No price premium for BMW 530e

BMW Australia has launched its seventh plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model and the first to command no price premium over the model on which it’s based.

On sale now for $108,900 plus on-road costs, the 530e iPerformance sedan costs the same as the 530i with which it shares all specifications except its PHEV powertrain.

BMW Group Australia CEO Marc Werner said the “price parity” of the 530e was a coup for the German brand.

“BMW has taken the initiative and worked very hard to remove one of the barriers to entry and that’s historically been the premium that’s been charged for electric vehicles,” he said.

“No model fee, no premium, no extra charge, nothing. The 530e is the same specification as the petrol model. This is a major step forward for this technology in Australia and one we hope to expand on in time.

“It’s a game-changer for the technology and one we’re proud to deliver.”

Werner insisted the 530e would still be profitable for BMW, but admitted the conventionally-powered 530i was expected to be more popular than its electrified sibling.

“We feel this position enables customers unprecedented access to an equivalent iPerformance vehicle, giving the 5 Series buyer an option that is environmentally strong but also great value,” he said.

“In terms of performance, the new BMW 530e blends the refinement and technology available in the new 5 Series and takes it a step further, with a sophisticated plug-in hybrid drivetrain.”

He said more electrified BMW models would join the 330e, 530e, 740e, X5 40e, i3 EV, i3 PHEV and i8, but stopped short of confirming they would also be sold for no extra cost.

“This is a test case. Other (PHEV) cars are coming, so we’ll see,” he said.

The four-cylinder 530e is relatively cheap, as evidenced by the non-plug-in ActiveHybrid 5 six-cylinder it replaces, which was $3860 more expensive than the 535i at $120,400, and the Mercedes-Benz E 350e, which costs $23,700 more than the also-2.0-litre E 300 at $131,600.

Lexus Australia offers the six-cylinder GS 450h hybrid for around the same price ($108,080) and the six-cylinder Infiniti Q70 hybrid is much cheaper at $82,900, but neither of these models have plug-in capability.

Audi Australia has only one hybrid model – the small A3 e-tron – while Tesla’s pure-electric Model S, priced from $114,385 drive-away, is in the same ballpark and the only other large plug-in sedan available Down Under.

Based on the fifth-generation (G30) 5 Series sedan, the rear-wheel drive 530i shares its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and eight-speed automatic transmission with the 530i.

But instead of producing 185kW of power and 350Nm of torque exclusively from its petrol engine like the 530i, the 530e runs a lower-output 135kW/290Nm version and adds an 83kW/250Nm electric motor in front of the automatic transmission.

The result is the same total power output of 185kW, but 70Nm more peak torque at 420Nm, lower in the rev range.

The downside is weight and boot space, thanks to high-voltage 9.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack positioned above the rear axle, which increases kerb weight by 230kg to 1770kg and raises the boot floor by 80mm, reducing its capacity by 120 litres to 410 litres.

There’s also a smaller 46-litre fuel tank and a slight change in front/rear weight distribution (51/49 v 48/52 for the 530e), but a similar weight/torque ratio means the 530e hits 100km/h in the same 6.2 seconds (claimed) as the 530i.

Of course, the big difference is CO2 emissions (just 53g/km) and fuel consumption, which at only 2.3L/100km is significantly lower than the 530i at 6.2L/100km.

That’s because the less powerful petrol engine is assisted by the electric motor, which also allows the vehicle to run in electric-only mode at speeds up to 140km/h for a maximum of 43km NEDC.

However, BMW is only claiming about 32km in Australia, where it says the average daily commuting distance is around the same figure.

Furthermore, BMW says that according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, the ‘global warming potential’ of the 530e is 15 per cent lower than that of the 530i and that, if charged only by ‘green’ energy, the PHEV can reduce its environmental impact by up to 47 per cent.

The only non-mechanical difference between 530e and 530i is a charging flap in the front-left quarter panel, blue-tinged kidney grille bars and wheel hub covers, ‘eDrive’ badging on the C-pillars and (illuminated) door sills, 530e bootlid badge, an eDrive button on the console and specific instrument gauges including a battery meter.

Like other BMW iPerformance models, the 530e comes with a stationary cooling system, Acoustic Pedestrian Protection, Extended ConnectedDrive Services featuring eDrive Services, a charging cable and six-year/100,000km battery certificate.

As with its other PHEVs, BMW says its battery can be charged to 80 per cent in less than four hours via a standard domestic power outlet socket, or in less than two hours via the optional BMW i Wallbox or a public charging station.

Standard equipment is as per 530i, including the M Sport Package with 19-inch allow wheels or the no-cost Luxury Line option, plus seven airbags, adaptive LED headlights, BMW Selective Beam and High Beam Assist, Dynamic Damper Control, wireless smartphone charging, head-up display, automatic tailgate, heated sports front seats and 16-speaker harman/kardon surround sound.

Like all new 5 Series models, the 530e also comes with latest-generation iDrive, voice and touch (via a 10.2-inch colour touch-screen) control of navigation, phone, entertainment and vehicle functions. Gesture control is optional.

All new Fives also come with six cameras, five radars and 12 ultrasonic sensors supporting Level 2 autonomous vehicle functionality dubbed Driving Assistant Plus.

This includes Steering and Lane Control Assistant, which was introduced in the latest 7 Series and allows hands-free driving for between 10 and 40 seconds on well marked highways.

Also standard is Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, Front Cross Traffic Warning, Crossroads Warning, Parking Assistant Plus, rear Active Park Distance Control, Speed Limit Info with Speed limit Assist, Surround View, Panorama View and 3D View.