The U.S. government has announced that the BMW ActiveHybrid 7-Series qualifies for a $900 (€735) federal tax credit under the Alternative Motor Vehicle provision. The Internal Revenue Service certified the tax credit for the model today.
But that still keeps the price for the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7-Series at over $100,000. Starting price for the model, including destination charges but not including the tax credit, is $103,125 (€84,251). The long wheelbase version begins at $107,025 (€87,437).
The certification now adds the ActiveHybrid 7-Series to the ActiveHybrid X6, the 335d and the X5 xDrive35d to the set of BMW models which qualify for the tax credit.
The ActiveHybrid 7-Series features the same 4.4 liter V8 engine with 455 PS (335 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) as the 750i, only with a mild-hybrid system (electric motor powers only the electronics of the car) and stop/start technology to improve fuel economy by around 15 percent. The power train coupled to the 8-speed transmission takes this BMW flagship model from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.7 seconds.
The Internal Revenue Service today certified that the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 qualifies for up to a $900 tax credit under the Alternative Motor Vehicle provision. This serves as yet another endorsement for the BMW EfficientDynamics strategy.
The ActiveHybrid 7 combines an electric motor with BMW’s much-praised 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and new 8-speed automatic transmission to accelerate from 0 – 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds while delivering impressive EPA fuel economy estimates of 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, a near 18 percent improvement over the non-hybrid 750i/Li. The ActiveHybrid 7 features Engine Start/Stop to avoid wasteful engine idling in stop-and-go driving and at traffic lights. The powerful lithium-ion battery enables systems like the radio, Bluetooth phone connection and air-conditioning to continue running when the engine is off. Its compact size minimizes the impact on luggage capacity.
The standard and long-wheelbase versions of the ActiveHybrid 7 become the fourth and fifth BMW models to qualify for the Alternative Motor Vehicle Tax Credit, joining the ActiveHybrid X6 and BMW’s Advanced Diesel 335d Sedan and X5 xDrive35d.
The first 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7s have begun arriving at US BMW centers.
