankfurt’s Lord Mayor Petra Roth. Europe’s most state-of-the-art exhibition hall can be reached directly from the new main entrance of the Frankfurt exhibition grounds. The highlight of BMW’s 2009 motor show presentation is a circuit of several hundred meters length that encloses the entire exhibition space and on which the BMW EfficientDynamics fleet and the world premieres will be presented.
Thomas Muderlak, responsible for BMW Group's presentation at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show: “Participation in motor shows is an important feature in our communication activities directed at customers, the media and trade visitors. We are delighted that the 2009 IAA gives us the opportunity to build on our tradition of innovative motor show presences and this time to present all three brands under one roof – a first. A highlight for our visitors will be to experience our vehicles in motion: For the BMW brand, our presentation will implement the brand’s motto of ‘Sheer Driving Pleasure’ quite literally.”

In 2003, 2005 and 2007, the BMW brand presented itself in a Cubist building on the so-called Agora while MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars were located in different halls. Presenting the three brands so close to each other this year will allow BMW Group to stage various corporate initiatives. As the organizer of the Junior Campus and the host of the ZEIT Conference, BMW Group will seize the opportunity to set the stage for important social issues such as sustainability. Between September 15 and 27, 2009, children between 3 and 13 years can discover the fascination of sustainability and mobility at the Junior Campus. A workshop explains children aged 7 to 13 through play how to handle resources in a responsible manner. A children’s Road Safety School with a driving course located in the outdoor area of the Junior Campus helps children from age 3 to 6 behave responsibly in road traffic. Taking a stand in the socio-political debate on mobility and sustainability, BMW Group’s future summit – the ZEIT Conference – provides a platform for a panel discussion with high-ranking representatives from the worlds of politics, business, architecture and environmental protection. Also, the 2009/2010 Sustainable Value Report will be presented at the BMW Group press conference on September 15. Sustainability is the central theme of the BMW Group’s exhibition stand concept as well: The company applies a reusable exhibition system to motor shows and exhibitions. The concept is based on modular, reusable structural elements which reduce the amount of demolition material and waste.

The BMW Motor Show Presentation: “Experiencing Joy.”
The basic concept behind the BMW brand’s presence at the 2009 IAA focuses on sheer driving pleasure. For the first time, IAA visitors can experience the cars’ design and appeal in motion – thanks to the dynamic presentation of the vehicles on a circuit. The BMW EfficientDynamics fleet presented on the circuit will be an impressive demonstration of the fusion of driving pleasure and low consumption. Thanks to EfficientDynamics, BMW is able to prove uncompromisingly that these are not antipodes: With its two most recent model generations, BMW Group has reduced the fleet’s consumption in Europe by more than 25 percent while improving driving pleasure. By the time the IAA opens, BMW will have delivered about 1.4 million vehicles equipped with the award-winning technology package. Besides the presentation of the EfficientDynamics fleet, the focus at the BMW stand will be on the world premieres of the hybrid vehicles BMW ActiveHybrid 7 and BMW ActiveHybrid X6 as well as on the world premieres of the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and the BMW X1. Visitors can expect further additional product surprises.

The MINI Stand: “What a Birthday. It’s MINI.”
On August 26, MINI will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Honoring this special occasion, the MINI motor show presence is all about MINI’s 50-year success story. This agenda is also translated into the stand’s architecture: Visitors are received at the stand by the large-scale claim “What a Birthday. It’s MINI.”, stretching diagonally across the entire open space of the stand with a length of 35, a height of six and a depth of four meters. The MINI world premieres include the birthday editions MINI 50 Camden and MINI 50 Mayfair as well as further surprising product innovations. Another focus at the MINI stand at the 2009 IAA is the MINIMALISM concept – a package of measures developed to optimize fuel consumption and to reduce emissions, which is presented in a futuristic area that offers great experiences.

The Rolls-Royce Motor Show Presence
The highlight of the Rolls-Royce motor show presence is the world premiere of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. The stand itself has been designed as an open building with a daylight roof in which Rolls-Royce presents not only the Ghost, but also the Phantom product range with the Phantom Extended Wheelbase, the Drophead Coupé and the Phantom Coupé.

Comments

nederina
July 30, 2009 10:11 PM
bmw is following honda's step by quiting F1 and ditching their sports cars for some heavyweight SUV, MPV and silly fourdoor coupe-hatchbacks or whatever you call it now. hybrids? i'll get a diesel instead.

scratchy996
July 31, 2009 12:14 AM
the hybrid is just a marketing trick for the American market. that electric motor will be only used for small bursts of torque, it's more like a KERS system than a real hybrid car.

McNamara68
July 30, 2009 10:56 PM
seems like they're a little behind. it would be sweet to see a production version of the f-cell 7 they've been touring around.

radmeister
July 31, 2009 3:04 AM
Yeah the Hydrogen 7 series has been around for a while, since 2002 or something, but problem is where are they going to get Hydrogen and Oxygen fuel stations, those don't sprout up over night. Even if it did come out it would be only in Cali like the honda fuel cell car.

RzGTmorio
July 31, 2009 2:39 AM
I like de new 7 series, and of the x6

CDspeed
July 31, 2009 4:10 AM
The X6 active hybrid is a FULL hybrid and the 7 is a MILD hybrid. Meaning the X6 is capable of being driven from a stop in electric only mode before the gas engine takes over. The 7 only uses the electric motor as an assistant to standard 7 series systems to save energy. People need to know there not quite the same it's all on BMW's website.

nederina
July 31, 2009 11:24 AM
interesting, thank you for sharing

MTC
July 31, 2009 6:41 AM
I'm sure they are for USA, the X6 got US spec reflective things on the corners, which makes it look even uglier than it already is.

Bristol411S3
July 31, 2009 11:50 AM
It would also make sense to power a/c units with the battery in combination with solar cells on the roof perhaps (and solar reflective glass elsewhere of course).

paperbonez
July 31, 2009 7:55 PM
I dont know if its just me but this car looks like the Lexus LS with the tailpipe as a part of the rear bumper.

vilivo
August 2, 2009 1:22 AM
I love the 5- ever since I drove my 1st E39 shape, but this new 7 drives me closer to tears each time I see it- I think I'm falling for the new 7!!!

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