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BMW 5-Series (G30) Forum 2017+ BMW 5 Series (G30) General Discussions Does G30 530 e efficent ?

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      08-24-2019, 09:07 AM   #1
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Does G30 530 e efficent ?

Car is really efficient ? We can get 40 mpg ? Cons or pros ?
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      08-24-2019, 04:34 PM   #2
SteveinArizona
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Depends entirely on your driving and where you have the ability to charge. If you have the ability to charge in your garage, and at work, and do mostly local driving, you will get extraordinary range on a tank of gas.

But the benefit drops when you lose one or more of these attributes. If you do a lot of long driving, you will quickly run out of juice and will then be running the G30 in traditional hybrid mode. Your mpg will then drop.

You need to figure out what you are wanting to accomplish and then decide if the 530e meets your needs or if you need something different.
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      08-26-2019, 02:52 PM   #3
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Im on 2018 530e now. I do 6 of 7 days a week fully on electric driving. One of 7 days I drive maybe 10km on gas cause battery is empty.
But very soon I'm getting 2020 model and will then do 100% of every day use on electric only. Then gas for trips and days we do something special.
This is super cheap and I also charge alot for free at work.
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      08-27-2019, 12:37 PM   #4
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I agree with SteveinArizona.

I cannot commute fully on electric as the range in the 2018 is only around 20 kms and my commute is a little more.

I have not calculated my total mileage since getting my 530e but can say that on regular commutes to our cottage (over 500 kms) consisting of mostly highway driving I have averaged between 6l/100 kms and 7l/100 kms which is just above 40 mpg (Imperial gallons that is).
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      08-31-2019, 11:41 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AndreasG View Post
Im on 2018 530e now. I do 6 of 7 days a week fully on electric driving. One of 7 days I drive maybe 10km on gas cause battery is empty.
But very soon I'm getting 2020 model and will then do 100% of every day use on electric only. Then gas for trips and days we do something special.
This is super cheap and I also charge alot for free at work.
Indeed, the 2020 BMW 530e with the 12kWh denser battery and extended range should attract more folks to the PHEV party.

Though it would be lovely if it comes with the XtraBoost function
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      08-31-2019, 12:32 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by knightfoxx View Post
Indeed, the 2020 BMW 530e with the 12kWh denser battery and extended range should attract more folks to the PHEV party.

Though it would be lovely if it comes with the XtraBoost function
Agreed. It pulled me in very well. The CARB estimates it to have ~30mile electric range (I rounded up as the number was 27.82 or something like that). That range is enough for me to do all, but my longer trips on electric which is great.

I am a software engineer so I WFH 100% of the time so I have a lot of shorter city trips for various things and a a few times a month I end up with drives between 150 miles and 1000 miles RT. Those keep me from a BEV, but makes the PHEV a perfect choice.

Not to mention the really nasty stop and go traffic we get where I am. The pollution generated by my C300 and piss poor city fuel economy I get (~11MPG) would be good to go away from.
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      09-02-2019, 03:01 PM   #7
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45mpg for me.. seems to be dropping lately but its still good as i only charge at home or the gym
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      09-03-2019, 08:48 AM   #8
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I just filled up. 9.95 gallons after 908 miles. I drive in a spirited manner but do a lot of local driving on pure electric and I have the ability to recharge during the day between trips.

While I would appreciate the added range of a bigger battery, I would appreciate more HP as a higher priority.
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      09-03-2019, 09:18 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveinArizona View Post
Depends entirely on your driving and where you have the ability to charge. If you have the ability to charge in your garage, and at work, and do mostly local driving, you will get extraordinary range on a tank of gas.

But the benefit drops when you lose one or more of these attributes. If you do a lot of long driving, you will quickly run out of juice and will then be running the G30 in traditional hybrid mode. Your mpg will then drop.

You need to figure out what you are wanting to accomplish and then decide if the 530e meets your needs or if you need something different.
100% this.

I usually get around 450 miles per fill-up, and usually the car says I’m averaging 53-ish mpg daily in my long commutes in busy LA traffic. That’s with 80 mph driving on the freeways and also in 5 mph stop & go traffic, on both the morning & afternoon commutes, 5 days a week. I usually fill-up once every 2 weeks.

Since I can charge at work for free, this greatly helps out on my mpg. Otherwise I’m some days when I don’t charge at work, I’m getting an estimated 23-ish mpg on my drive home.

I have a heavy foot at most times, but driving the car to get a lot of range out of each fill-up isn’t hard to do.
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      09-06-2019, 11:25 AM   #10
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Based on my experience of owning one, unless you have free electricity this car will cost more to operate than a gas version. The battery, when used with the gas motor, with the setting to conserve the battery as much as possible, will only last about 30 minutes. So, for 30 minutes, you are getting great gas mileage, after that you’re getting less gas mileage than a 530i. Also, at this point, you have a dead battery that needs to be charged. If you don't have free electricity it's going to cost a lot to charge. The charge station near my gym in San Diego cost about $8 to charge the battery and due to the 30-minute battery time this means $8 daily. As for home charging, based on the KW required to charge the battery, and having to charge it daily, your electric bill will spike higher than the cost of gasoline even if your charging the car after 9 pm. I confirmed the cost of charging the car monthly by working with a representative of SDG&E my electricity provider.

For all of these reasons after 72 hours I returned the car. After going to two dealerships and two service departments and demonstrating any 530e battery off the lot would only last 30 minutes the sales team finally admitted all of this is true which is why they allowed me to return the car.

I am a car guy and the 530e is the most disappointing car purchase of my life and the first time I was ever hood winked.

Last edited by kDub2019; 09-06-2019 at 11:34 AM.. Reason: typos
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      09-06-2019, 12:21 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kDub2019 View Post
Based on my experience of owning one, unless you have free electricity this car will cost more to operate than a gas version. The battery, when used with the gas motor, with the setting to conserve the battery as much as possible, will only last about 30 minutes. So, for 30 minutes, you are getting great gas mileage, after that you’re getting less gas mileage than a 530i. Also, at this point, you have a dead battery that needs to be charged. If you don't have free electricity it's going to cost a lot to charge. The charge station near my gym in San Diego cost about $8 to charge the battery and due to the 30-minute battery time this means $8 daily. As for home charging, based on the KW required to charge the battery, and having to charge it daily, your electric bill will spike higher than the cost of gasoline even if your charging the car after 9 pm. I confirmed the cost of charging the car monthly by working with a representative of SDG&E my electricity provider.

For all of these reasons after 72 hours I returned the car. After going to two dealerships and two service departments and demonstrating any 530e battery off the lot would only last 30 minutes the sales team finally admitted all of this is true which is why they allowed me to return the car.

I am a car guy and the 530e is the most disappointing car purchase of my life and the first time I was ever hood winked.
It looks like you are not the right candidate for a 530e. Sounds like you have a longish commute. As I noted above, weather a 530e makes sense depends upon your driving situation. Because the battery capacity is so small, I never charge outside of my house and charge in my house other than during the 3-8 PM high cost time.

The car does default to using the electric motor a lot, especially if you are doing urban driving. But once you "deplete" the battery you have not really depleted it. There is still capacity left for boost so you are essentially driving a regular hybrid.

Ultimately, it is good that we have so many choices in cars. For some, pure electrics work great; for others...hybrids; for most regular ICE cars, some configured for fuel economy and some for performance, etc.

Enjoy yours.
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      09-06-2019, 01:15 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveinArizona View Post
It looks like you are not the right candidate for a 530e. Sounds like you have a longish commute. As I noted above, weather a 530e makes sense depends upon your driving situation. Because the battery capacity is so small, I never charge outside of my house and charge in my house other than during the 3-8 PM high cost time.

The car does default to using the electric motor a lot, especially if you are doing urban driving. But once you "deplete" the battery you have not really depleted it. There is still capacity left for boost so you are essentially driving a regular hybrid.

Ultimately, it is good that we have so many choices in cars. For some, pure electrics work great; for others...hybrids; for most regular ICE cars, some configured for fuel economy and some for performance, etc.

Enjoy yours.
That would be a 15 minute commute each way for a round trip of 30 minutes. Assuming you don't have a free charger at work you would come home with a dead battery every day especially if you drive 5 minutes to lunch each way. Both the 10 minute and 5 minute estimates are likely below average times for anyone using a car who does not work from home. In addition to this any weekend trip to go play golf, visit friends and family etc. is again going to deplete the battery and a road trip is a joke.

This is NOT how the BMW sales department sells the vehicle. When I originally confronted them about my observations two different dealerships told me that my car must be defective. However both service department managers at the dealerships said - "no this is how the car works - the sales department just plays dumb so they don't lose the sale".

These were AutoNation dealerships (Encinitas). When I called BMW-NA they said "we don't get involved in dealership issues" after 3 days of internal escalations.

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      09-06-2019, 02:21 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kDub2019 View Post
That would be a 15 minute commute each way for a round trip of 30 minutes. Assuming you don't have a free charger at work you would come home with a dead battery every day especially if you drive 5 minutes to lunch each way. Both the 10 minute and 5 minute estimates are likely below average times for anyone using a car who does not work from home. In addition to this any weekend trip to go play golf, visit friends and family etc. is again going to deplete the battery and a road trip is a joke.

This is NOT how the BMW sales department sells the vehicle. When I originally confronted them about my observations two different dealerships told me that my car must be defective. However both service department managers at the dealerships said - "no this is how the car works - the sales department just plays dumb so they don't lose the sale".

These were AutoNation dealerships (Encinitas). When I called BMW-NA they said "we don't get involved in dealership issues" after 3 days of internal escalations.

How did the BMW dealer market it to you?

Hybrids and EVs are a shift that takes a bit of research to determine where it may or may not fit for each owner. If your goal is to get long electric only range then you're better off going with a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) like a Tesla or a Bolt. If your goal is to get a hybrid with a very long range there are other great choices as well like the Prius.

The MY2020 530e boosts the battery capacity which I'm excited to get a chance to try, but it won't be boosted into the 50 mile golden zone yet. As there is always a trade off to be made in terms of weight.

BMW compromised on total range for the 530e which isn't ideal for a person needing to lean heavily to the electrical side, but they countered that with a PHEV that performs really well and allows to 530e to retain a lot of the driving characteristics of its gas sibling. You won't be driving a 530e and feeling like you're in a Prius where acceleration and everything leans heavily toward the fuel efficiency side of the spectrum.

If you don't charge the 530e ever it is a less than ideal purchase as you'll be lugging along the dead weight of the electric power train which is about 500lbs. If your electricity costs are so high that gas is cheaper then any EV Hybrid or not is going to be a poor buy. Charging the EV battery from gas is a bad idea unless you're in the EU and need to go into a zone where it is illegal to turn on your gas engine.

If you asked me to explain the 530e I would say it is a PHEV whose primary job is to give a 5-series driver a car that benefits from the EV perks (improved fuel economy, HOV lane access (some US states), lower taxes (gov rebates, etc), and EV restriction compliance (some EU cities are banning gas cars in the city). While still driving and feeling like a normal 5-series. It is a 5-series first and an economical car second (which is to be expected on a $60K car).

For me, where I live I can drive for 45 minutes on the highway and have only made it 6 miles. Joys of living in the super congested NE US. I plan on charging the car regularly (a full charge will cost me under $2 @ ~16 cents per kWh compared to over $3.50 for a gallon of premium gas) even living in the city where I lack a garage . Compared to the 11MPG I'm netting on my current car this car will be an all around winner.

But again... Every situation is unique and you need to dig deep into where and how this stuff will impact you. Sales people will always tell you what will net a sale as their job is to sell you something. Your job is to think of every reason why it won't work and push back to make sure your needs are met
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      09-07-2019, 12:56 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveinArizona View Post
I just filled up. 9.95 gallons after 908 miles. I drive in a spirited manner but do a lot of local driving on pure electric and I have the ability to recharge during the day between trips.

While I would appreciate the added range of a bigger battery, I would appreciate more HP as a higher priority.
Agreed and this is why PHEVs look good on paper but in real life make many trade offs. To me the 530e would have been a more appealing alternative with a 50-100 mile of pure EV range. I mean in its current configuration the mileage is impressive but the added weight and complexity not sure if makes it worth it long run.

On an added note, one aspect I really like in the 530e is the ability to pre-cool the cabin of the car in very hot climates.
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      09-08-2019, 05:15 PM   #15
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It was marketed as 72mpg and HOV lane stickers. In SoCal the HOV lane stickers are a huge bonus. The 72 mpg never happened.
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      09-09-2019, 12:21 AM   #16
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It was marketed as 72mpg and HOV lane stickers. In SoCal the HOV lane stickers are a huge bonus. The 72 mpg never happened.
Yeah, the 72MPGe that BMW advertises is the EPA efficiency number. I'm not sure I fully understand how the EPA comes up with the MPGe number, but it is aimed at trying to offer a number that enables you to "cross-shop" across fuel types.

https://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/text...-vehicle-label

Just like any of the EPA numbers they may require some shifts to driving style to achieve them.

I would say ~40MPG is probably a reasonably safe guesstimate as to typical fuel economy on the 530e with regular charging. Some report quote higher on this forum (as they aim to hypermile) and some report less (they charge less frequently and/or drive more spirited).

A small sample of drivers who share their fuel economy numbers: http://www.fuelly.com/car/bmw/530e_xdrive
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      09-09-2019, 03:42 AM   #17
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FYI my 530e loaner, on only gasoline, got 32 mpg with driving that gets 36 mpg with my 535d
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      09-09-2019, 10:24 AM   #18
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FYI my 530e loaner, on only gasoline, got 32 mpg with driving that gets 36 mpg with my 535d
In the EU MB has a E300de that would be a good option for a diesel driver. As that's able to do over 50MPG before being plugged in (which makes sense as diesel is more efficient than gas).

https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/...ic/first-drive

I don't think we'll see diesel here in the US soon though after the emissions scandal. They seem to be gone from the market here for new models.
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      09-09-2019, 02:14 PM   #19
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In the EU MB has a E300de that would be a good option for a diesel driver. As that's able to do over 50MPG before being plugged in (which makes sense as diesel is more efficient than gas).

https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/...ic/first-drive

I don't think we'll see diesel here in the US soon though after the emissions scandal. They seem to be gone from the market here for new models.
Mazda has a new CX-5 diesel and is contemplating bringing in a 6 sedan diesel. Good news. https://www.mazdausa.com

Light trucks also have new versions using a smaller diesel motor: https://news.pickuptrucks.com/diesels/

A hybrid diesel for North America seems like a stretch, but given how many prefer pickup trucks for the long haul, it may work.
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      09-09-2019, 02:25 PM   #20
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Mazda has a new CX-5 diesel and is contemplating bringing in a 6 sedan diesel. Good news. https://www.mazdausa.com

Light trucks also have new versions using a smaller diesel motor: https://news.pickuptrucks.com/diesels/

A hybrid diesel for North America seems like a stretch, but given how many prefer pickup trucks for the long haul, it may work.

Cool!

The German manufacturers may be staying out since they were all in some way affected by the fallout of the scandal. BMW, Mercedes, and Audi used to have a few diesel options before the scandal and now none do in the US market anyway.


Would be a cool option as I think those who love Diesel would really enjoy it in a PHEV combo.
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