BMW X6 Hybrid SUV Caught on Spy Camera
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08. 6.08
BMW introduced the X6 Hybrid SUV concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. Now Edmunds has broadcast exclusive spy video and photos of the 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid on You Tube. The hump under the hood is reminiscent of drag racing power, but actually hides a spaghetti of electronics necessary for the two-mode hybrid system which combines electric motors with an advanced automatic transmission and a traditional gasoline engine.
Of course, even hybrid SUV's cannot be called eco-friendly. Experts are predicting that with extra battery weight, the hybrid conserves only 10 to 15 percent of fuel consumed compared with the standard SUV. Leaving the question open: is a hybrid SUV a wonderful compromise step for people who need an SUV until better options come to market? Or are "green SUVs" pure greenwashing?
Sales of Hybrid SUVs, such as the "Green Car of the Year" Chevy Tahoe, are down, indicating the public is not being fooled. After all, 15% improvement over 12.5 L/100 km (19.6 mpg) is still 10.6 L/100 km (23.5 mpg). Not as good as the average British car by a long shot, but better than the average american vehicle fuel consumption. Any money saved on gas will be eaten up by the price tag on this complicated piece of equipment, expected to make your wallet about $70,000 lighter.
More on Hybrid SUVs:
German Engineers Join Hybrid Game
Sales of Hybrid S.U.V.s Lower Than Expected
LA Auto Show Highlights
More on Fuel Efficiency:
Number of the Day: 38 MPG
More on Spy Photos of BMW X6 Hybrid:
Edmunds
You Tube
BMW X6 SUV
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Dual mode hybrids make sense because they increase performance. Better acceleration and braking. Improved MPG is just a side bonus. The marketing people so have this one wrong.
There's another term besides "greenwash" that applies to "green SUV's B***S*** (edited for your protection by the author)
An SUV can only be green if it is electric and powered by renewable energy. This cheap trick of turning SUVs into hybrids is just plain green-washing! Ferrari are planning to bring out a hybrid also, what a joke!
As much as I want to rail on this crap, there's just no point. This is an example of the last gasp of fossil fuel civilization 1.0. Let these clowns waste their time. Nobody will buy them, they will become the butt of many a joke, and the execs who greenlit (grin) this project will be shit-canned so fast that doorknob will be lodged in their asses.
death to suv's. even greenwashed ones.
To the two comments above, how about apply that to all cars. The smaller more efficient cars are no better.
Oh, for Pete's sake, I'm sick of everyone always focusing on SUVs. Guess what, folks? Just about every single hybrid SUV gets better gas mileage than just about every single minivan out there. So maybe you're gonna start a Death to Minivans rant?
The 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid SUV gets a combined mileage of 32 mpg; the 2008 Crown Vic car gets 13. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid (SUV) gets 26; the Toyota Avalon car and Sienna minivan get 22 and 18, respectively. The Saturn Hybrid VUE SUV gets 28; the Aura car gets 25.
So I guess we should add Death to Crown Vics, Death to Auras, Death to etc etc etc.
Wanna guess again what's B***S***?
No, the average family does not need an SUV. And, yes calling any SUV "green" is complete BS... But whether treehuggers want to believe it or not, there IS a small segment of people who have a use for SUV's. The more fuel efficient any type of automobile can be, the better. Ford's Escape Hybrid gets 34/30 MPG. That's a pretty good start for those who actually NEED an SUV. The thing shown above can't really even be called an SUV... more of a beastly-looking AWD luxury car.
Anyway, now that environmental concerns are finally coming together with economic concerns in a major way, it's great to see the direction car buying is going. Now, if we can just get those ultra-efficient European models in the U.S.!
What a waste of time and money.... why in the heck would you spend $70k, even if that is just speculation, on a "hybrid" that still gets crap gas mileage?
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hybrid SUVs are for SUCkers
I started Death to Minivans long ago - but for very personal reasons...
SUVs account for less than 4% of carbon based fuel use in the US, lets focus our attention on the other 96%.