There is a continuous charge toward our electric future and there’s no doubt that we will all be driving some form of electric car in the very near future. The reason I can be sure of that statement is that the big boys are taking it seriously.
Not that long ago the pinnacle of speed and power in diesel was the BMW 530d and 535d. They were amazingly fast and relatively cheap to run unless you blew a turbo and then you needed to get a second mortgage to fix it. Now you can’t get the first mortgage or find any houses to buy, how times haven’t changed a bit.
The 530e is a plug-in hybrid that uses a battery system to supplement a 2.0ltr petrol engine. When I got into the car I thought there was something wrong because the battery range was just 30kms and that’s very short.
It wasn’t until I’d driven for a few miles that I realised the fuel gauges seem to give the worst possible scenario. I had driven over 100kms and still had some battery supplements but that did take me pressing lots of buttons and settings.
Electric and hybrid cars are active, there are setting that you need to adjust to get the best range from any of them. This is a good thing because it makes the driver more aware of the fuel situation and also aware of the impact of long drives or even overtaking.
BMW has really hit the mark with the 530e because the more I drove it the more it made me happy. Yes, there’s the inconvenience of having to plug it in for a charge a lot but that smug feeling of getting free electricity on the street, and free parking if you’re in Portlaoise. It’s the performance that works well with 248bhp and 420Nm of torque available to wrench your neck it’s no slouch.
So should you trade in your executive diesel on the new hybrid?
The government have made it a little more attractive by scrapping the BIK for three years on electric cars but not hybrid. The diesel-powered versions will still be better for high mileage and, if you’re self-employed, you can claim the VAT back on fuel. So the simple answer is no, keep your diesel.
But, if like me, you live in Portlaoise and spend most of your time trying to figure out where the next random speed-bump/pedestrian crossing will be put down by Laois County Council. You have kids to get to school and shopping to do and you need to get to work then the 530e will do very nicely.
There will be more electric alternatives along with the hybrid range and as we research the tech behind the driving there will be a massive drive on towards renewable and sustainable transport until then BMW seems to be making all the right moves towards a bright future.
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