Since we have our long-term tester, the 2025 BMW M5 (G90), we have decided that it was the perfect opportunity to carry out an electrical area test-even as hypermiling, to see how many miles we could extract from any charging. The latest M5 combines a powerful twin turbo V8 engine with an effective electric motor that combines traditional performance with modern efficiency.
First plug-in hybrid BMW M5
The heart of the new M5 is the 4.4-liter S68-V8 with two turbola, specially designated S68B44T0, which has an impressive performance of 577 hp and 553 LB-FT (750 Nm) torque. The peak torque arrives early with only 1,800 rpm and lasts up to 5,400 rpm, which means that the full 577 hp of the engine delivers between 5,600 and 6,500 rpm. And if you ask yourself how high it turns, BMW sets the redline to exciting 7,200 rpm.
The addition of this combustion house is an electric motor that is properly integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. This electric motor generates 194 hp and 207 LB-FT (280 Nm) with a current torque. The electricity comes from a lithium-ion battery that is strategically placed in the underbody, the interior preserves and optimized the weight distribution. Interestingly, the net energy capacity of the battery varies according to market regulations: worldwide the Battery offers 18.6 kWhBut in the United States, regulatory restrictions limit the usable capacity to fair 14.8 kWh.
In view of the performance of the Auto-717 PS-and 738 LB-FT (1,000 Nm) Total system output sausage, our interest aroused our interest with its purely electrical skills. According to the EPA or about 65 kilometers in the WLTP cycle, the official figures are the electrical range of the M5. However, scenarios in the real world can sometimes deliver surprising results, so we strived to test them first -hand.
Electrical area test
The methodology was uncomplicated for our electrical area test. We started fully charging the battery with a load station of level 2, whereby the dashboard had an optimistic 33 miles available EV range. The conditions during our test were mild, and the outdoor temperatures between 55 ° F and 60 ° F – typical spring weather in Chicago.
Our route was developed to reflect realistic driving conditions and combine urban traffic jams, steady city cruise and motorway rides. We deliberately avoided the extremes: no hyperaggressive braking regeneration and no artificially slow speeds. The braking regeneration was set in the drive train settings for “Max”, but the driving habits were kept as naturally as possible, with speeds limited around 65 miles per hour – a practical compromise for the typical motorway traffic around Chicago.
Before we stand on our trip, we reset the M5 travel computer for accuracy. During the test, the M5 conveniently carried out in electrical mode, although the car limits the pure electrical highest speed to 140 km/h to 87 km/h. This restriction was not a problem in view of our normal driving conditions.
20% more area than the EPA rating
At the end of our real EV Range test, the BMW M5 exceeded the official expectations and provided a remarkable almost 40 miles purely electrical ride-15 miles more than the evaluation of the EPA. An interesting observation occurred when the area of the battery was waned: If only a mile of EV was left, the M5 hybrid system proactively used the petrol engine to maintain the health of the battery and maintain optimal fees of the country.
In the end, our hypermiling experiment demonstrated the impressive double nature of the new BMW M5: an impressive performance if you want it, and considerable efficiency if you are carefully driven.
