The BMW Concept X5 eDrive. (Credit: BMW Group)BMW is using the New York International Auto Show 2014 to present the BMW Concept X5 eDrive—a company’s next step in reducing fuel consumption and emissions in the SAV segment.
According to the company’s press-release, the BMW Concept X5 eDrive is able to drive on electric power alone at speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) and for a distance of up to 30 kilometers (approx. 20 miles), while recording CO2 emissions of under 90 grams per kilometer and average fuel consumption figures of less than 3.8 l/100 kilometers (more than 74.3 mpg imp) in the EU test cycle.
The concept study underwent a series of detailed refinements in preparation for its appearance at the New York International Auto Show and is equipped with a drive system comprising an 180 kW/245 hp four-cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and a 70 kW/95 hp electric motor also developed by the BMW Group. The motor is supplied with power from a lithium-ion battery that can be charged from any domestic socket and has sufficient capacity for a range of up to 30 kilometers (approx. 20 miles). The high-voltage battery developed for the BMW Concept X5 eDrive is housed underneath the luggage compartment.
In addition to the settings that can be activated using the BMW Driving Experience Control switch, three driving modes can be selected according to requirements and the situation at hand: intelligent hybrid drive with an optimal relationship between sportiness and efficiency (AUTO eDrive), pure electric driving (MAX eDrive) and SAVE Battery to maintain the current charge level.
This is the first time that BMW eDrive technology has been hooked up with the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system. Regardless of the selected driving mode, the drive power generated by the electric motor, the combustion engine or the two units together channeled to wherever it can be converted into forward propulsion most effectively. BMW Concept X5 eDrive to a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). With 250 Newton meters (184 lb-ft) of torque on tap from stationary, the BMW Concept X5 eDrive is able to complete the standard sprint from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 7.0 seconds.
The task of ensuring the engine and electric motor team up together to optimum effect is handled by the power electronics that combine a liquid-cooled inverter for driving the electric motor, supplying energy to the on-board electrical system from the high-voltage battery and for centralized control of the hybrid-specific drive functions into a single integrated system.
