Driving
16
Possible range
The vehicle can travel approx. 1.5 miles/2.5 km
under electric power.
Driving with combustion engine: DRIVE
The combustion engine supplies the drive out-
put for moving the vehicle. The high-voltage
battery is charged at the same time.
Automatic starting while driving
Under the following circumstances, the com-
bustion engine is started automatically while
driving:
>transmission position M/S selected
>driving speed greater than 40 mph/65 km/h
>low charge state or fully charged high-volt-
age battery, e.g. when driving downhill
>to protect the high-voltage system from
overheating, e.g. when driving downhill
>high output request, e.g. by accelerator
pedal position.
Automatic switching off while driving
When decelerating under the conditions for
electric driving, refer to page15, the combus-
tion engine is switched off.
Assisted combustion engine
The combustion engine supplies the main drive
output for moving the vehicle.
The electric motors assist by providing addi-
tional drive output as needed.
eBOOST
When accelerating quickly, e.g. when passing
another vehicle, power from the two electric
motors simultaneously is requested in addition
to that of the combustion engine. To trigger
this, step down hard on the accelerator pedal.
Display in the instrument panel, refer to
page22.
Energy recovery: CHARGE
The hybrid system makes it possible to convert
kinetic energy into electrical current, e.g. during braking. This energy recovery is used to charge
the high-voltage battery. The battery supplies
this stored energy back to the electric motors
as needed.
To recover the braking energy, the following
conditions must be met:
>The vehicle is in motion.
>The selector lever is in the position D, R, or
M/S.
>The high-voltage battery is not completely
charged.
Display of energy recovery in the instrument
panel, refer to page22
Two-Mode Active
Transmission with Steptronic
The Das Two-Mode Active Transmission is an
automatic transmission in which the gears can
be shifted in a fully automatic fashion or can be
shifted manually on demand. The manual shift-
ing is performed using the selector lever or the
shifting paddles of the Steptronic, refer to
page18.
Automatic shifting may be perceptible
when decelerating at a low speed.<
Transmission positions
P R N D M/S + –
Hold the brake pedal down until starting
to drive; otherwise, the vehicle can begin
to roll.<
Displays in instrument panel
P R N D, S1 through S7, M1 through M7
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
17
The transmission position and the currently
engaged gear are displayed.
Selecting transmission position
>You can select transmission positions D, R
or N only when drive readiness is activated.
>With the vehicle stationary, depress the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise the shift command will not be
executed: shiftlock.
Hold the brake pedal down until start-
ing to drive; otherwise, the vehicle can
begin to move.<
Shifting into D, R, N
Briefly press the selector lever in the desired
direction, beyond a resistance point if neces-
sary. When shifting out of P or into R, simulta-
neously push the unlock button1.
The engaged transmission position is displayed
on the selector lever.
The selector lever immediately returns to the
center position when released.
Shifting into P
Press buttonP.When the vehicle is stationary and the
transmission is in the R, D, or M/S posi-
tion, if you disconnect the driver's seat safety
belt and open the driver's door without stepping
on any of the pedals, then the transmission
shifts into position P.<
R Reverse
Select only with the vehicle stationary.
An interlock prevents inadvertent gearshifts
into transmission position R. To release the
lock, push the unlock button1.
During electric driving, please note that
pedestrians and other road users may fail
to notice the vehicle in the usual way due to the
lack of engine noise. For example, proceed with
particular caution when pulling into and out of a
parking space.<
P Park
Select only with the vehicle stationary. The rear
wheels are locked.
The transmission automatically shifts into
P as soon as you switch off the engine.
Unless position N is selected and the remote
control is in the ignition lock.<
N Neutral
Can be selected in automatic car washes, for
example. The vehicle can roll.
The transmission remains in N even after
the engine is switched off whenever you
leave the remote control in the ignition lock.
This function is used, for example, in a car wash,
refer to page15. After approx. 30 minutes P is
automatically engaged.<
Shifting into N
It is possible to select N even when the ignition
is switched on.
I t i s t h u s p o s s i b l e t o m o v e t h e v e h i c l e , e . g . i n t h e
event of a malfunction, even if it is not possible
to activate drive readiness.
Driving
18
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are shifted automatically. Depend-
ing on operating conditions, the vehicle is
driven electrically or with the combustion
engine.
The fuel consumption is the lowest in transmis-
sion position D.
Kick-down
The kick-down mode provides maximum accel-
eration.
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the
increased resistance at full throttle.
Due to the high power requested, the combus-
tion engine is started and is assisted by the
electric motors as needed.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Press selector lever out of transmission
position D toward the left:
The sport program is activated, S and the
engaged gear are displayed in the instrument
panel. This position is recommended for a per-
formance-oriented driving style.
With the sport program activated, the combus-
tion engine is always started.
When the selector lever is pressed forward or
back, the manual mode is activated and the
Steptronic shifts the gear. For example, M3 is
displayed in the instrument panel.
Upshifts and downshifts are executed only
when they will result in a plausible combination
of engine and vehicle speed; thus, for example,
a downshift that would cause the engine to
overrev will not be executed by the system. The selected gear is briefly displayed in the instru-
ment panel, followed by the current gear.
To use the automatic function again, press the
selector lever to the right into position D.
Changing gears using shifting paddles
on steering wheel
The shifting paddles make it possible to quickly
change gears since both hands can remain on
the steering wheel.
>Upshifting: pull on one of the shifting pad-
dles, arrows +.
>Downshifting: press on one of the shifting
paddles, arrows –.
The gear change using the shifting paddles can
be executed in automatic mode D or in manual
mode M/S.
When the shifting paddles are actuated during
electric driving, the combustion engine starts.
Changing gears in manual mode M/S
With manual mode activated, gear changes are
executed using the shifting paddles or the
selector lever.
With the transmission position M/S selected,
the manual mode remains active.
Changing gears in automatic mode D
Even in automatic mode D, gear shifts can be
executed using the shifting paddles.
The combustion engine starts.
Then if a certa in amount of time pas ses witho ut
a gear change being executed using the shifting
paddles or a corresponding acceleration, then
the transmission returns to automatic shifting
of the forward gears.
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
19
Cruise control
The concept
The cruise control is available for use at speeds
of approx. 20 mph/30 km/h. The vehicle stores
and maintains the speed that you set using the
lever mounted on the steering column.
The cruise control can also be activated
during electric driving, eDRIVE. The
cruise control provides a particularly sensitive
adjustment of the electric drive output.<
Do not use the cruise control under driv-
ing conditions that do not permit a con-
stant speed, e.g. when driving on winding
roads, in heavy traffic or in poor road conditions
such as snow, rain, ice, and loose road surface.
Otherwise you could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident.<
One lever for all functions
1Storing speed and maintaining or increas-
ing
2Storing speed and maintaining or decreas-
ing
3Deactivating cruise control
4Resuming stored speed
Maintaining current speed
Briefly press, arrow1, or briefly pull, arrow2
lever.
The speed currently being driven is stored and
maintained. It is indicated on the speedometer
and briefly in the instrument panel.
If the engine braking effect is not sufficient on
steep downhill slopes, the vehicle may exceed
the set speed.
Increasing speed
Repeatedly press the lever up to or beyond the
resistance point, arrow1, until the desired
speed is set.
>Each time the lever is pressed to the resis-
tance point, the speed is increased by
approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
>Each time the lever is pressed beyond the
resistance point, the desired speed
increases by a maximum of 5 mph or
10 km/h.
The system stores the setting and maintains
the set speed.
Accelerating with lever
Accelerate slightly:
Press the lever up to the resistance point,
arrow1, until the desired speed is reached.
Accelerate more rapidly:
Press the lever beyond the resistance point,
arrow1, until the desired speed is reached.
The vehicle accelerates without pressure on
the accelerator pedal. The system stores the
setting and maintains the set speed.
Reducing speed
Repeatedly pull the lever up to the resistance
point or beyond, arrow2, until the desired
speed is displayed.
>Each time the lever is pulled up to the resis-
tance point, the desired speed decreases
by approx. 1 mph or 1 km/h.
>Each time the lever is pulled beyond the
resistance point, the desired speed is
decreased by a maximum of 5 mph or
10 km/h until the minimum speed of
20 mph or 30 km/h is reached.
The system stores the setting and maintains
the set speed.
Deactivating cruise control
Briefly press the lever up or down, arrow3.
The displays in the speedometer go out.
In addition, the system is automatically deacti-
vated:
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
21
Everything under control
Charge state display
Shows the available charge on a scale from 0 to
1 when drive readiness is switched on. At the
scale value 1, the high-voltage battery is fully
charged. The five segments divide the scale
into ranges of 20% each.
In normal driving operation, the high-voltage
battery is charged to approx. 80%. This permits
the hybrid system to make optimal use of the
energy recovery when decelerating or driving
downhill.
Even at the scale value 0, the hybrid system is
still under high voltage.
Displaying operating modes
Energy flows
In all operating modes of the vehicle, the energy
flows can be displayed on the Control Display.
This gives you an overview of the functioning of
the hybrid system in different driving condi-
tions.
Accessing the energy flow display
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Hybrid"
3.Energy flows are displayed.
The energy flow display functions according to
the following principle:
>Blue: Electrical energy.
>Red: Energy from the combustion engine.
>Arrow: Direction of the energy flow.
>Segments of the high-voltage battery sym-
bolize the charge state.
>The operating modes are displayed: DRIVE,
eDRIVE, CHARGE, eBOOST
Operating by voice activation*
You can also select the "Hybrid" menu using
voice activation.
{Hybrid}.
The menu is selected.
Everything under control
22
Electric driving: eDRIVE
During electric driving, the power output by the
electric motors is indicated by arrows:
Depending on the position of the accelerator
pedal, up to four arrows light up one after
another.
The tachometer pointer is in the READY posi-
tion.
If all four arrows have already lit up, when addi-
tional drive power is needed, e.g. for accelera-
tion, the combustion engine is switched on.
Assisted combustion engine: eBOOST
At the maximum output from the electric
motors, all four arrows light up simultaneously.
Energy recovery: CHARGE
The energy recovery is indicated in the tachom-
eter as an arrow with the + symbol: The high-
voltage battery is charged.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 22.5 US gal/
85 liters. You will find information on refueling
on page32.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
After the reserve quantity has been reached, a
message briefly appears on the Control Display;
the remaining range is shown in the computer.
Below a range of approx. 30 miles/50 km, the
message remains on the Control Display.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<
Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
23
Climate
Air-conditioning functions, refer to BMW X6
Owner's Manual.
Special features of the automatic air-
conditioning system
The automatic air-conditioning system of your
BMW with an electric air-conditioning com-
pressor is independent of the combustion
engine.
It is thus pos sible to have a comf orta ble climate
in the vehicle interior even when the combus-
tion engine is switched off.
Automatic air-conditioning system
with drive readiness
The automatic air-conditioning system can be
used as usual whenever drive readiness is
switched on, for example during electric driving.
If there is no longer a sufficient charge in the
high-voltage battery, then the combustion
engine is switched on.
Cooling function while stationary
The cooling function can be acti-
vated while stationary if the ignition
is switched on.
1.Switch on the ignition.
2.Press the button.
The cooling function is switched on.
If there is no longer a sufficient charge in the
high-voltage battery, then the cooling function
is switched off.
More information can be found in the BMW X6
Owner's Manual.
Cooling of the high-voltage system
The automatic air-conditioning system is also
used to cool the high-voltage system.
Therefore the air-conditioning compressor can
automatically switch on, even when the cooling
function of the automatic air-conditioning sys-
tem is switched off.After the vehicle is switched off, audible operat-
ing sounds may issue from the hybrid system,
e.g. the cooling of the high-voltage battery.
Things to remember when driving
26
Things to remember when driving
Break-in period
Moving parts need breaking-in time to adjust to
each other. To ensure that your vehicle contin-
ues to provide optimized economy of operation
throughout an extended service life, we request
that you devote careful attention to the follow-
ing section.
Engine and rear axle differential
Always obey all official speed limits.
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Drive at various engine and vehicle speeds, but
do not exceed:
>4,500 rpm or 100 mph/160 km/h
Avoid full-throttle operation and use of the
transmission's kick-down mode during these
initial miles.
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km
The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be
increased.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of
approx. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimized
contact and wear patterns between brake pads
and rotors. Drive in a reserved manner during
this break-in period.
Following part replacement
Observe the break-in instructions again if com-
ponents mentioned above must be replaced
after subsequent driving operation.
Saving fuel
The fuel consumption of your vehicle depends
on various factors. Through a few simple steps,
your driving style, and regular maintenance, you
can have a positive influence on your fuel con-
sumption and environmental impact.
Removing unnecessary cargo
Additional weight increases fuel consumption.
Removing add-on parts after use
Remove unneeded auxiliary mirrors, roof or rear
luggage racks after use. Add-on parts attached
to the vehicle impede the aerodynamics and
increase the fuel consumption.
Closing windows and glass sunroof*
An open glass sunroof or window likewise
increases air resistance and thus fuel consump-
tion.
Checking tire inflation pressures
regularly
Check and correct the tire inflation pressure as
needed at least twice a month and before long
trips.
An insufficient tire inflation pressure increases
the rolling resistance and thus increases the
fuel consumption and tire wear.
Driving off immediately
Do not allow the engine to warm up by leaving it
running while the vehicle remains stationary.
Instead, begin to drive at a moderate engine
speed. This is the fastest way for the cold
engine to reach its operating temperature.
Thinking ahead when driving
Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.
To do so, maintain the appropriate distance
from the vehicle in front of you. An anticipatory
and smooth driving style reduces fuel con-
sumption.
Avoiding high engine speeds
Driving at a low engine speed reduces fuel con-
sumption and minimizes wear.