
Driving
14
Drive readiness
With drive readiness activated, the vehicle is
ready to drive.
Switching on drive readiness corresponds to
starting the engine in conventional vehicles.
Drive readiness can take the following forms:
>Electric driving
The combustion engine is not switched on.
>Driving with combustion engine
The vehicle is driven by the combustion
engine.
Drive readiness in detail
Never leave the vehicle unattended with
drive readiness activated; such a vehicle
represents a potential safety hazard.<
Activating drive readiness
1.Close the driver's door.
2.Insert the remote control as far as possible
into the ignition lock. With comfort access
*,
place the remote control into the vehicle,
refer to BMW X6 Owner's Manual.
3.Depress brake pedal.
To initialize the brake system, the
brake pedal travel is longer than usual
during activation of drive readiness. After
the brake pedal is released, the pedal travel
returns to normal.<
4.Press the Start/Stop button.5.Drive readiness is active:
>Starting the combustion engine
>or electric drive readiness, silent start:
The tachometer pointer moves into the
READY position.
Electric drive readiness can be acti-
vated within an interval of approx. 2 to
60 seconds after radio readiness is
switched on, provided that the function
conditions for electric driving have been
met, refer to page15.<
Electric drive readiness, silent start
The vehicle is ready to drive without starting the
combustion engine.
Silent start, the noiseless starting of the vehicle,
can be activated within an interval of approx. 2
to 60 seconds after radio readiness is switched
on, under the following conditions:
>driver's door closed
>conditions met to allow electric driving,
refer to page15
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.<
Starting the combustion engine
When drive readiness is switched on under the
following circumstances, the combustion
engine is started:
>drive system not at operating temperature
>high temperature of hybrid system
>insufficient charge state of high-voltage
battery or fully charged high-voltage battery
If a Silent start is not possible:
Avoid frequent starting of the combustion
engine in quick succession or repeated starting
attempts in which the engine does not start.
Otherwise, the fuel is not burned or inade-
quately burned and there is a danger of over-
heating and damaging the catalytic converter.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
15
Do not run the combustion engine in
enclosed spaces; otherwise, the inhala-
tion of toxic exhaust gases can cause loss of
consciousness and death. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odorless and col-
orless, but highly toxic gas.
Never leave the vehicle unattended with the
combustion engine running; such a vehicle rep-
resents a potential safety hazard.<
Deactivating drive readiness
When drive readiness is switched off, the
tachometer pointer is in the OFF position.
When leaving the vehicle, always take
along the remote control.
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth-
erwise, the vehicle could roll.<
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.
Procedure
1.Select transmission position P with the
vehicle stationary.
2.Press the Start/Stop button.
3.Set the parking brake.
4.Remove the remote control from the igni-
tion lock.
Before removing the remote control, first
press it in as far as possible to release the
locking device.
Before driving into a car wash
The vehicle can roll if you proceed according to
the following steps:
1.With comfort access
*: insert the remote
control into the ignition lock.
2.Depress brake pedal.
3.Select transmission position N.
4.Release the parking brake or deactivate
Automatic Hold.
5.Press the Start/Stop button to deactivate
drive readiness.
Transmission position P will be selected:
>automatically after approx. 30 minutes>if you remove the remote control from the
ignition lock
Starting to drive
1.Activate drive readiness.
2.Select transmission position D, M/S, or R.
3.Release the parking brake.
4.Start to drive.
Driving
Electric driving: eDRIVE
Requirements
Electric driving is possible under the following
conditions:
>driving speed:
a maximum of approx. 37 mph/60 km/h
>charge state display of the high-voltage
battery: at least 15%
>transmission in position D or R, refer to
page17
>drive system at operating temperature
>accelerator pedal not pressed down too far
>driver's door closed
Possible driving speed
The possible speed that can be reached in elec-
tric driving depends on the charge state of the
high-voltage battery.
>charge state display 15% to 40%:
maximum driving speed is approx. 25 mph/
40 km/h
>charge state display 40% to 100%:
maximum driving speed is approx. 40 mph/
65 km/h
When accelerating past a speed of 25 mph/
40 km/h, the combustion engine is started
briefly in order to assure smooth acceleration.
Indicators of electric driving in the instrument
panel, refer to page22.

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
20 >when braking
>when transmission position N is engaged
>when DTC is activated or DSC is deacti-
vated
>when HDC is activated
>when the parking brake is set
>when driving stability control systems inter-
vene
Accelerating does not deactivate the cruise
control. After releasing the accelerator pedal,
the stored speed is reached and maintained
again.
Warning lamp
The warning lamp lights up if the
cruise control has been deactivated
automatically, e.g. by a control inter-
vention of the DSC. A message appears on the
Control Display.
Resuming stored speed
Briefly press the button, arrow4. The stored
speed is resumed and maintained.
With the ignition switched off, the stored speed
value is deleted and cannot be resumed again.
Displays in instrument panel
1Stored desired speed
2Selected desired speed appears briefly
If --- mph or --- km/h temporarily appears in the
instrument panel display, it is possible that the
system prerequisites for operation are currently
not met.
Malfunction
The warning lamp lights up if the sys-
tem has failed. A message appears on
the Control Display.

Giving and receiving assistance
40 trained personnel. Otherwise, there is the risk of
life-threatening injury by electrocution due to
the high voltage of the hybrid system.<
Hybrid system: Contact with water
The hybrid system is generally safe, even in the
following sample situations:
>Water in the footwell, e.g. when rain show-
ers occur with an open glass roof.
>The vehicle is in water, e.g. in a flood.
>Fluid escapes in the cargo bay.
In these cases, there is no danger of being
injured by electrocution. Other types of damage
to the vehicle are possible.
Hybrid system: Automatic deactivation
In the event of an accident, the hybrid system is
switched off automatically in order to protect
passengers and other road users from injury.
The high-voltage system is automatically
switched off in the following sample situations:
>Sensors of the airbag system detect an
accident
>Obstacles on the road damage the under-
body and high-voltage cables
After an accident, do not touch any
exposed high-voltage components. Oth-
erwise, there is the risk of life-threatening injury
by electrocution due to the high voltage of the
hybrid system.<
Also follow the instructions for what to do after
an accident.
What to do after an accident
If you should get into an accident with your
vehicle, the following safety precautions must
be taken with regard to the hybrid system:
>Secure the accident site.
>Immediately inform the paramedics, police,
o r f ir e d e p a r t m e n t o f t h e f a c t t h a t i t i s a v e h i-
cle equipped with a hybrid system.>Move the selector lever into position P, set
the parking brake, and switch off drive
readiness.
>Do not touch any orange high-voltage
cables and connectors or high-voltage
components. Otherwise, there is the risk of
life-threatening injury by electrocution.
>Do not inhale gases emanating from the
high-voltage battery. Stay away from the
vehicle if necessary.
>Contact a service center in order to ascer-
tain the damage.