What is the typical range of a BMW Hybrid & Plug-in Hybrid car?

The driving range of a BMW hybrid plug-in is different depending on each specific model. The BMW X1 hybrid – a plug-in – has an all-electric range of over 50 miles, while the BMW X3 hybrid , also a plug-in, can cover around 30 miles using the electric motor. Typical range of BMW plug-in hybrid cars is between 30 and 50 miles. Traditional hybrid cars have much smaller electric-only ranges.

How long does it take to charge BMW Hybrid & Plug-in Hybrid cars?

Charging time for BMW plug-in cars depends on the type of charger and charging unit you use, and which model you own. A plug-in BMW hybrid with a bigger-sized battery – and a larger driving range – will take longer to charge. Guidelines from BMW suggest that charging using a domestic-style 3 pin plug can take up to 12 hours – ideal for overnight – while using a Wallbox charging point can cut that right down to around four hours. Using the type of DC charging facilities located at service stations can speed charging time to as quick as 15 minutes, in some cases.

Do BMW Hybrid & PHEV cars pay the congestion charge?

If you drive in London’s Congestion Charge zone within certain times of the day – currently 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 12pm to 6pm at weekends – you will need to pay a charge. Only electric cars are exempt, so if you drive a BMW hybrid or PHEV car, you will need to pay the congestion charge. The cleaner vehicle discount that applies to electric battery cars will be discontinued from December 25th, 2025.

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BMW Hybrid & Plug-in Hybrid Cars

Plug-in hybrid cars from BMW

With a BMW hybrid car, you’re in a win-win situation. Driving a plug-in hybrid BMW provides the perfect choice for motorists who want to use all-electric mode for shorter journeys – saving on fuel consumption and low emissions – but also switch over to a combustion engine when needed.

It means you can drive longer journeys using fuel, like a traditional petrol car, but then seamlessly move into pure-electric power for shorter trips. If you haven’t yet driven or owned an electric vehicle and aren’t quite ready to make the switch across to one, a plug-in electric hybrid car (PHEV) or a mild hybrid electric car (MHEV) can be the ideal choice, giving you the flexibility and versatility to drive how you want, when you want.

You can explore the range of BMW hybrid – and electric – cars for sale at Dick Lovett BMW here.

There are clear benefits to buying a plug-in hybrid car from BMW.

There are two major advantages – fuel economy and lower emissions. Although a hybrid car has a petrol engine and needs to be refuelled at the pump, because it also has an electric motor and therefore two different sources of power, you’ll typically use less fuel. Or, the fuel you use will go further.

Hybrid cars are configured to use electric power for shorter journeys. The driving range in electric mode is much shorter than an all-electric car but it’s still possible to achieve all your daily driving exclusively on electric. Average ranges are 30-40 miles, with the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, at 57 miles, and the BMW X5 hybrid, at 54 miles, able to go further. With re-charging, if you tend to drive mainly short distances most of the time, you may not even need to use the petrol engine very often at all.

The other key benefit is the reduced emissions from a hybrid car. The development and introduction of hybrid and electric cars were intended primarily to cut back on the amount of harmful CO2 emissions released into the environment. A hybrid car produces less emissions than a petrol or diesel car, because it also has an electric motor. And, when it’s in all-electric driving mode, it produces none at all.

Improved fuel economy and reduced emissions are the two main practical benefits of a BMW hybrid, but the driving experience shouldn’t be underestimated either. Driving a plug-in hybrid BMW car delivers almost instant acceleration, and a welcome boost of power as the petrol engine and electric motor combine.

In all-electric mode, a plug-in hybrid car is almost silent, too – little to no noise (though there is minor output, which is required to alert other road users and pedestrians).

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer Plug-in Hybrid

From: £40,070

This powerful MPV has a petrol engine, supported by an electric motor. Drive in pure electric mode, and the range is up to a solid 57 miles*. With a top speed of 126mph and 0-62mph acceleration in 6.7 seconds, performance is impressive.

BMW 3 Series Saloon Plug-in Hybrid

From: £46,985

The 3 Series Saloon offers a TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine and a top speed of 142mph, but switch to all-electric mode and you can still get up to 86mph. All-electric driving range is up to 37 miles*. Sporty handling, seats and a host of assistance features make this a dream to drive.

BMW 3 Series Touring Plug-in Hybrid

From: £48,785

With a power output of 292 bhp and 300 Nm and an all-electric range of up to 37 miles*, the 3 Series Touring PHEV excels in many areas. Its innovative plug-in hybrid drive technology offers flexibility and efficiency in every driving situation, with xDrive also available.

BMW 5 Series Saloon Plug-in Hybrid

From: £59,455

This spacious and versatile saloon is available in two different configurations - the 530e or 550e xDrive. With a maximum pure-electric driving range of 63 miles*, you can enjoy emission-free journeys. Thanks to BMW’s latest plug-in hybrid system, high levels of responsiveness and comfort are guaranteed.

BMW 5 Series Touring Plug-in Hybrid

From: £61,705

Conveniently situated between the purely internal combustion engine 5 Series Touring and the fully-electric i5 Touring, the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant delivers exceptional versatility. An all-electric driving range of up to 60 miles*, paired with cutting-edge technology make this model both a pleasure to drive and ready to take on any challenge.

BMW M5 Saloon

From: £111,405

BMW’s first M5 featuring M Hybrid technology. With an all-electric operating mode, you can now travel up to 43 miles* on a single charge. An M xDrive all-wheel-drive system accompanies an M Steptronic transmission, helping you to reach 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds.

BMW 7 Series

From: £105,510

Fitted with a petrol engine and E-drive electric motor that delivers a range of up to 36 miles* and max speed of 86 mph (155mph in petrol mode), the BMW 7 Series PHEV comes with BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant and Parking Assistant as standard. Inside, Nappa leather upholstery confirms the luxury feel.

BMW M760e xDrive

From: £121,085

BMWs first plug-in hybrid M Performance vehicle. The M760e produces 571 bhp and 800 Nm while maintaining the luxury of the 7 Series. 0-62 mph is achieved in only 4.3 seconds thanks to the 6-cylinder TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and electric eDrive technology. The M760e can achieve more than 49 miles* in pure electric mode.

BMW X1 Plug-in Hybrid

From: £42,670

This SUV has an electric driving range of up to 32 miles*, and a top speed of 83mph, moving up to 119mph when the engine is engaged. Sports-style seats are standard, and internal storage is an impressive 505 litres. Top of the range is the M Sport trim.

BMW X3 Plug-in Hybrid

From: £56,515

This powerful Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) can tackle challenging terrain, with a TwinPower Turbo engine and an electric motor. Toggle between a series of drive modes for maximum performance; in pure electric mode, driving range is up to 30 miles*.

BMW X5 Plug-in Hybrid

From: £80,835

The BMW X5 PHEV delivers superb performance, with 0-62mph acceleration in 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 150mph thanks to its TwinPower Turbo engine. Turn to pure electric mode, and you’ll still reach 83mph, with a driving range of up 54 miles* – comfortably enough for short to medium distance trips.

BMW XM

From: £113,480

The BMW XM is the first BMW M plug-in hybrid vehicle and the second car to be entirely developed by BMW M in their history - following the iconic M1 in 1978. With 653 hp and 800 Nm, this is the ultimate example of BMW's X Series M lineup. The revolutionary V8 hybrid powertrain also enables an all-electric driving range of up to 50 miles*.

Plug-in BMW hybrid cars have two drive systems. A petrol engine, and also an electric motor – called the eDrive system. The third component is a high-voltage lithium-ion battery.

Batteries are charged and re-charged by plugging into the national grid, and getting energy from that electricity source. The batteries provide the electricity to start the car, and the power in the motor operates the vehicle’s wheels.

A plug-in BMW hybrid car will usually run on electric power while there is sufficient power in the battery, and if that depletes while driving, it will switch over to the petrol or diesel engine. There’s no risk of the car being unable to run.

BMW plug-in hybrids are fitted with a couple of different driving systems:

Anticipatory hybrid drive - The anticipatory hybrid drive from BMW distributes the electricity that is available across the route journey selected. If the battery is charged and has capacity, sections of the route will be navigated on electric driving, and the petrol engine will be activated, on and off, as needed throughout the route.

Adaptive recuperation - Newer BMW hybrid cars have adaptive recuperation. It uses an intelligent control system to alternate between recuperation and coasting when driving. When braking or de-accelerating, the car can recuperate energy and use it to charge the battery.

How to Charge your Hybrid & PHEV BMW Car

As the name suggests, with a plug-in hybrid car, you plug it into a charging point to recharge the battery. BMW plug-in hybrid models – and BMW electric models – all come with a charging cable as standard, which is around five metres in length.

There are three different ways you can do this – using a domestic socket, a wallbox charger, or a public charging point.

Each type of charger has a different level of power output, so what you use has an effect on the length of time it takes to fully charge a BMW hybrid car. Using a domestic 3 pin socket delivers around 2.3kW of power. If you charge this way, your plug-in hybrid will take longer to charge to full capacity than using a wallbox charger which delivers up to 7kW of power.

You can get a wallbox charger fitted at your home – BMW has partnered with Pod Point to provide installation of the Solo 3 Smart Home Charger. You can also use a public charging point. Sign up for BMW Charging and you get access to over 13,000 charging points across the UK. The BMW Charging Card is included as standard when you buy a new BMW hybrid.

In addition to charging methods, it's important to consider the cost of charging your BMW hybrid. Specialised electric tariffs can significantly reduce the cost of charging your BMW with some providers offering ‘off-peak’ rates. Savings can be over £26 as identified in our BMW electric charging costs guide.

Though we tend to call cars that have a combustion engine and an electric motor ‘hybrid’ cars, there is a difference between a traditional hybrid car and a plug-in hybrid car.

A BMW plug-in hybrid car has a petrol or diesel engine and an electric motor. The car can drive using the engine, using just the electric motor, or both in combination. Driving a plug-in hybrid means you can drive in all-electric mode if you prefer, and if the range allows.

A traditional hybrid car has a smaller electric motor and battery, so doesn’t have the same kind of capacity to drive in pure electric mode. Instead, the main benefit is that the electric motor and the engine working together can – if you drive carefully – lead to better fuel economy.

A key difference is the way a plug-in hybrid and a traditional hybrid is charged. BMW plug-in hybrids have some regenerative braking function, storing energy when the brakes are deployed, but are mainly charged by plugging the vehicle into a power source. A traditional hybrid car is only recharged as you drive.

What is the typical range of a BMW Hybrid & Plug-in Hybrid car?
How long does it take to charge BMW Hybrid & Plug-in Hybrid cars?
Do BMW Hybrid & PHEV cars pay the congestion charge?

Other Types of BMW Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

As well as plug-in hybrid cars, BMW also has a range of electric vehicles, so you can drive on pure electric power with no combustion engine needed – achieving zero tailpipe emissions. BMW electric cars have much longer driving ranges than hybrid cars using the battery. The BMW EV range includes the BMW iX, BMW i3 and the BMW i4, an all-electric Gran Coupé.

Explore the full range of BMW hybrid and electric cars here. For more information, contact Dick Lovett BMW. Our dealerships are located in Bristol, Hungerford, Melksham (near Bath), and Swindon.

BMW Hybrid & Plug-in Hybrid Cars