|
I am really looking forward to the 540e. My 6 was in the shop and I drove a X5 40e for a couple of days to experience BMW's hybrid tech. Very impressive. Just about everything exceeded my expectations. BUT, something really troubles me. The car defaulted to hybrid mode (Auto eDrive) every time. So to use it as electric only, you have to manually change the driving mode. Very annoying for those like me who want an electric only commute. It wouldn't be so bad if you could customize the Auto eDrive settings. For example, to put more emphasis on electric, use only electric under a user adjustable speed, etc. I drove over 10 miles in Auto eDrive with the cruise control set at 70 mph and the electric motor was never used once when I returned to the dealer. Battery was nearly still 100% when I got there. If it won't use the battery, what's the point?
There is no reason not to let the car stay in electric only mode or let each owner adjust the hybrid settings to meet their needs. Hopefully the 540e is different or I might be back in a 535 this fall.
|