The primary mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid car bought in the US was the 2000 Honda Perception, adopted a 12 months later by the Toyota Prius. Some producers had been faster to develop (or license) hybrid know-how than others, and BMW first received into that sport right here with a hybridized 7 Collection: the ActiveHybrid 7, which debuted as a 2011 mannequin. Here is an instance of a type of extraordinarily uncommon beasts, present in a Denver self-service boneyard not too long ago.
I have been making an effort to doc the primary decade or so of U.S.-market hybrids by searching for them out throughout my junkyard travels, and I’ve handle to unearth discarded examples of such evolutionary-dead-end hybrid rarities as a 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid, a 2007 Saturn Vue Inexperienced Line and a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. These seldom-seen vehicles are a dime a dozen subsequent to a V8-powered BMW ActiveHybrid 7, although.
From the time of the Active7’s American introduction in late 2010 via the primary 9 months of 2012, complete gross sales got here to precisely 657 vehicles. The Blue Water Metallic paint, which is worn by in the present day’s Junkyard Gem, was accessible solely on the ActiveHybrid 7.
For the 2013 mannequin 12 months, the ActiveHybrid 7 misplaced the large 4.4-liter V8 and switched to the 4.0-liter straight-six from the 740i. Why?
BMW’s entrepreneurs pitched the 750i/750Li ActiveHybrids in a a lot completely different method than did their rivals, with the brochure of the 2012 mannequin proclaiming, “Neglect every thing you beforehand considered hybrids: that they’re gradual, unexciting automobiles that sacrifice efficiency, area and luxurious within the title of frugality.” They usually weren’t kidding; this automotive was a manufacturing facility sizzling rod that used its electrical motor to spice up total energy to 455 horsepower and 515 pound-feet.
The issue was that gasoline economic system wasn’t a lot improved over that of the non-hybrid 750s. This automotive was rated at 17 miles per gallon within the metropolis and 24 on the freeway, versus 14 and 22 mpg for the peculiar 750Li.
For that drop-in-the-bucket gasoline financial savings, the ActiveHybrid 750Li had an inventory worth of $101,100 (about $139,994 in 2024 {dollars}). In the meantime, the non-hybrid 750Li for 2012 had an MSRP of $88,200 ($122,252 after inflation). Maybe the HYBRID textual content within the badges bestowed house owners a tiny dollop of greenness onto their public picture, however it is a BMW 7 Collection we’re speaking about.
So, a really luxurious, very highly effective, very thirsty luxurious sedan that reeked of greenwashing to those that fought for diminished carbon emissions but price tens of 1000’s greater than its all-gasoline sibling. No marvel so few had been bought!
The six-banger ActiveHybrid 7s for 2013 received a lot better mileage: 22 miles per gallon metropolis, 30 miles per gallon freeway. That did not get it anyplace close to Prius territory, however was nonetheless respectable for a automotive that scaled in at almost 5,000 kilos.
Why is it in such a spot at age 12? With simply 657 V8-powered ActiveHybrid 7s bought in your complete nation, substitute elements for something involving the hybrid powertrain a lot have been terrifyingly costly, in the event that they had been even accessible in any respect. As soon as a type of elements failed, the journey for this automotive to the closest Choose Your Half was a brief one.
The highway to the longer term? Maybe not.
