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back to article BMW readies 7-series hybrid

Unwilling to be beaten in the hybrid race by German taxi maker Mercedes-Benz, BMW will release a dual-fuel 7-series saloon in 12 months' time. Dubbed the ActiveHybrid, the 750i-derived car contains a twin-turbo 4.4l V8 petrol engine that BMW says provides 407bhp and 442lb/ft of torque. The vehicle's electric motor bumps those …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Love it...

    Look how green we are, look, super electric power, look, it's green, it's got batteries and everything.

    Oh that, eerrr that's not a stupidly sized fuel hungry engine, that's eeerrrr the batter charger, yes that's correct, battery charger, very important to be green that...

    Look we're green.....

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  2. Rob Beard
    Thumb Up

    Fire breathing BMW's

    [QUOTE]Like Mercedes, BMW's planning to use a lithium-ion battery, and it remains to be seen how this notoriously temperature-sensitive technology copes with the heat being pumped out by that V8.[/QUOTE]

    So does this mean BMW will be known as the maker of exploding cars in the future?

    Maybe we should be welcoming the new additions that the Lizard Army overlords are introducing to sales reps around the world.

    Rob

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  3. Tim Spence

    RE: Love it...

    Yeah, a battery charger that gets 20 mpg and pumps out lots of carbons per km. :)

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    Pfft!

    How would Li-Ion batteries take the heat of that V8? How about not having them at the opposite end of the car as all hybrids have done for many years now? Better yet, how about you sticking to talking only about what you?

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    @ Tim Spence

    ..and is completely exempt (theoretically) from the London Congestion Charge :D

    Didn't Jeremy Clarkson come up with a similar idea, along the lines of putting a 9V battery in a Humm Vee? Because this seems only marginally less pointless.

    Mines the one with the VW golf Diesel keys in the pocket, being that its more fuel efficient than pretty much every petrol / leccy hybrid going...

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  6. TJ

    Good

    I wasn't the only one seeing this. Since these are industry leading manufacturers, I would expect to see more innovation out of them, rather than following the leader. Both BMW and Merc failed miserably for the next 3-5years on this. However, lets not forget, they cater to people where gas money is no object.

    Doesn't Merc have a production ready Fuel Cell car yet?

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  7. Fluffykins Silver badge

    Of course, it's a BMW!

    So it'll only ever get driven by complete twats.

    http://www.grouchyoldcripple.com/archives/recall.gif

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  8. Charley

    Save cabin space?

    Why don't they just put it under the back seat like they did on my 750iL?

    (Laughed my head off at the recall gif, Fluffy)

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  9. Paul Rhodes
    Black Helicopters

    Hybrid is not the Only Green

    Over here in Toronto this would sell. One of the 'Moms' at my daughter's school drops off her youngest in a GMC Yukon Hybrid, which only has a 6.0L V8............

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  10. Alan Brown Silver badge
    Pirate

    Is it a coincidence.....

    .... that the majority of cars I've been seeing stranded on the motorway shoulder in the last 5 years have been Beemers and Mercs?

    Someone's lost the plot.

    Then again, a 27hp electric motor makes a lot of sense for stop-start city work where the car's consumption can get down around 5mpg (or worse) if the fossilburner's left running.

    Mine's the dirt-covered green Pug running on used chippie oil.

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    <5% electric

    Go BMW! Show the eco-worriers how ridiculous it is to adopt an ad hoc green tax on transport, a congestion charge that became a chelsea tax that became a green-tinged hobby-horse. Two words that will swing almost any opinion are terrorism and environmental (ly friendly - ok, 3 words) no matter how silly the pretext. As long as the tiny motor is cost-effective for avoiding the various money grabbing eco-taxes around now then this sort of setup should sell in other markets too, roll-on the Tata with a 2hp motor that basically pumps raw sewage out of its exhaust. Even though 5% of the horsepower is fantastically low, I think it's tragic to have such a huge displacement FI engine and only get 400hp ... it should be twice that with ease. "Luxury brage department you have a phone-call from F1 dept. ..."

    PH because she's got more electric-powered-hp in her vibrating night stick than that BMW.

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  12. The Mighty Spang

    407bhp?

    for a 5 seater car?

    time to dismantle this planet screwing manufacturer.

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  13. druck Silver badge

    20hp?

    The electric motor is only (427-407) 20hp? That's just a slightly larger than normal starter motor. Its even more of gimmick to get your overpowered luxury barge past the London congestion charge than the Lexus RX400.

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  14. David Beck

    You'd think ..

    with all that experience the Germans had in building diesel electrics in the '40's they would be able to do better now. Mind you these are a bit smaller.

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