Putting my money where my mouth is, I took on the adventure of buying a plug-in hybrid. A few years back, I used to drive a car only for weekend getaways, so an SUV seemed to be a logical choice. At only fifteen thousand kilometers driven annually, the fuel economy was not a significant issue, the driving experience was the main thing.
During the past few years with family and small kids, the car usage became more spread out throughout the week. With that said, I noticed we maintain two very distinct driving patterns: many short trips around Prague during the week to get kids to school and sports and then longer trips, roughly 100 miles each direction, during the weekends. With short distances and many cold starts due to the city driving on the workdays, the already poor fuel economy of an SUV deteriorated further.
I realized when our car was up for renewal that it was almost as if we needed two different vehicles for two different use cases - an electric vehicle for city driving and a family all-wheel-drive for the weekends. But I never wanted to maintain two cars, so, fitting these disparate use cases into a single car required some kind of a hybrid - a plug-in hybrid.
A month ago, I picked up our new BMW Active Tourer 225xe. I may dedicate one of the future posts to describe how I did arrive at this choice, but briefly, it ticked all the boxes: fits the family of four (occasionally five), no diesel (I hate diesel), all-wheel-drive capabilities, pure electric driving for short distances, no range anxiety for longer trips, more than adequate power with great fuel economy and all this the while it does not scream "tree hugger".
So how is it going after the first month and roughly 1000 miles driven? So far so good. Even though the cold winter decreases the EV-only range, it is still decent (20 - 25 km), and we manage most of our trips around Prague on purely electric power. And the EV mode is not only about zero local emissions and lower costs, but it is also about the driving experience: the immediate torque of the electric engine turns out to be truly addictive. Many times, I wish the car was able to run on EV all the time. The electric engine powers the rear wheels, which improves maneuverability in the city traffic and makes turns truly enjoyable.
Outside of the city, the electric engine in the rear works hand in hand with the turbocharged gasoline engine powering the front wheels, the combination of both engines providing an instant response by overcoming the turbo lag of the gasoline engine by the instant force of the electric one. At freeway speeds above 120km/h, the turbocharged 3-cylinder engine takes over, and the car remains front wheel only, which for me is an acceptable compromise.
So, enough soft impressions and let's throw some hard numbers in. BMW claims combined fuel economy of 2.0 l/100 km. Honestly, I was not expecting to achieve that, these normative figures are broken by design. Checking spritmonitor.de prior the purchase, I saw 225xe averaging at around 4.7 l/100 km. My first results for a new car are as follows (always filling the tank full):
So far positive review - are there any negatives? The most significant drawback of a plug-in hybrid concept I see is the very need to plug it in: it is a chore. I am considering to buy a wall box to make the experience a bit more convenient, but have not made my mind yet. I can totally see the value in wireless charging technology because unlike gasoline refueling, plugging-in is a daily activity.
Yet the biggest issue I have found to date with our 225xe is related to the cup holders in the central console: my favorite 16 oz Starbucks mug does not fit in! What the hell were the German engineers drinking, if it was not a big mug of coffee from a standard 16 oz mug? Or are these Bavarian cars engineered while drinking little Italian espressos? 😉
More experiences to follow, please take this post as "first impressions". So far I quite enjoy this little family carrier which turns out to be both practical and fun to drive.
During the past few years with family and small kids, the car usage became more spread out throughout the week. With that said, I noticed we maintain two very distinct driving patterns: many short trips around Prague during the week to get kids to school and sports and then longer trips, roughly 100 miles each direction, during the weekends. With short distances and many cold starts due to the city driving on the workdays, the already poor fuel economy of an SUV deteriorated further.
I realized when our car was up for renewal that it was almost as if we needed two different vehicles for two different use cases - an electric vehicle for city driving and a family all-wheel-drive for the weekends. But I never wanted to maintain two cars, so, fitting these disparate use cases into a single car required some kind of a hybrid - a plug-in hybrid.
A month ago, I picked up our new BMW Active Tourer 225xe. I may dedicate one of the future posts to describe how I did arrive at this choice, but briefly, it ticked all the boxes: fits the family of four (occasionally five), no diesel (I hate diesel), all-wheel-drive capabilities, pure electric driving for short distances, no range anxiety for longer trips, more than adequate power with great fuel economy and all this the while it does not scream "tree hugger".
So how is it going after the first month and roughly 1000 miles driven? So far so good. Even though the cold winter decreases the EV-only range, it is still decent (20 - 25 km), and we manage most of our trips around Prague on purely electric power. And the EV mode is not only about zero local emissions and lower costs, but it is also about the driving experience: the immediate torque of the electric engine turns out to be truly addictive. Many times, I wish the car was able to run on EV all the time. The electric engine powers the rear wheels, which improves maneuverability in the city traffic and makes turns truly enjoyable.
Outside of the city, the electric engine in the rear works hand in hand with the turbocharged gasoline engine powering the front wheels, the combination of both engines providing an instant response by overcoming the turbo lag of the gasoline engine by the instant force of the electric one. At freeway speeds above 120km/h, the turbocharged 3-cylinder engine takes over, and the car remains front wheel only, which for me is an acceptable compromise.
So, enough soft impressions and let's throw some hard numbers in. BMW claims combined fuel economy of 2.0 l/100 km. Honestly, I was not expecting to achieve that, these normative figures are broken by design. Checking spritmonitor.de prior the purchase, I saw 225xe averaging at around 4.7 l/100 km. My first results for a new car are as follows (always filling the tank full):
- 5.67 l/100 km (41 mpg) - Winter tires, Natural 95, 4 people + luggage
- 5.60 l/100 km (42 mpg) - Winter tires, Natural 95, 4 people + luggage
- 6.71 l/100 km (35 mpg) - Winter tires, Natural 95, 5 people + luggage, roof box - skiing trip to the mountains
So far positive review - are there any negatives? The most significant drawback of a plug-in hybrid concept I see is the very need to plug it in: it is a chore. I am considering to buy a wall box to make the experience a bit more convenient, but have not made my mind yet. I can totally see the value in wireless charging technology because unlike gasoline refueling, plugging-in is a daily activity.
Yet the biggest issue I have found to date with our 225xe is related to the cup holders in the central console: my favorite 16 oz Starbucks mug does not fit in! What the hell were the German engineers drinking, if it was not a big mug of coffee from a standard 16 oz mug? Or are these Bavarian cars engineered while drinking little Italian espressos? 😉
More experiences to follow, please take this post as "first impressions". So far I quite enjoy this little family carrier which turns out to be both practical and fun to drive.
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