Even though BMW has been working on a joint development program with General Motors and DaimlerChrysler for the two-mode hybrid system for a couple of years now, it looks like the system may never actually get installed in a BMW vehicle. BMW has been a diesel proponent for many years and will soon be launching new diesels in the US market. However they have yet to publicly commit to a vehicle or introduction date, even though GM will have the system on their full size SUVs starting this fall and Chrysler will introduce it early next year.
A BMW engineer told AutoCar that diesels are still more efficient in most real world conditions. The hybrids do well in low speed stop-start conditions, but otherwise can't beat a diesel. At the Detroit Auto Show in January Daniel Kammerer told ABG that BMW wouldn't introduce the hybrids until about 2010-11. Since then BMW has introduced a start-stop system on the 1-Series and announced a mild-hybrid system with DCX. It seems like for the near term, BMW will focus on the simpler lower cost aspects of hybrids in combination with their gas and diesel engines.
[Source: AutoCar]
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