When BMW debuted the new 7 Series in 2022, it set a new standard for large luxury sedans, increasingly irrelevant though that class is. Rather than siloing off an electric alternative like Mercedes, with its EQS alongside the normal S-Class, BMW simply made the powertrain an option. Stick with a V8 if you want, or consider the rather good electric version instead—only subtle differences like the badging and lack of exhaust pipes give the game away.

Since then, BMW has brought out a string of even newer electric vehicles for the 5 and 3 Series (plus their SUV counterparts). It has switched from battery packs made of prismatic cells to more energy-dense arrangements of cylindrical cells. The motors are still electrically excited synchronous ones, but now the drive units feature silicon carbide inverters and more compact packaging.

This sixth-generation electric powertrain was designed for the clean-sheet Neue Klasse family, which also threw out the legacy cruft of dozens and dozens of discrete single-function electronic control units for a handful of powerful domain controllers. These computers take over those functions but with much faster processing power—and therefore more capabilities in terms of chassis control or powertrain efficiency—as well as the ability to be more easily updated.

Read full article

Comments

Nissan has a new version of its bestselling Rogue SUV, and it’s launching the model here with the latest version of its e-Power hybrid system, which Ars tested in February. Most hybrid cars you can buy today are parallel hybrids, which means that they have an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, both of which drive some or all of the wheels—everything works in parallel. But there’s another approach. Instead of connecting the engine to the wheels via a transmission, it can act as a generator and charge the traction battery, which in turn powers the electric motor. Since the engine and motor work in series, this is known as a series hybrid.

That’s mostly how the Chevrolet Volt worked. As does Honda’s hybrid CR-V. Well, mostly; engineers worked out it was more efficient for those cars' gasoline engines to directly drive the wheels at highway speeds, something that to this day makes a certain subset of hybrid car enthusiasts irrationally angry. If you know anyone like that in your life, send them to wherever the nearest Nissan dealership is, because the 2027 Rogue Hybrid is exactly what they’ve been asking for.

Series hybrids

Under the hood, with its crisp shut line and slim horizontal lights that give me something of a Range Rover vibe, there’s a 1.5 L, three-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection engine that generates 148 hp (110 kW). It only revs to 5,200 rpm because it’s optimized to charge the battery, not cope with the various loads of an engine connected to a gearbox and the wheels. That also allows the engine to operate at a rather impressive 42 percent thermal efficiency—we would need to look at Formula 1 engines to find higher.

Read full article

Comments

“Please have at least 125 miles of range left when we pick it up.” That request from the people who look after the Cadillac press cars wasn’t going to be hard to honor. The electric Escalade IQ arrived with an indicated range of 440 miles (708 km), and with a full week of work to squeeze in, getting anywhere close to needing to recharge it seemed unlikely. With more than 200 kWh of lithium-ion battery between its axles, range is one thing the big electric Caddy needn’t worry about.

Designed and debuted during a time of greater EV optimism, the Escalade is Cadillac’s statement that swapping out a V8 for a pair of powerful electric motors is no compromise to its ambitions, even if the brand’s future will now include a mix of electric and combustion cars beyond 2030. It shares a battery pack and much else with other full-size GM EVs we’ve tested: the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the GMC Sierra EV, and of course the divisive Hummer EVs. And like those trucks and SUVs, the Escalade is large and heavy—just small enough to fit into a standard parking space, with a curb weight sufficient to push it into the Class 3 truck category.

So, the side mirrors are flat, and there’s no formal EPA range—Cadillac says it achieves 460 miles (740 km) on the EPA test cycle—but there are plenty of airbags, even though the 9,046 lb (4,103 kg) curb weight does not require them. Yes, you did read that right, it does weigh 4 tons. And yes, the electric Escalade does weigh a third more than the last gas-powered one we tested.

Read full article

Comments

When we first drove BMW’s first Neue Klasse model, the iX3, it quickly revealed that BMW knows how to make a good electric vehicle. A clean-sheet design, it featured the automaker’s sixth-generation electric powertrain, a completely reimagined dashboard, and powerful computers to run the whole show. Now, much of that technology is being ported over to the larger X5 line.

But BMW knows not all its customers are ready to go electric, especially in the US, so it’s sticking with its powertrain-agnostic CLAR platform, as used in cars as diverse as the large 7 Series and the new gasoline 3 Series. Which means in addition to the all-electric iX5, there are also mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid X5s available, and in time, even a hydrogen-powered option. For now, as I’ll explain, I think the EV is the pick of the bunch.

Pick your power

The most conventional option is the X5 40 xDrive, powered by a 3.0 L turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine that generates 394 hp (294 kW) and 428 lb-ft (580 Nm). The 48 V mild hybrid system can contribute a decent slug of torque (148 lb-ft/200 Nm) if necessary, and the engine operates under the Miller cycle for better efficiency, as well as featuring the usual BMW engine technology, like variable valve timing. Expect around 26 mpg (9 L/100 km) from this powertrain and a full-to-empty range of 569 miles (915 km).

Read full article

Comments