BMW 530e iPerformance Saloon

03 Jan 2017

The BMW 530e iPerformance Saloon is the plug-in hybrid version of the new 5 Series, with an official combined fuel consumption figure of 141.2mpg, along with 46g/km CO2 emissions and a pure electric range of 29 miles.

Available to order from mid-January for delivery in March, prices start from £43,985.

The BMW eDrive system’s state-of-the-art electric motor has an output of 95hp and maximum torque of 250Nm, while the four-cylinder combustion engine with its 2.0-litre displacement generates 184hp and 320Nm of torque. The overall system output of 252hp and combined peak torque of 420Nm allows the BMW 530e to sprint from zero to 62mph in 6.2 seconds and enable it to reach a top speed of 146mph while CO₂ emissions of the BMW 530e are just 46g/km.

The BMW 530e iPerformance has a range of nearly 400 miles in real-world driving and is capable of covering distances of up to 29 miles using purely electric power at a maximum speed of 87mph. The electric motor and combustion engine direct their power to the saloon’s rear wheels via the standard eight-speed Steptronic transmission. Positioning the electric motor upstream from the transmission allows the transmission’s ratios to be used in all-electric mode too. This dispenses with the need for a torque converter, reducing the overall weight of the vehicle.

The high-voltage battery pack, consisting of lithium-ion cells with a total capacity of 9.2kWh, has been placed in a space-saving location underneath the rear seat and includes efficient refrigerant cooling with a highly integrated low-temperature circuit. Thanks to the battery’s installation, the BMW 530e Saloon offers 410 litres of boot capacity and a flat load compartment floor. The high-voltage battery of the BMW 530e Saloon can be fully charged in under five hours from a standard domestic power socket and in under three hours if it is hooked up to a BMW i Wallbox (3.7 kW charging capacity).

As well as the Driving Experience Control switch, with its SPORT, COMFORT and ECO PRO settings, drivers will also find an eDrive button at their disposal. This lets them tailor the BMW eDrive system’s operation even more precisely to the journey ahead through three driving modes: AUTO eDRIVE, MAX eDRIVE and BATTERY CONTROL.

AUTO eDRIVE ensures that the engine and electric motor interact to optimum effect in all driving situations and allows an all-electric top speed of 56mph. This mode is automatically activated as the default setting every time the vehicle is started. When MAX eDRIVE mode is selected, the BMW 530e Saloon drives on electric power alone. To do so, it uses the electric drive’s full power and can attain a maximum speed of 87mph. However, if the accelerator is pressed through to kickdown the engine will cut in, providing an extra boost of power.

BATTERY CONTROL mode lets the driver set the charge level for the high-voltage battery manually. The target value can be adjusted to between 30 and 100 per cent of maximum charge, allowing that proportion of the battery’s capacity to be reserved for all-electric driving at a later point in the journey. The intelligent battery management of the BMW 530e Saloon either keeps the high-voltage battery’s charge constant at the selected level or increases it to the pre-set value, with the electric motor acting as a generator. In this way, BATTERY CONTROL mode makes it possible to conserve or even increase the reserves of electric power while travelling on the motorway, for example, in order to ensure that an upcoming section through an urban area can be covered with zero local emissions.

The BMW 530e is the latest Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) in the BMW range following the BMW X5 xDrive40e, BMW 225xe, BMW 330e, BMW 740e and the BMW 740Le xDrive. All models benefit from the technology and know-how transferred from BMW’s i brand.