BMW XM SUV Is a Powerful Plug-In Hybrid
Even the most engine-revving sportscar fanatic can admit that the acceleration on many electric vehicles is impressive, and the new BMW XM shouldn't disappoint there, going from zero to 62mph in 4.3 seconds.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the BMW Motorsports line, the XM is the first reimagined design since the M1 in 1978(Opens in a new window). BMW first showed it off(Opens in a new window) as a concept in late 2021. The final version, announced(Opens in a new window) today, will begin production in December 2022 in the Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant and hit dealers in the US, Europe, and Asia in spring 2023.
It won't come cheap: The BMW XM starts at $160,000.
The bulging, geometric front sports two kidney grilles in typical BMW style. Their outline is illuminated and accentuated by a set of thin, horizontal LEDs on either side that extend the lighting along the front. In the back, ultra-thin tail lights wrap from the back to the sides.
Like other plug-in hybrids in BMW’s existing line(Opens in a new window), the XM has a gas-powered combustion engine and an electric motor. The battery charges via a plug-in port, making it different from traditional hybrids that hold less battery power than plug-ins and recharge on their own.
BMW XM drivers will choose between three modes by pressing a button: hybrid, electric, and eControl. Hybrid is the default. It combines gas and electric power through an “intelligently managed interplay between engine and motor.”
Electric mode will put the car in a fully emissions-free state for an estimated 30 miles. To conserve battery, eControl mode locks the charge in its current state and uses gas power.
The M Hybrid system enables AC charging at up to 7.4kW, meaning the high-voltage
Read more on pcmag.com
