2-Way X6

Yet another X6 report, this time on the X6 hybrid, the first hybrid to be
commercailly introduced by BMW (the Bavarians have been doing extensive work on a hydrogen-powered vehicle

Frankfurt Auto Show: X6 Hybrid
Sept. 11, 2007

BMW's X6 crossover is getting double the attention at the Frankfurt auto show — with the simultaneous debuts of a regular model plus a hybrid model.

With the ActiveHybrid X6, BMW's first-ever hybrid, the automaker set out to prove fuel efficiency and sporty driving dynamics do not have to be mutually exclusive.

The technology is the result of a joint project with General Motors and DaimlerChrysler. The ActiveHybrid X6 can be driven on electric power only, on combustion power only, or on a combination of the two. BMW claims fuel efficiency that is 20% greater than that of a comparable gas-only vehicle.

A major highlight is BMW's two-mode active transmission, which has a mode for setting off and driving at low speeds, and a mode for higher speeds. It is based on the concept of a continuously variable transmission.
The ActiveHybrid's styling differs from the regular X6, in particular, by foregoing big air scoops on the front for engine cooling, and by a lower aluminum plate on the back that moves to cover the exhaust pipes when in electric mode
The rear protector plate moves to cover the exhaust pipes when the ActiveHybrid X6 is in electric mode.

The ActiveHybrid X6 is the latest — and probably the biggest — step in BMW's EfficientDynamics program, which seeks to find energy-saving efficiencies wherever possible.