Rumored: BMW to offer Hybrid 5 and 3 Series

BMW chief executive Norbert Reithofer says the Munich based manufacturer will start producing the 5-Series with a hybrid power train as early as next year but is also testing hybrid version of the 3-Series.

This move comes from BMW's goal of reducing carbon emissions by at least another 25 percent between 2008 and 2020. BMW’s fleet emissions dropped to 150 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer last year, down from 156g at the end of 2008. Regarding the 5-Series hybrid, which was previewed at the Geneva Motor Show by the 5-Series ActiveHybrid Concept, this car will be the second full hybrid from BMW, after the ActiveHybrid X6 was launched last year. The ActiveHybrid 7 is considered a mild hybrid, because this car can’t run on zero-emission electric propulsion alone. “Sales of hybrid vehicles (there) have skyrocketed. If you don’t have a hybrid in your portfolio, soon you might not be selling any cars in Japan at all,” explained Reithofer.

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will these be offered in a manual transmission? I would love to have that 5 series.

awesome. i love this. even better would be diesel electric hybrids.