asickmf

interesting little article about the whys of regenerative braking in the facelift 5

http://fifthgear.five.tv/jsp/5gmain.jsp?lnk=101&id=2057

florus

The article mentions some technology that was not included in the BMW press release: electric power steering, special tires, a system that stops and starts the engine when stopped in traffic, etc. Are these real?

asickmf

impression i get is those will probably be future technology or maybe a EU thing. the battery and regenerative braking seem like something that was going to be put into action right away. i know one thing. if the stop/start engine system is on the new 550i in the u.s. it will kill sales. imagine stopping the pedal at a red light going for a kill in a 550i and having to wait for the split second to have the engine start.

florus

I am sure you would be able to turn that off in the iDrive.

aybeesea

Savings on fuel consumption but will there be savings on battery replacement?

ABC

Freewilly

I think it's a great idea.

I just watched "an inconvenient truth - A global warning" on DVD last night". The automakers can make a big difference on this subject, and we as consumer can decide to adopt the idea or buy something else.

Toyota and Honda are trying hard to offer high efficiency cars to consumers, it reflects on their sales. Who are the worst? Ford and GM, and look at their sales..

If BMW don?t try hard enough to produce more efficient cars, they will lose more and more sales to other car manufactures that do.

pennetta

I would say that the Toyota/Lexus camp has been the most innovated as in addition to maximum efficiency cars they have up-scale offerings like the GS, RX and Camry which will appeal to the broader consumer market.

asickmf

considering all this new tech coming to the facelift, i'd be mighty suprised if bmw doesn't have a hybrid 5 by end of 08. they need to catch up with japan. they also need to beat mb to the punch of the first hybrid german luxury car. considering europe is hugely in favor of diesel engines and all the progress that has been made to make diesels meet our american emissions standards, i'd have to believe they would be working towards a diesel hybrid.

aybeesea

As you might have read BMW has brought out a (very) limited release Hydrogen-powered 7 Series so as you say BMW is concious of alternative fuel technologies and all things are possible.

Regarding diesel hybrids, I wonder if there are technical/cost (rather than marketing) limitations which have inhibited the introduction of this technology.

ABC

cerbera

The Stop/Start referred to is an enhancement to the Active Cruise - bringing it in to line with MBs offerings on the S series - in that as well as following moving traffic, it will actually bring the car to a halt in start and stop traffic, then if the period halted is less than three seconds, it moves the car off again - more than three seconds and the cruise control disengages.

Its a very strange feeling trusting the car to stop itself; the pre-production car I drove worked fine, although my heart rate suffered. It was an auto - don't know how this option would work on a manual. Also, in city traffic - I drove the car in fairly heavy traffic - it's virtually useless because it keeps switching off after three seconds.

What really surprised me was that BMW havn't added the accident avoidance/preparation that Merc have, where the car uses the active cruise radar to spot a potential obstacles and assist in braking where the driver doesn't take action.