BMW joins the Hybrid party.

When Lexus debuted their LS600h, we all knew that it was
only a matter of time before the “big German luxury companies”, namely Mercedes
Benz and BMW, would show their hand.  BMW
decided that the Paris Motor Show would be the prime location to debut their
offering, and they did so in the form of the BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid.  Many expected BMW to use a similar setup to
that found in General Motors’ hybrid SUVs, but they have gone with a far less
fuel efficient, yet far more powerful option.

Like their cross town rivals at Daimler, BMW went with a
small lithium ion battery system connected to a helper motor to move the car
around in traffic and during other low speed operations. As for the high speed
end of things, the 7-Series ActiveHybrid packs a direct-injected, twin
turbocharged 4.4L V8, making over 400 horsepower.  While it’s a far cry from the mileage of the
Prius or Volt, this high performance luxury Hybrid is expected to boast of an
average mpg rating in the low 20s.  Even
though this BMW doesn’t offer the ultra high fuel mileage that many people are
expecting, this performance oriented hybrid offers the best of BMW quality and
performance with an emphasis on economy, for the executive who might not be
concerned with fuel prices, but still wants to do his or her part for the
environment.