BMW ActiveHybrids

BMW is going hybrid! The German brand has confirmed the production 7-series and X6 ActiveHybrids will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Powertrain information is speculative but both hybrids will most likely use a small 15kW (20hp) electric motor integrated into the transmission housing. Meanwhile, petrol power comes from a 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 with 407hp.

A KERS-style regenerative braking system will charge the lithium-ion battery allowing it to power the electrics when the petrol engine is not running.

BMW claims that efficiency improvements of around 15-20 per cent will be seen on these hybrid models compared with their petrol counterparts.