News on hybrid vehicles, fuel cell cars, and the future of automobiles

CHECK OUT THE X6 HYBRID SPY ARTICLE:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=129486?tid=edmunds.il.futurelanding.latestnews..4.*

First shown as a concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, the 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid is now headed for production. Far from a fuel-sipping economy car, this gasoline-electric hybrid is designed to take the edge off fuel costs without giving up much in the way of SUV practicality or performance.

Prototypes spotted in Death Valley reveal few significant styling changes from the recently introduced X6 other than an obvious bulge in the hood. Subsequent photos show a maze of electrical connections beneath the protruding sheet metal. All the extra hardware is necessary to control what’s expected to be a two-mode hybrid system similar to what’s found in GM’s current Tahoe and Escalade hybrid suvs. BMW partnered with GM and Daimler in the development of the system.

The two-mode system essentially combines electric motors with a sophisticated automatic transmission and traditional gasoline engine. It is able to provide pure electric power like a Prius, but most of the time it’s a mix of both gasoline and electric power. A fuel mileage improvement of around 10-15 percent is about all you can expect given the added weight of the hybrid system’s batteries combined with the X6’s already substantial curb weight.

With full production of the V8-powered X6 just now starting to ramp up to full speed, the introduction of the 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid (as BMW calls it) is probably at least a year away. Expect a substantial price bump, one that could put this hybrid BMW’s base price in the $70,000 range. So much for saving money on gas.

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