Month: April 2019

The BMW X5 xDrive40e is a piece of automotive history in the making – with the appearance of an SAV but the consumption of a small car. This impressive plug-in hybrid has something to offer urban drivers and commuters alike.

First Appearances

While the BMW X5 xDrive40e boasts a design that is typically X, everything under the hood is geared towards efficient, future-focussed motoring. By integrating the principles of electric mobility into the format of a luxury SAV, we’ve shifted the perceptions of what’s possible when it comes to larger vehicles, as well as a plug-in hybrid.

The eDrive lettering at the rear and front and side door sills are perhaps the only, albeit subtle, optical difference to the BMW X5. What really sets it apart from its counterpart though, is the range in the purely electric mode. It can drive approximately 30 kilometres locally emission-free and with zero fuel consumption.

Efficient In Any Situation

As a plug-in hybrid, the BMW X5 xDrive40e has various different drive modes that allow the driver to significantly influence the actual energy consumption. This depends on both the driving mode selected and the driver’s personal behaviour. When the battery is fully charged, you can drive for approximately 30 kilometres without using a single drop of fuel. In the AUTO eDrive mode, the optimal combination of electric motor and combustion engine enables the focus to be placed on top-quality efficiency.

When driving in the city, the BMW X5 xDrive40e exploits the strengths of the plug-in hybrid to the full. Short distances can be covered in the fully electric mode, and driving in the hybrid mode enables combined fuel consumption of 3.3 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 77 g/km. Enjoy low-consumption driving fun even for long distances because the combined overall range of the BMW X5 xDrive40e is 830 kilometres.

Control Your Drive

When it comes to driving style, the BMW X5 xDrive40e offers its driver a chance to influence the energy consumption with different drive modes.

While Auto eDrive mode delivers the most efficient combination of the electric motor and combustion engine – for a high enjoyment, low emission experience. Max eDrive is all about purely electric driving and the car will only switch to the combustion engine once the acceleration potential in electric has been reached. With the Save Battery mode, you can charge the battery of the car by using the combustion engine. This allows for more battery capacity, which means more electric driving.

There’s also the addition of the predictive selection feature, which allows you to enter a destination into the navigation system, and let your car decide the best and most efficient mode to select.

Charged And Ready To Go

Whether at a conventional household power socket or using the BMW i Wallbox, charging the high-voltage battery of the BMW X5 xDrive40e couldn’t be easier.

In fact, BMW South Africa is hard at work to ensure that electric mobility is a viable option in the country, with ChargeNow public charging stations quickly emerging in key locations across South Africa.

BMW South Africa is proud to have partnered with the Cape Town Cycle Tour over the past weekend. Not only was it the 41st installment of the event, but the very first to include a BMW cycling team – which made for an exciting race. There was also a very special appearance from the all-new BMW 8 Series Coupé which led the cyclists to the finish line.

Set amongst the picturesque vistas of the Cape Peninsula, the Cape Town Cycle Tour spans over 109 km and while beautiful, is also a gruelling test of human endurance. No stranger to performance, BMW was there to lead the cyclists to the finish – and even compete.

A PHOTO FINISH.

First in was the breath-taking BMW 8 Series Coupé Lead vehicle, followed by the winner of the 41^st Cape Town Cycle Tour, Sam Gaze, in a jaw-dropping time of 02:38:42.

Not to be outdone, all the members of Team BMW crossed the finish line – in true BMW style.With our dashing kits, we even received some unexpected cheering and chants of “Go BMW” from the crowd as we cycled in.

Some of the team celebrating their finish.

MEET THE TEAM

A total of 40 cyclists rode out under the Team BMW banner with their smart matching race kits and winning attitudes.

Team BMW with their mascot before the race.

Among the team were not only some of our BMW drivers but some lucky Facebook competition winners too and our very own CEO, Mr Tim Abbott.

BMW South Africa CEO, Mr Tim Abbott, on the move.

IN TOP FORM

Guests were not only treated to a view of the all-new BMW 8 Series Coupé in action, it was on display along with the much-anticipated BMW 3 Series in the hospitality area after the race. It was a close encounter with luxury on the back of an exhilarating day on the road.

The 8 on display.

All round, the 41^st Cape Town Cycle Tour was a knockout weekend and definitely one for the BMW South Africa history books – hopefully the first of many races our top-class cycling team. Watch the highlights video here: