Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Is Definitely Not Similar To A Toyota Prius

By Jim Timothys


The 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 happens to be hybrid automobile that bears little resemblance to a Toyota Prius or other similar hybrids. When you initially think of hybrid, you think fuel proficiency, but the BMW hybrid is nowhere near as efficient as most hybrids. When compared to other 7-series models, the 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 will save more on fuel but it does not move well in stop and go traffic and the idle stop feature shuts off the power steering. It's a tech powerhouse, and the hybrid structure adds power and fuel efficiency but also adds quirks to your driving everyday.

The application of an electric motor in a hybrid implies that the gas-powered motor is smaller but in the case of the BMW, it is not. Most hybrids minimize fuel costs while maintaining power, but BMW saw the extra power, and decided to make their cars go faster. Typically the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 has the same engine, a twin turbo direct-injection 4.4-liter V-8, as the typical BMW 750i. The only difference could be the electric powered motor that's powered from the 120-volt lithium ion battery pack. This makes the gas economy of the ActiveHybrid 7 much better than the 750i, and with a lot more horsepower also.

Numerous hybrids are able to switch to all-electric mode even so the ActiveHybrid 7 does not do that. It is like the Integrated Motor Assist System of the Honda, where it creates boost when it is accelerating, and when it stops it lets the engine power down. As being a driver, you would not believe the ActiveHybrid 7 is a hybrid unless you see a blue area on the fuel gauge indicating that electricity is being regenerated. As soon as you come to a stoplight, you will know it's a hybrid because the engine will go quiet and the tachometer drops to zero. As soon as you take the foot from the brake, the engine comes back on smoothly which is impressive considering the size of the engine.

Even though the idle stop platform works well at a long stoplight, it does not do so well in stop-and-go traffic. For whatever reason, your car will turn off for 5 seconds at a time even in stop-and-go traffic. The performance of the car may also take some getting used to because it is likely to lunge forward even with a slight tap on the accelerator. The way the car was created, it is not a green car but yet a car that uses the hybrid system to add more power while improving fuel efficiency somewhat.

The 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 has the greatest gas mileage in the BMW 7 series family but it only gets 20 miles per gallon. That is good mileage for a top quality luxury car but that is not very good as a hybrid.




About the Author:



No comments: