Inside Line put a BMW ActiveHybrid X6 on the dyno, IL and Autoblog wonder on figures lower than declared. The Italian Junkyard tries to explain why.

Lately I'm just writing the comments I'm about to post on autoblog.com and other sites here, rather than on the original page. Whatever.

First of all, the image, courtesy of BMW, seems to be wrong, as it shows both the two electric motors inside of the transmission as on the ActiveHybrid X6 and the electric motor in place of the flywheel from the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 as well.

Point in case, InsideLine dynoed a BMW ActiveHybrid X6, and got 368 bhp as a result.
While the engine should be worth about 480 bhp (WRONG), with the given losses, you'd expect the car to give similar figures to other 480 bhp cars.
So, since the Nissan GT-R and the Porsche 997 Turbo both have 480 bhp, and both gave about 405 bhp on the very same dyno, they were expecting about 30-40 additonal bhp from the BMW.

Well, no.
Make the jump to know more about it.

Why did I say that the engine doesn't develop 480 bhp, as stated both on autoblog and on IL?
Because that's actually the maximum system power, which is quite different from what the engine can express. Basically that "system" is made of the internal combustion engine, and the hybrid transmission from the Glocal Hybrid Cooperation between General Motors, Daimler and BMW.
The hybrid transmission itself contain two electric motors.
Having studied hybrids for a while for the thesis, I have a couple of things to say.

The particular system adopted by the X6 deploys its max power at lower speeds or heavy loads, while at higher speeds the system acts more like a conventional car with just a bit of additional power from the electric motors when required.
Regardless of how that it technically works, it's the electronics to decide what is going to happen, who is going to propel the car or in which percentage both the engine and the electric motors are going to work together.
So in the end, when you put an ActiveHybrid X6 on the dyno, it's the ECU to decide what's going to happen, regardless of your foot being riveted to the floor.
The system of the BMW X6 is tuned so to deliver the best performance, whit a decent mileage. It isn't made to be green, not mainly, but it still takes into account the efficiency, so when you're on the dyno and you press the throttle, the system elaborate what you're doing and come up with the conclusion "you're asking" a certain kind of performance. At this point it starts calculating which mode could be the most efficient to achieve what you asked, given the system got it right or even accepted your order (first thing that comes to mind is the brake pedal being able to switch off the accelerator pedal...TOYOTA!!!).

So, those 480 bhp are just the best you can get, but no one said under which conditions you're going to get it. Most of the time we use more power than what we need and in the wrong way, and that's precisely here that an hybrid car can make the difference, especially when equipped with CVT or automatic gearboxes. Just look at the mileage for the upcoming Honda CR-Z if equipped with the manual transmission, much lower than with the CVT.

The effect is even larger when looking at the torque, as electric motors can provide plenty of it, but it's something you don't decide, the ECUs do.

So in the end, to answer both Inside Line and Autoblog.com, the BMW ActiveHybrid X6 gave back lower numbers than expected because you weren't able to ask to the car its max system power. That doesn't exclude that BMW declared more power (or even less) than what ti actually is, but it explain the discrepancy.

Heck, at least I can say this degree is useful in some way...

Photo Copyright: BMW Group
Want to know more?

Target achieved, is that you Toyota? I hope not.

This evening (Italian time that is), Autoblog.com reported about a new case of a Toyota recall at the horizon. Are we sure that's the case?
Of course not, as the story is actually slightly different.

The facts: "several dozens" 3rd generation Prius owners reported to the NHTSA a loss of braking power.
NHTSA didn't open any investigation, but is reportedly observing the situation.

Now, many readers promptly wrote that thousands of the sea of reports are made of disinformation on the customers' side, or of inexistent problems.
Autoblog took a good approach with an analysis on the problem, trying to investigate what could have cause it. You can read the whole post HERE, and the rest of MY 2 Italian Cents after the jump.


While I'm happy for the deeper analysis of the "situation" than in other cases with a bit of a technical backing on the statements, I also think that writing this post only because "several dozens" (so I suppose less than a hundred, so a minimal number so far) folks said something is a bit of stretch. It's probably the first time I read something made out of so few reports, and I suppose a huge archive could be made out of similar cases.
The tone and the title sounds a bit like if Toyota's cars are now falling apart, as if time has eventually com for their empire, after other issues this year, from the first financial loss in more than 70 years of activity or the throttle's pedal thing. Perhaps that post isn't so bad, but it's another one on that direction.
Toyota is indeed facing a tough year, but mainly because of the media and how people/customers handle thing especially in the States.
Even my mother's Fiat had the fabric carpet which, if not repositioned every now and then, could end behind the throttle pedal and cause it to be like "hinged" to the carpet, so revving the engine or accidentally accelerating the car.
First of all, we fixed ourselves, no need to call our dumb Prime Minister, and so should do all Toyota owners out there, while also avoiding to floor the pedal at every given moment.
Second, I saw worse issues being less covered by the media, even automotive related stories. Internet just makes things bigger and worse than what they actually are, even more than things you've heard from friends of a friend.

Probably Toyota saw all of this coming a while back, being the "cool" guy and the one who sells more obviously attracts critics and much more attention.

I'm fine with reporting issues, problems, news and everything about all automakers, but with a bit of objectivity and equally for all of them.

That said, what's about Toyota styling ugly cars? Some claims that's why people tend to criticize Toyota over Ford for instance (in those specific comments). The could well be the case I think basically all Toyota's cars are just plain if not really boring, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to "design" them, which should be quite more important, especially if talking about safety. Talk about that to Ford. No, talk about that to Explorer owners.

Honda and Toyota are doing a lot to show and demonstrate that their hybrids really pollute less than an ordinary car, because people seem to really enjoy to try to prove them wrong. I think it's actually weird on the other hand that no one went to check if an Hummer H2 or a Cadillac Escalade actually pollute what they declared or not, or if any other automaker is going after so many environmentally friendly activities as they are doing. It may not save the world but it's better than staying on your chair only criticizing what other people do.

The funny part is that I don't even like Toyota.

Image copyright. Toyota Motor Company
Want to know more?