BMW to unveil hybrid X6 in Los Angeles next month

BMW's new X6 activehybrid is to make its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in early December.

The car, built at BMW Manufacturing Co.'s Greer plant, will share the spotlight with the BMW activehybrid 7 and the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept car. The show will begin Dec. 4 and run through Dec. 13.

Employees at the plant are building the X6 activehybrid along with the X5 sports activity vehicle and the X6 sports activity coupe.

BMW Manufacturing is producing between eight to 10 of the hybrids a day, or about 40 a week, said Bobby Hitt, manager of public relations for the plant. As the inventory increases, the vehicles will begin moving into dealerships next month. The 7 Series hybrid is expected to launch next spring.

The Greer plant is nearing completion of a $750 million expansion, including construction of a new assembly facility and expansion of the paint shop. The new assembly building is designed for production of the X3 SUV, which is moving from Austria next year.

Both the BMW X6 and BMW 7 hybrids include a combustion engine with electric motors the BMW officials say creates a power train that combines efficiency with performance.

The X6 activehybrid teams the sports activity coupe concept with hybrid technology, making it the most powerful hybrid passenger vehicle, according to BMW. The vehicle's powertrain reduces fuel consumption by about 20 percent in comparison with a similar car powered solely by an internal combustion engine. It also reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

The car's engine consists of a 400 horsepower twin-turbocharged, direct injection V8 gasoline engine and two electric motors delivering 91 horsepower and 86 horsepower respectively.

An acceleration time of 5.4 seconds will take the vehicle from a standstill to 60 miles an hour, the company said.

At speeds of up to 37 miles an hour, the vehicle can run exclusively on electric power, generated by a battery pack beneath the luggage area.

Brake application and deceleration produces kinetic energy, which is converted to electrical energy and stored in the battery pack. The gasoline engine is activated automatically when needed.

The concept car uses plug-in full-hybrid technology to achieve fuel efficiency and emission reduction while still achieving the performance and power of BMW's M, or high performance, cars.

The vehicle's top speed, which is limited electronically, is 155 miles an hour with acceleration from zero to 100 kilometers an hour – or about 62 miles an hour – in 4.8 seconds.