The BMW i8 is named best hybrid car at the International Engine + Powertrain of the Year

The BMW i8 has been named winner of the International Engine + Powertrain of the Year. The BMW i8 has become the best hybrid car of 2019. The Bavarian brand’s model competed in the Best Hybrid Powertrain category and scored 233 points, while its closest rival scored only 138 points.

According to the manufacturer itself, the BMW i8 “is the pioneer and technology donor for the entire BMW hybrid family. This line is expected to grow to a total of ten models by the end of 2019. Together with the BMW i3, this model laid the foundations for the BMW group to become the market leader in the electric car segment”.

The powertrain of the BMW i8 reached the market in 2014 and, since that same year, has taken the award for best hybrid car. The latest version of the BMW i8 combines the performance of a sports car with fuel economy “worthy of a compact model”, as BMW states.

The plug-in hybrid propulsion system of the BMW i8 consists of a three-cylinder combustion engine capable of delivering 234 CV to the rear wheels and an electric motor with 143 CV that delivers power to the front axle. In addition, the best hybrid car draws its energy from a lithium-ion battery that can be recharged from a standard household socket.

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BMW i8, best hybrid car

The plug-in hybrid system of the BMW i8 is specific to the model and is also fully developed by the BMW group. It has an electric range of up to 55 kilometres, according to WLTP homologation data. The combined effect of the electric motor and the combustion engine creates all-wheel drive. This traction keeps the vehicle firmly on the road and “is activated when accelerating hard or cornering”.

The combustion engine drives the rear axle and uses the electric boost of the hybrid system to provide extra power. The best hybrid car of 2019 can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 4.4 seconds, but its combined fuel consumption, according to the WLTP cycle, is 2.0 litres per 100 kilometres, plus 14.5 kWh of electric energy.

These figures equate to 46 grams per kilometre of CO2 emissions. The BMW i8 Coupé, for its part, publishes figures of 1.8 litres per 100 kilometres and 14.0 kWh of electric energy, resulting in CO2 emissions of 42 grams per kilometre.

It is important to highlight that this edition was the 21st of the International Engine of the Year awards. “Since the event began, the powertrains developed for models from the BMW group brands have accumulated a total of 70 wins in their categories and overall. The task of selecting the best engines across numerous different classes falls to a jury of experts, which this year consisted of 70 motoring journalists from 31 countries. The jury-selected award winners were announced on 22 May at the Engine Expo in Stuttgart”.