Offering an insight into the possible design of the forthcoming BMW X6, BMW has unveiled the Concept X6 in Frankfurt.

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BMW says it opens up another untapped market segment, the Sports Activity Coupé.  The Concept X6 also showcases ActiveHybrid, an integral facet of BMW’s EfficientDynamics philosophy.


The introduction of BMW’s ActiveHybrid technology marks the latest landmark in BMW’s development of hybrid technologies.
BMW started work on electric drivetrain research with the BMW E1 in the late 1980s and has been working on hybrid technology and its various options for more than 15 years.  Most recently, hybrid technology has been introduced as an integral part of the BMW EfficientDynamics programme.


Working alongside Global Hybrid Cooperation partners, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, the BMW ActiveHybrid combines two compact, high-performance electric motors connected to one another by three planetary gear sets, a fixed-transmission ratio gearbox and a high-performance battery to deliver benefits over low and high speed ranges. The result is a reduction in fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent compared with a comparable BMW running on a combustion engine alone.


The two-mode active transmission is based on an ECVT (Electrical Continuously Variable Transmission). The two operating modes, optimised for low and high speeds, are supplemented by fixed transmission ratios.  The two power-split ECVT sections allow the drivetrain to run at continuously variable speeds and ensure full, highly-efficient hybrid functions throughout the entire operating range of the car.

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The BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid can be driven on electric power only, on the combustion engine alone, or with a combination of both power units. Depending on driving conditions, the electric motors can also be used for both accelerating and regenerative braking.  In the case of brake regeneration, the brake forces, created when coasting and when applying the brakes, supply power to the high-voltage energy storage unit to provide an increase in electric power.  A similar philosophy has already been seen in BMW’s Brake Energy Regeneration systems in almost all of today’s BMW model ranges.